Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Sticky Pear Cinnamon Rolls (No Mixer)

 If you love sticky… gooey… Cinnamon Rolls which is not too overly sweet, THIS recipe is perfect for you!


I really love Cinnamon Rolls (there are several Cinnamon Rolls recipes on my blog) and I still and always looking for the best version of the Cinnamon Rolls recipe 😂.


These buttery buns are filled with Sweet Pears Filling, Cinnamon Butter, a touch of Dark Chocolate and covered in a Sticky Toffee Glaze.
I found this one is really SPECIAL… the fluffiest, stickiest treat that’s just so hard to resist 😳


Incorporating Pears Into the Filling
These beautiful fruit is the star of the show 😉
The pears add a natural sweetness and yummy, sticky texture.
Try to find fresh pears that are ripe, but not mushy. If the pears are too soft, they won’t be taste good, while underripe pears may not softened enough when you cook it.
And make sure that you chop the pears finely so they will cook faster and easier when you roll out the dough.

Beautiful Sweet Pears Filling

Would not be PERFECT without Sticky Toffee Glaze
The only thing that could make the Sticky Toffee Rolls better is a warm blanket of homemade sticky toffee glaze.
This toffee is the finger-licking sticky sauce that will keep you dreaming of these rolls long after the pan is cleared 🙃😅.

Sticky Gooey Toffee Glaze 😰 Can’t wait to eat…

All too often, Cinnamon Rolls are way too sweet, dry, and downright tough; but NOT THIS one!


Drizzle the glaze over your baked Cinnamon Rolls and return it to the oven for another 5-10 minutes until sticky and deep golden… and LOOK!

Sticky… Gooey… you’ll never, ever forget 😬

I wish you can smell this.. 🤤
These Sticky Cinnamon Rolls are light and fluffy
With a Buttery Brown Sugar Pear Filling … 😍


It’s perfect to enjoy them during ME-time with a large mug of tea or coffee.


I hope you will give it a try… There’s nothing better than an ooey -gooey warm sticky rolls!
Enjoy my recipe!


Take care Everyone!

STICKY PEAR CINNAMON ROLLS
Yield: 6 Rolls (8-Inch Square Pan)
Active Time: 1½ Hours
Total Time: 3 Hours

INGREDIENTS
♥︎ Rolls Dough

  • 250 g Bread Flour
  • 25 g Caster Sugar
  • 1½ tsp Instant Yeast
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 100 g Milk
  • 50 g Unsalted Butter
  • 50 g Eggs

♥︎ Pears Filling

  • 450 g Ripe Pears
  • 1/2 tbs Caster Sugar
  • Juice of 1/4 Lemon
  • 15 g Unsalted Butter

♥︎ Cinnamon Butter

  • 50 g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
  • 35 Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tbs Cinnamon Powder

♥︎ 20 g Dark Chocolate (70%); grated

♥︎Toffee Glaze

  • 40 g Unsalted Butter
  • 1½ tbs Maple Syrup
  • 1½ tbs Brown Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Rolls Dough

  1. Gently warm the Milk over low heat (do not boil);
    Take it off from the heat and stir in the Unsalted Butter until completely melted;
    Set aside, let the mixture cool until just slightly warm. 100 g Milk; 50 g Unsalted Butter
  2. Then in a large bowl, combine the Bread Flour along with Caster Sugar and Instant Yeast.
    250 g Bread Flour; 25 g Caster Sugar; 1½ tsp Instant Yeast
  3. Add the salt, mix well 1/4 tsp Salt
  4. Pour in the Milk-Butter mixture along with the beaten Eggs. 50 g Eggs
  5. Using spatula mix until just combined.
  6. Then, using your hand start kneading the dough (it will be sticky at first, it’s normal);
    Don’t be tempted to add more flour; just keep kneading for about 5-8 minutes, the dough gradually will become less sticky, elastic and really smooth.
  7. Form the dough into a ball and place it into a grease bowl; cover and leave it to rise for about 1-1½ hours or until doubled in size.


Pears Filling

  1. Peel, core and roughly chop the Pears (Make sure that you chop the pears finely so they will cook faster and easier to roll out the dough later). 450 g Ripe Pears
  2. Then in a medium pan, combine the chopped Pears along with Caster Sugar, Lemon Juice and Unsalted Butter. 1/2 tbs Caster Sugar; Juice of 1/4 Lemon; 15 g Unsalted Butter
  3. Cook over medium-low heat and cover.
    Stirring from time to time until the pears are soft and starting to break down and reduce to a puree; open the lid to cook off any excess liquid.
  4. Once it’s done, remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

Cinnamon Butter
Simply beat all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. 50 g Unsalted Butter (Softened); 35 Brown Sugar; 1/2 tbs Cinnamon Powder


Toffee Glaze

  1. In a small pan, simply combine all the ingredients. 40 g Unsalted Butter; 1½ tbs Maple Syrup; 1½ tbs Brown Sugar
  2. Over medium low heat, bring to a boil; let it simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture slightly thickened.
  3. Take it off from the heat, set aside

ROLL ~ FILL ~ BAKE

  1. Prepare the pan
    Grease 8-Inch Square Pan with a bit of butter, line with some parchment paper.
  2. After for about 1½ hours, the dough has doubled in size.
    Lightly flour the work surface; turn out the dough and roll out into a neat 30 cm x 25 cm rectangle.
  3. With a long side closest to you, spread the Cinnamon Butter over the dough, leaving 1 cm border along the edge.
  4. Follow with the Pears Filling and grated Dark Chocolate.
  5. And then starting at the side closest to you, roll up the dough into a neat spiral, keeping the roll even and tight.
  6. Use a sharp knife to cut into 6 equal slices.
    * I like to trim the edges, coz these edges usually don’t have much filling inside
  7. Place the slices cut sides up in the lined pan
  8. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and leave to proof for about 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
  9. After 30 minutes; you can see that the rolls have puffed up and doubled in size.
    Place the rolls in the preheated 160° C oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and well risen.
    *In the meantime yo can prepare the Toffee Glaze
  10. After 25 minutes, remove the rolls from the oven; spoon the toffee glaze over; And return it to the oven for another 5-10 minutes until sticky and deep golden.
  11. Take it off from the heat and serve.

NOTES

  1. This roll taste best when serve warm on the day it’s made.
    However, the left overs can be refrigerated (in an air tight container) for 4 days.
  2. To reheat; bake in the 160° C oven for 10 minutes or Microwave for 30 seconds.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Sumikko gurashi bread shop manager ~ bread stick


Hi Everyone… do you love Sumikko Gurashi?
I’m a big fan of Sumikko Gurashi Characters 🥰 and I want to share my love for this Sumikko Gurashi Bread Shop Manager who teaches Sumikkos on making bread; which is also known as Pan Tencho.

Even though they sell this character in small size, I found it really cute! 🤗

The original Pan Tencho on the “right hand side” 😘

Pan Tencho past was actually an unsold baguette that got stale, wearing a regular white chef’s hat and a red cape; with a little smile and brown eyes.


This bread Shop Manager (パン店長) is always chatty and cheerful; puts on a very serious face when making bread; It’s really serious about baking.

I envy it’s cute Shirokuma mini oven 🙄

And it’s secret to avoid it’s body getting dry and cracked; is takes a nice milk baths 🤣…. so funny!


Today, Pan Tencho want to show you the tastiness of the “Chocolate Bread Stick” from its Bakery. It’s actually a replication of itself 😜.


If you love Sumikko Gurashi, I’m sure you definitely want to try… I promise you, they are are going to be so delicious!

They will be a bit fat after baking 😬

They taste like tasty milk bread with the thick yummy chocolate filling inside 🥖🍫


Just like the perfect bread stick 😙

Don’t worry, you can clean the excess icing later 😉

Can you tell the difference? 😆


So…Kawaii!

“Can I sleep beside my twins? ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅

I hope that you will enjoy the recipe… My nephew and niece are fighting for this bread 😱


And I’m sure if you pack them as a gift for someone, they are gonna love them so much.


Love you All and happy baking…. ❤️


Take care Everyone!



SUMIKKOS BREAD SHOP MANAGER ~ BREAD STICK
Yield: 9 pieces
Active Time: 2 Hours
Total Time: 3 ½ Hours

INGREDIENTS
✨CHOCOLATE FILLING

  • 60 g All-Purpose Flour
  • 15 g Cocoa Powder
  • 25 g Water
  • 50 g Granulated Sugar
  • 25 g Dark Chocolate (Compound)
  • 12 g Unsalted Butter

✨BREAD DOUGH

  • 175 g All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
  • 35 g Unsalted Butter
  • 60 g Granulated Sugar
  • 35 g Eggs
  • 1/2 tbsp Egg Whites
  • 1/2 tbsp Corn Syrup
  • 35 g Evaporated Milk
  • Food Colouring (Orange, Dark Brown, Yellow)

✨ROYAL ICING

  • 110 g Icing Sugar
  • 5 g Corn Syrup
  • 1 tbsp +1/2 tsp Warm Water


INSTRUCTIONS
Chocolate Filling

  1. Sift the All-Purpose Flour and Cocoa Powder in a large bowl (this step is important, you don’t want any lumps in your filling); Set aside. 60 g All-Purpose Flour; 15 g Cocoa Powder
  2. In a non-stick pan, mix the rest of the ingredients. 25 g Water; 50 g Granulated Sugar; 25 g Dark Chocolate (Compound); 12 g Unsalted Butter
    Cook over medium high heat until all the chocolate and butter melted.
    When the mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to the lowest setting; pour in the flour mixture, mix well until it create a smooth shiny chocolate dough (be careful not to burned it).
    Take it off from the heat and let it cool down a bit for about 10 minutes
  3. After 10 minutes, knead the filling for a few second.
  4. Divide it into 9 equal pieces (about 20 grams each), shape each pieces into a sausage (about 7 cm long)
    * Don’t wait until the mixture cools completely, it will be crumbly and difficult to form.
  5. Cover the filling with a cling wrap and freeze until ready to use it.

Bread Dough

  1. In a medium bowl sift in the All- Purpose Flour along with Baking Powder and Baking Soda; Set aside. 175 g All-Purpose Flour; 1/2 tsp Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
  2. In another bowl, mix the Unsalted Butter and Granulated Sugar until pale and fluffy. 35 g Unsalted Butter; 60 g Granulated Sugar
  3. Pour in the Eggs, Egg Whites and Corn Syrup to the butter sugar mixture; Mix well. 35 g Eggs; 1/2 tbsp Egg Whites; 1/2 tbsp Corn Syrup
  4. Add in the flour mixture alternating with the evaporated milk in 3 batches. 35 g Evaporated Milk Mix until just combined (do not over mixed it will make the bread stick tough).
  5. This dough should be sticky at first, place the dough onto a cling wrap, flatten it; let the dough chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes so it will be less sticky and easier to manage.

Royal Icing
Simply combine all the ingredients; mix well.

SHAPE AND BAKE

  1. Divide the dough into each portions
    – 9 big portions for the body (about 30 grams each)
    – 9 small portions for the Hat (about 5 grams each)
    – And divide and colour the rest dough for each details (Orange dough for the cape, Yellow dough for the bread slashes, some plain dough for its legs and hands and a tiny Brown dough for its little eyes and smile)
  2. To Shape (Kindly follow video instructions)
    Take 1 portion of the body dough, roll it into an oval shape;
    Place it in between a greaseproof paper, using rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a 9 cm long and 7 cm wide oval shape.
    Place 1 portion of the filling to the centre of the dough; Gently wrap the dough around the filling (make sure that you seal the joint properly).
    And then put it on the table, using your palm roll the filled dough to smoothen the surface.
  3. Place the filled dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; you also can use a scraper to help straighten the sides of the dough.
  4. Let them chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes so it sets hard a bit;
    And then you can start adding the details (cape, bread slashes, legs, hands, eyes and smile)
  5. To Bake
    After finish with all the details cover the pan with deep roasting pan (or create your own with aluminium foil) to prevent browning on top; bake in the preheated 180°C oven ~ 20 Minutes (rotating the pan halfway through the baking time).
  6. When it’s done, place the pan onto a cooling rack and let them cools completely in the pan.
  7. Then, using small spatula apply some royal icing around the hat.
    Place onto a wire rack and let the icing sets hard completely.

NOTES
Store the completely cooled bread stick in an airtight container at room temperature for a day; In the refrigerator for up to 5 days; In the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Chocolate POTICA

"One slice is never enough..."
I would say that POTICA is every kids childhood dream chocolate bread. The bread is really rich, the nutty chocolate filling is thick and flavourful!
It's like a giant sticky bun, but with a higher percentage of the yummy filling and just enough flaky crust.


Potica (pronounced poh-TEET-sah) originates from Slovenia. 
It’s the most delicious Nut Roll, that’s prepared with light Brioche dough and filled with a rich, tasty filling. 

A beautifully baked chocolate potica, a traditional Slovenian nut roll, served with a vintage teapot.

They are traditionally eaten on all holidays like Easter and Christmas and other celebrations like birthdays and weddings.

A freshly baked Chocolate Potica dusted with powdered sugar, showcasing its delicious filling and soft texture.

There are many variety of fillings; such as Almond, Coffee, Poppyseed, Strawberry Cream Cheese but Chocolate is one of my favourite.
I am a fan of Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, but I can say POTICA is much much better.

Potičnik

Potičnik – the traditional round clay baking pan with a sleeve in the middle which is Slovene used for baking POTICA.
Nowadays, we can use a bundt cake pan which has similar shape to Potičnik or you can use loaf pan if you want.

Rolling the rich chocolate filling into the traditional Slovenian Potica dough.

This iconic old world cake is made by stretching the dough so thin that you almost see through it; It may become so stretched that it takes up the entire table. The thinner the dough actually the more impressive the design.

And then with the filling inside, it’s rolled into a long log, placed in a tube pan and bake at low heat for a long time to create a bread like pastry

For the filling, I suggest to use 70% Dark Chocolate and above; lower than that, I found it slightly too sweet. And for the nuts, you can use either Walnut, Pecan or Cashew; all delicious.

Slicing into a rich and flavorful Potica, a traditional Slovene nut roll, perfect for festive occasions.

POTICA is usually cut into thin slices. On easter morning, families bring POTICA, ham and eggs to be blessed at church, they are then serve to the family at Easter breakfast.

At weddings you may find dozens of potica towering in the center of the tables, sometimes as many as one per person, so that all guests will get their share

Other occasions it may be spread with butter or honey, sprinkle with cinnamon; And when serve as dessert, it’s topped with ice cream, Vanilla custard, Whipped Cream or fresh fruit.

POTICA is my childhood dream chocolate bread 🥰

The high percentage of eggs and butter content in Brioche gives it a really rich yet tender crumb;
And the nutty chocolate filling inside is flavourful and not too sweet, it’s just delightful.

A slice of Potica showcasing its rich chocolate and nut filling, perfect for any celebration.

It’s like having a giant sticky bun, but with a higher percentage of the yummy filling and just enough flaky crust. The combination of tender crumb and fragrant chocolate nutty filling was so irresistible.
One slice is never enough… 🤪

Making this nut roll is an elaborate process but the taste is worth it.
For the chocolate lover, I highly recommend to try this; and I’m sure your family and kids will love it so much.
LOVE YOU ALL 🥰

WATCH HOW TO MAKE “POTICA” TRADITIONAL SLOVENIAN NUT ROLL

RECIPE

CHOCOLATE POTICA
Yield: One Diameter 22 cm Bundt Pan
Active time: 1 ½ Hours
Total time: 5 Hours

INGREDIENTS
✨DOUGH

  • 30 g Milk  (room temp.)
  • 1/2 tbsp Instant/ Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 120 g Evaporated Milk
  • 30 g Egg Yolks
  • 30 g Plain Greek Yogurt/ Sour Cream
  • 270 g All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 45 g Unsalted Butter (soft)
  • 20 g Granulated Sugar
  • 30 g All-Purpose Flour (for kneading)

✨CHOCOLATE FILLING

  • 60 g Milk  
  • 85 g Maple Syrup/ Honey
  • 200 g Granulated Sugar
  • 25 g Cocoa Powder (sifted)
  • 45 g Egg Whites
  • 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 30 g Unsalted Butter
  • 60 g Dark Chocolate 70% (chopped)
  • 60 Walnut/ Cashew/ Pecan (ground)

✨GLAZE ~ Egg Whites

INSTRUCTIONS
Dough

  1. Grease the pan with generous amount of butter.
  2. Combine the milk along with yeast and 1 tbs of sugar, set aside for about 10 minutes until foamy.
    30 g Milk (room temp.); 1/2 tbsp Instant/ Active Dry Yeast; 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
  3. In another medium bowl combine all the wet ingredients Evaporated Milk, eggs yolks, Greek Yogurt; Mix well. 120 g Evaporated Milk; 30 g Egg Yolks; 30 g Plain Greek Yogurt/ Sour Cream
  4. For the dry ingredients, simply combine the All-Purpose Flour and salt. 270 g All-Purpose Flour; 1/2 tsp Salt
  5. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. 45 g Unsalted Butter (soft); 20 g Granulated Sugar
  6. Add in the dry ingredients alternating with the wet ingredients in 3 batches.
  7. Pour in the yeast mixture;
    Using wooden spoon slowly fold the dough with the yeast mixture for about 3 minutes until it form a wet sticky dough. 
  8. Place the dough onto a floured surface (sprinkle All-Purpose Flour for kneading) and gently fold the edge of the dough in a circular motion until all the flour is used up. 30 g All-Purpose Flour (for kneading)
  9. And then, knead the dough again for another 5 minutes until the dough become less sticky and really smooth.
  10. Sprinkle some flour inside the clean bowl, place the dough. Cover and let the dough rise for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. 


Chocolate Filling

  1. In a food processor, pulse the chocolate and then nuts (separately) for a few seconds at a time until they are fine; set aside. 60 g Dark Chocolate 70% (chopped); 60 Walnut/ Cashew/ Pecan (ground)
  2. In a non-stick pan combine the milk, Maple Syrup, sugar, Cocoa Powder, egg whites and Vanilla Extract (it’s important to sift the Cocoa Powder, you don’t want any lumps in your filling); Mix until smooth. 60 g Milk; 85 g Maple Syrup/ Honey; 200 g Granulated Sugar; 25 g Cocoa Powder (sifted); 45 g Egg Whites; 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
    Add in the dark chocolate and butter, cook over medium high heat while keep stirring until all the chocolate and butter dissolved.
  3. When in starts to boil, lower the heat to medium low and continue cook until the mixture thicken; Take it off from the heat, pour over the ground nuts; mix well. Let the mixture cool to room
    temperature before you use it.


Roll and Bake

  1. After 1½ hours you can see that the dough become doubled in size.
    Punch the dough to release any gas bubbles; place it on a floured countertop
    Using rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular shape (34×45 cm); about half cm or less in thickness (the thinner your dough actually the more impressive the design).
  2. To roll the dough
    Spread the filling over the dough (spare for about 5 cm at the end of the dough).
    Starting at the shorter edge nearest you, tightly roll up into a tight log;
    The length of the log should be 2.5 times of the diameter of the pan; cut the excess dough in 45° angle.
  3. Carefully transfer the log to the prepared pan with a short section on the inside (as much as possible try to connect the two ends of the log else the POTICA won’t be as pretty and the filling will spread out while baking).
  4. For the final proof
    Cover the pan with a towel or Cling Film and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  5. Once the dough has risen, brush the top with egg whites and then bake in the preheated 160°C oven for 1 hour
  6. When it’s done
    Let cool slightly in the pan for about 5 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, remove the pan 
  7. Leave the POTICA to cool completely, then sprinkle with some icing sugar.

