Chinese Baked Sweet Bread Dough Recipes

CHINESE SWEET BUN DOUGH

Steps:

• Whisk the sugar and milk together in a large mixing bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the yeast, and let stand until a frothy layer forms on the milk, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour, most of the beaten eggs (reserve about 1 tablespoon of egg in a small bowl for later), vegetable oil, and salt, mixing well until thoroughly combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, place the bowl in a warm spot, and let rise until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it briefly to punch down, about 1 minute. Roll the dough out into a rope, and cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and use your fingers to flatten each ball into a disc about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
• Place about 2 tablespoons of your favorite bun filling in the center of the dough circle, and bring the edges of the dough up over the filling. Pinch and twist the top together to seal in the filling. Make sure there are no open spots. Place each filled bun seam-side down on the parchment paper while you finish making the rest of the buns. Cover the filled buns with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat the 1 tablespoon of reserved beaten egg with the water to make an egg wash, and brush the top of each bun with the egg mixture. Sprinkle each bun with a few sesame seeds, and bake in the preheated oven until the tops are browned and shiny, turning the baking sheet around halfway through baking, for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

CHINESE BAKED SWEET BREAD DOUGH

Steps:

• Put the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. It should foam and bubble. If it does not, discard and use a fresh package of yeast. Stir in the egg, oil and remaining milk.
• Put the flour and remaining sugar in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process 2 seconds. With the machine running, pour the warm milk mixture down the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until it forms a rough ball. If ball is sticky and wet, add a little more flour. Process a few seconds longer, or until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove dough to a lightly floured board.
• Knead dough, dusting with flour to keep it from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes.
• Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and place on a lightly floured surface. It is now ready to form into rolls, buns or loaves.
• If preparing filled buns: Cut dough in half. Form each half into a 12-inch long log; cut into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a 4-inch circle. Roll outer inch of each circle 1/8-inch thin; leave middle slightly thicker.
• If right-handed, place a dough circle in palm of your left hand. Put a big tablespoon of filling in the; middle; put left thumb over the filling. With your right hand, bring up edge and make a pleat in it.
• Rotate circle a little and make a second pleat. As you make each pleat, gently pull it up and around as if to enclose your thumb. Continue rotating, pleating and pinching, then gently twist into a spiral. Pinch to seal. Place bun pleated side down on a parchment square. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Put buns 1 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Let rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat egg yolks with water and sugar; brush over buns. Bake 20 minutes.

MARTIN YAN'S GOLDEN CHINESE BAKED BUNS (BAOS)

Steps:

• Stir the 1/4 cup warm water (first amount), 1 tablespoon sugar (first amount) and yeast together in a large bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside until the mixture begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the all-purpose flour and bread flour together in a medium bowl. Stir the warm milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, butter and yolk mixture into the yeast mixture until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture, half at a time, and mix until you have a soft dough, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm location. Let the dough rise, until roughly doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Turn the dough onto a floured cutting board. With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 15 roughly equal pieces. Roll a piece of dough out on a floured surface to a 4-inch circle. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of desired filling into the center of the dough circle. Gather the edges of the dough over the filling, and twist them together to seal. Place the bun, seam side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Brush all exposed surfaces of the buns with the beaten eggs. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm.