This blog is littered with bao disasters, including this custard creamed bao that went so wrong (dense, raw and ugly and collapsed, using single proofing) I never tried custard or creamed corn-fillings again. I had also tried a milk bao that used 2 flours (cake and plain) but needed 2 proofings of about an hr each. It was nothing to write home about but relatively easy to work with. There was also a char siu bao dough that used normal flour, wheat starch, vinegered water with baking power but despite all that work, it looked ugly. While easy to work with, it was too stretchy and tore easily, and instead of rising, it grew sideways and was too flat.
This recipe by Ruyi attempts to remedy all these attempts which uses 3 flours, oil and baking powder in an attempt to create fluffy dim sum bao. The video is particularly helpful with how to wrap and shape so that the buns come out round and smooth.
Ingredients
Custard filling
3 room temp egg yolks, try to remove as much white as possible
150ml milk
75g sugar
20g cake flour
50g salted butter (it must be salted or the butter will separate from the custard)
1. Whisk the egg yolks then add sugar and whisk till pale.
2. Add the cake flour and mix well then set aside.
3. Heat up the salted butter and milk on medium heat and stir once in a while until small bubbles form. Do not boil. Remove from the stove.
4. Quickly whisk the yolk mixture and slowly drizzling in half the scaled milk in a steady stream. Continue to whisk and pour back into the pot and back onto a medium heat.
5. Once the mixture starts to thicken, switch to low heat. Continue to whisk until lump and remove into a bowl. Cover with cling film right onto the custard to prevent it forming a skin.
6. Fridge for min 3 hrs or even overnight.
Alternatively just make instant custard filling
170ml milk
3 tbsp custard powder
2½ tbsp sugar
1. Combine the custard powder, milk and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil but stirring constantly otherwise it will boil over.
2. Alternatively use a microwave at small increments at 50 to 80% power otherwise it boils over, been there done that! 1min 30s at 1000W.
3. Also keep in the cover and keep in the fridge for at least 3 hours or best overnight.
Dough (makes 10)
160g superfine (9.5% protein)/HK/Bao flour (normal flour will yield a chewier dough)
40g cake flour
30g wheat starch
45g icing sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp instant yeast
130ml room temp water
30ml veg oil
1. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except the oil. Use a chopstick to ensure all the ingredients are combined.
2. Add the cooking oil in 3 batches and knead in until dough feels smooth, about 10 mins.
3. Divide the dough into 30 equal portions of around 43-44g each. Cover with damp towel and rest for 5 minutes.
4. Roll out one ball at a time with a thicker centre. Flatten to around 9.5 cm disc.
5. Divide the custard into 10 balls and roll each roughly into a ball.
6. In the centre of each dough disc, flatten the custard into the centre and cupping your hand, use a spoon to push the filing into the 'cup' formed by your hand. Pleat to seal and turn over onto the table. Using your sides of your palms, cup and rotate to form a round ball with a smooth surface.
7. Transfer to a lined steaming rack. Allow to proof until 1.5 to 2x. When depressed gently, the dough should spring back.
8. Place straight onto a steamer and turn on to high heat and steam for 15 minutes from room temp. Once done, turn off the fire and leave covered for another 10 minutes.
9, Best served warm but remove from the water to avoid getting soggy.
10. Keep in the fridge and steam for 10 minutes on high heat to reheat. Else store in the freezer and steam on high heat from frozen for 15 minutes. Custard sld be eaten when the bao is warm otherwise it is hard.
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