NOTES

  1. This wonderful Nut Roll is best one day after baking.
  2. Store it in an airtight container 4 – 5 days at room temperature. 
  3. You can also freeze it in a freezer bag for up to two months. 
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 1 Comment

Christmas & Holiday Treats

Hi Everyone, how is your Christmas preparation?
I usually start making Christmas treats 3 days in advance …
This year, I decided to make Gingerbread Cookies on the first day;
Fruit Tea Bread, Triple Chocolate Peppermint Donuts and Ginger Milk Tea on the second day.

I also will share with you my favorite NO KNEAD Bread in the video 

GINGER COOKIES WITH FRESH GINGER CAN'T BE BEAT FOR FLAVOUR
Nothing makes me feel more like Christmas is here than a batch of my favourite Gingerbread Cookies;
Hi Everyone! 😬

Soft in the centers, crisp on the edges, and perfectly spiced.

This is my trusty gingerbread recipe that I have used over the years and let me tell you it never disappoints. 

An embossed rolling pin makes even simple Christmas tree shape cookies look elegant

To use one, you’ll need to roll the dough out with a standard rolling pin first, then use the embossing rolling pin to leave pretty patterns. Do this before cutting the cookies into shapes.

The cookie dough or uncooked cookies can be wrapped in cling-film and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months

Always bake equally sized cookies together to make sure they cook in the same time
If you mix different sizes, the smaller ones are already cooked when the larger ones are still raw in the middle.

Baked Gingerbread Cookies will keep for up to 3 months if kept in airtight container or cookie jar 😚

How you decorate your adorable Gingerbread Cookies is completely up to you!
If you want to get extra creative you can pipe some coloured icing on top of your cookies and give them a bit of character! 

AS WE ARE ENJOYING CLASSIC CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE SINCE CHILDHOOD, I HAD TAKEN A MISSION TO BAKE DIFFERENT KIND OF FRUITCAKE ON THIS CHRISTMAS
If you like fruit cake but don't have much of a sweet tooth, I highly suggest you try my Fruit Tea Bread recipe.

It’s a beautifully flavoured tea cake; a unique nut free non-alcoholic tea cake aka fruit cake loaded with fruits and raisins.

The raisins and dried fruits are soaked in strongly brewed tea overnight to plum them up and next day tea soaked fruits are added in the cake batter along with the tea and some additional spices.

Because the fruit is soaked before baking, it allows the fruit to impart moisture to the bread for days afterwards, keeping it from drying out;

You can use your favourite black tea 😇

And it will stay good for up to a week.

I’m prefer to use Ceylon Tea or Earl Grey, it really works beautifully 😘
CHRISTMAS DONUTS ARE A DELICIOUS AND FUN WAY TO ADD A LITTLE SWEETNESS TO YOUR CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST OF BRUNCH
Have I told you all how much I love chocolate? I mean, who doesn’t – right?
My family also loves donuts – chocolate ones, especially! I don’t make these too often, but they are a nice treat now and then.

You probably want to try these Triple Chocolate Peppermint Donuts;
decadent and delicious, these yeast chocolate donuts are heaven in every bite. 

Adorable puffy donuts 🙄 I can’t wait to take a bite

They’re loaded with creamy Chocolate Custard, topped with a silky Dark Chocolate and sprinkled with Peppermint Candy.

Frying Chocolate Donuts can be tricky coz you can’t see the browning colour.

Moist and fluffy, these Triple Chocolate Donuts are perfect for any chocoholic! 🍩🥰

No matter how you decorate and serve them, these Christmas donuts make for a fun and merry holiday treat. I know you’re going to love them
These treat that’s sure to please any chocolate lover!

WHAT IS YOUR MOST POPULAR DRINK AT CHRISTMAS?
How about Ginger Milk Tea to warm up the holidays? ☃️☕ 
This Ginger Tea Latte is perfect for Christmas and winter. It's also a healthy alternative to coffee and tastes so good!

Ginger tea with some spices is a lovely, lightly spicy drink for warming up on cold days.

It’s a light, alcohol-free alternative to a nightcap. It soothes upset stomachs and eases indigestion if you over-indulge this holiday season (don’t we all?) 🤣

I wish you all the best that life can bring, May the true meaning of this season fill our hearts.

And that’s it, to appreciate the love given to us by not taking it for granted.
Merry Christmas Everyone… ❤️ 💋


OVERNIGHT NO-KNEAD BREAD
Yield: One 15 diameter loaf
Active time: 1 Hour
Total time: 11 Hours

🌿 Ingredients
200 g All-Purpose Flour (unbleached)
50 Whole Wheat Flour (100% Stone Ground)
1/3 tsp Instant Yeast
1/4 tsp Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Caraway Seeds (optional)
180 g Water (room temperature)

🌿 Instructions

  1. In a large bowl; mix all dry and wet ingredient (make sure salt doesn’t have direct contact with the yeast); Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours or until doubled in size and the top of the dough has a lot of air bubbles (time will depend on your room temperature – the cooler the room the longer it will take).
  2. On the next day, roll the dough into a smooth ball, place it in the proofing basket ( has been floured) and let it proof for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until almost double in size (if you lightly press into the dough, it will leave a slight indentation).
    In the meantime, place 16 cm diameter Cast Iron Pot in the oven, and preheat the oven to 210°C.
  3. Turn the proofed bread upside down into HOT Cast Iron Pot, close the lid and bake in the preheated 210°C oven for 30 minutes.
  4. After 30 minutes, remove the pot lid and continue bake for about 10-20 minutes or until golden brown.
  5. Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on the cooling rack.

🌿 Notes

  1. What’s unique about this recipe is that the bread is baked in a covered pot.
    You can use either a Cast Iron (can be enameled) Dutch Oven or a Ceramic Pot.
    The pot needs to be placed in the oven as it preheats so it gets really hot. The idea is that when the bread bakes in the pot you are actually trying to simulate a small brick oven where the steam released from the wet bread dough is trapped inside the pot. This will produce a bread with a crisp golden brown crust and a soft and tender crumb.
  2. If you are not keen to buy Cast Iron, you can also use a shallow pan as a base and a tall round baking pan as a lid. Don’t forget to put both pans inside the oven before you preheat the oven (so it gets really hot).
  3. Store the bread in plastic wrap. Avoid storing bread in damp, airy locations, which can speed up moulding.
    If you’re not going to eat the loaf in 2-3 days, the best option is to freeze it for later (max. 2 month).

GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Yield: 2 Dozen Medium Size
Active time: 1 Hour
Total time: 3 1/2 Hours

🌿 Ingredients
25 g Water
70 g Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Molasses
1 tbsp Maple Syrup/ Honey
1 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1 tbsp Fresh Ginger (grated)
1/3 tsp Ground Cloves 
85 g Salted Butter
1/3 tsp Baking Soda
185 g All-Purpose Flour

🌿 Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the Water, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Cinnamon Powder, Fresh Ginger and Ground Cloves. Bring the mixture to a boil. 25 g Water; 70 g Brown Sugar; 1 tbsp Molasses; 1 tbsp Maple Syrup/ Honey; 1 tbsp Cinnamon Powder; 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger (grated); 1/3 tsp Ground Cloves.
  2. Once boiled, remove from the heat then stir in the Salted Butter, mix well. 85 g Salted Butter
    Add in Baking Soda and mix. 1/3 tsp Baking Soda
  3. Allow to cool until just slightly warm; then pour in the All-Purpose Flour. Mix until it forms a wet and sticky dough. 185 g All-Purpose Flour
  4. Wrap the dough in Cling-Film and chill for at least 2 hours.
  5. After 2 hours, place the dough in between a pair of Marzipan Spacers and roll it out to an even thickness.
  6. Using your favourite cutter, cut the dough. Place it on the pan (lined with a Parchment Paper).
  7. Chill again for about 30 minutes before baking (chilled cookies hold better in shape as they don’t tend to spread too much).
  8. Bake in the preheated 200°C oven for about 12 minutes (for large size); 8 minutes (for small size). Rotating your pans approximately halfway through the bake time.
  9. Remove cookies from the pan and let it cool completely on the cooling rack.

🌿 Notes

  1. Cookie dough or uncooked cookies can be wrapped in Cling-Film and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  2. Cookies baked from frozen hold better in shape as they don’t tend to spread as much as chilled ones.
  3. Baked Gingerbread Cookies will keep for up to 3 months in an airtight container or cookie jar.

FRUIT TEA BREAD/ CAKE
Yield: One 17x8x6 cm Loaf Pan
Active time: 30 Minutes
Total time: 10 Hours

🌿 Ingredients
2 Bags Black Tea (Ceylon)
125 g Hot Water
100 g Jaggery/ Muscovado Sugar
40 g Golden Raisins
40 g Black Raisins
25 g Dried Apricots (chopped)
Zest of 1 Orange
175 g All-Purpose Flour
1/3 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tsp Mixed Spice Powder
30 g Whole Eggs
25 g Unsalted Butter (softened)
Almond Slices (optional)

🌿 Instructions

  1. In a heat proof jar, combine Black Tea Bags and Hot Water. Let it brew for 5 minutes. 2 Bags Black Tea (Ceylon); 125 g Hot Water
    Remove tea bags, then add in the Jaggery Sugar, Golden and Black Raisins, Dried Apricots and Orange Zest. Mix well, let it soak overnight. 100 g Jaggery/ Muscovado Sugar; 40 g Golden Raisins; 40 g Black Raisins; 25 g Dried Apricots (chopped); Zest of 1 Orange.
  2. On the next day; In a large bowl, combine the All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Mixed Spice Powder. 175 g All-Purpose Flour; 1/3 tsp Baking Powder; 1/8 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Mixed Spice Powder
  3. Add in the Eggs and the Soaked Dried Fruit along with the tea liquid; Mix well. 30 g Whole Eggs
  4. Add in the Unsalted Butter and mix all together until well combined. 25 g Unsalted Butter (softened)
  5. Pour the batter onto prepared pan (loaf pan lined with Parchment Paper). Tap the pan a few times to remove air bubbles and the batter spread evenly.
  6. Sprinkle with some Almond slices; then bake in the preheated 160°C oven for 45 minutes.
  7. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat. Let the bread sit in the oven for about 10 minutes;
    Remove the bread from the oven, let it sit in the pan for another 10 minutes;
    Then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on the cooling rack.

🌿 Notes

  1. The cake/ bread best made two days ahead of time (if you have the time as this allows the flavours to absorb and develop). If you don’t have the time, it is also rather good straight from the oven.
  2. The cake/ bread can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. Cover in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
  3. This cake/ bread freezes well for up to three months. Wrap it in plastic wrap and foil, then place it in an airtight plastic container or freezer storage bag.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT DONUTS
Yield: 8 Pieces (6 cm Diameter)
Active time: 2 Hours
Total time: 3 Hours

🌿 Chocolate Custard
35 g Egg Yolks
10 g All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Corn Starch
170 g Milk
25 g Granulated Sugar
50 g Dark Chocolate (Couverture/ Compound)
1 tbsp Dark Rum/ Vanilla Extract 

🌿 Chocolate Donuts Dough
80 g Water
40 g Milk
20 g Egg Yolks
30 g Granulated Sugar
1/3 tsp Salt
2/3 tsp Instant Yeast
140 g Bread Flour
40 g All-Purpose Flour
20 g Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
30 g Salted Butter

🌿 Top Coating
150 g Dark Chocolate (Compound)

INSTRUCTIONS
🌿 Chocolate Custard

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the Egg Yolks, All-Purpose Flour, Corn Starch and 1/3 part of Milk. Mix until they are no lumps visible, set aside. 35 g Egg Yolks; 10 g All-Purpose Flour; 1 tsp Corn Starch; 1/3 part of 170 g Milk
  2. In a medium saucepan mix the Granulated Sugar and the rest of the Milk; Cook over medium heat. 25 g Granulated Sugar; the rest Milk
  3. Once it boiled, lower the heat, pour in the Egg Yolks mixture and continue stirring until the mixture thicken.
  4. Add in the Dark Chocolate while continue stirring, mix until all the chocolate melted (be careful not to burn it). 50 g Dark Chocolate (Couverture/ Compound)
  5. Take it off from the heat and strain the mixture (don’t skip this step, you don’t want any lumps in your Custard)
  6. Add in the Rum (optional), mix well. 1 tbsp Dark Rum/ Vanilla Extract 
  7. Cover Custard with a Cling Film (make sure the plastic touches the custard surface to prevent forming a thin crust on top); store in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.

🌿 Chocolate Donuts Dough

  1. In a large bowl combine the Water, Milk, Egg Yolks, Granulated Sugar, Salt and Instant Yeast (NEVER add salt on top of yeast, it will indeed kill the yeast); Mix well. 80 g Water; 40 g Milk; 20 g Egg Yolks; 30 g Granulated Sugar; 1/3 tsp Salt; 2/3 tsp Instant Yeast
  2. Add in the Bread Flour, All-Purpose Flour, Cocoa Butter and Baking Powder; knead briefly until it form a dough ball.
    Cover the dough with clean towel or a plastic wrap; let it rest for 15 minutes. 140 g Bread Flour; 40 g All-Purpose Flour; 20 g Cocoa Powder; 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
  3. After 15 minutes, add in the Salted Butter, mix until well combined; then start kneading the dough for about 5 minutes. 30 g Salted Butter
  4. After 5 minutes, the dough become less sticky and really smooth. From the dough into a smooth ball, place onto a grease bowl; cover and let it rest for another 15 minutes.
  5. After 15 minutes, divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each dough into a smooth ball (kindly follow video instructions).
    Place individually onto a Greaseproof Paper so it will be easier when you lift it.
    Cover with a clean towel, let it proof for about 30-45 minutes or until almost double in size (if you lightly press into the dough, it will leave a slight indentation).
  6. Frying Donuts
    Preheat the oil (temperature should be about 160°-170°C); don’t fry donuts all at once, the oil temperature will decrease.
    After you reach the right temperature, turn down to medium low heat, place about 2-3 donuts and fry for about 10 seconds
    After 10 seconds  the bottom is slightly cooked, turn it over (don’t flip it now, until the bottom is dry; about 1 minute)
    After 1 minute, flip it over and cook for another 1 minute; take it off from the heat, place onto a cooling rack and it’s done (So remember total frying time is about 2 minutes; otherwise, your donuts will definitely burn and taste bitter).
  7. Once the donuts reach room temperature, gently shimmy the chopstick inside of the donut a little ways (gently rotating from the initial opening but not widening it too much).
    This will open up a little more space inside of your donut for the filling.
  8. Spoon the filling into your piping bag, insert the tip of the piping bag into the donut, gently squeezing the filling inside. Squeeze slowly, so that the filling has a chance to reach into air pockets in the donut and generously fill it.
  9. Once the doughnut has been filled, melt some Dark Chocolate (if it’s too thick,  you can add 1-2 teaspoon of Shortening to thinning the chocolate);
    Ice one side of donut with melted chocolate and sprinkle it with some crushed Peppermint Candy for a pretty finish.


🌿 Notes

  1. Custard filled donuts can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days; cover doughnuts with foil or plastic wrap or place in plastic bag when refrigerating to prevent drying out.
  2. Keep refrigerated; Because custard contains milk and eggs, it is quite perishable. The custard should be refrigerated at 40° or lower to stop the formation of bacteria.
  3. To freeze (max. 2 weeks), wrap doughnuts tightly with Aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bags.

GINGER MILK TEA
Yield: 2 savings
Active time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

🌿 Ingredients
80 g Fresh Old Ginger
2 Stalks Lemongrass
1 Cinnamon Stick
4 Whole Cloves
30 g Palm Sugar
500 ml Water
200 ml Hot Milk (frothy)
Cinnamon Powder (garnish)

🌿 Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients (except milk). Bring to a boil, let it simmer for 15 minutes. 80 g Fresh Old Ginger; 2 Stalks Lemongrass; 1 Cinnamon Stick; 4 Whole Cloves; 30 g Palm Sugar; 500 ml Water
  2. Take it off from the heat, strain the mixture (divide into 2 glass); Add some hot milk or frothy milk and sprinkle some Cinnamon Powder for garnish. 200 ml Hot Milk or Frothy

🌿 Notes

  • Ginger Tea can be served with or without milk.
  • Sugar can be added or reduced according to taste.
  • To store; 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

ANGRY BIRDS MELONPAN (TANGZHONG METHOD)

Can you believe that this cute little things is edible?
YES, today we are making these cute Angry Bird Melonpan.
Melonpan are Japanese sweet buns covered with a thin layer of cookie dough; crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.
I will use a Tangzhong method in this recipe, it creates an incredibly soft and stay fresh longer bread.

Look how adorable he is!

If you notice; Melonpan and Pineapple Bun from Hong Kong are very similar.
By comparison, the Japanese style is lighter in weight and taste, slightly drier and has a firmer outer layer (the cookie crust on top) which resists flaking; unlike its Hong Kong counterpart, whose top cookie crust tends to flake easily.
The Hong Kong version is also moister, and is generally soft on the outside and inside, with a stronger butter flavour.

With origins in Japan’s Yukone (or Yudane), Tangzhong is a yeast bread technique popularized across Asia.
For the Yudane method, boiling water is used to scald the flour instead of cooking over the fire.

Tangzhong mixture

They are both quite similar; it involves cooking a portion of the flour and liquid in the recipe into a thick slurry prior to adding the remaining ingredients, resulting in soft, fluffy bread.

Place the Melonpan with the cookie dough facing downwards

You will need half sphere mold to resembles the bird’s head.
I found that this silicone mold is the best option, the bread will release easily, you don’t have to worry that the crust will stick to the pan.

Look! the colour is beautiful and the shape is great. If you tap the top and hear the sound of the crust, you will know that it’s really crispy.

Make sure that you don’t over baked the details

And for the details, shortening based cookie dough is the easy and fast way to create the details. The dough is easy to work with, there’s no need to be chilled.

I’m prefer to bake the eyes and wings on top of the round shape of the sphere mould rather than a flat baking pan so the shape will stick perfectly to the head.

And if you notice, our lovely Angry Birds have a black circle around their eyes. I am using black food colouring mixed with Vodka, you can also use edible pen.

You can make various facial expressions for them. Some with close mouth and some open mouth 😂.

😳 I’m in love with the fat one!

Which one do you like? 🙄

They all look so adorable… I personally can’t bear to eat them 😓🤧😭

The top cookie crust is buttery and crispy with the soft and spongy Matcha bread on the inside.
I hope that you will enjoy the beauty of this Melonpan.
Love you All !! 💋

ANGRY BIRD MELONPAN
Yield: 5 Melonpan
Active time: 1 hours
Total time: 3½ hours

INGREDIENTS
Cookie Dough:
35 g Unsalted Butter
50 g Caster Sugar
35 g Eggs
120 g Cake Flour
1/4 +1/8 tsp Baking Powder (Double Acting)
1/4 tsp Matcha Powder
Mint Green & Yellow Food Colouring

Bread Dough:
Tangzhong: 40 g Milk + 8 g Bread Flour
135 g Bread Flour
20 g Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Instant Yeast
1½ tsp Matcha Powder
A pinch Salt
25 g Eggs
50 g Milk
25 Unsalted Butter
Egg whites & Caster Sugar 

Details Dough:
30 g Shortening
40 g Caster Sugar
15 g Eggs
1 tsp Milk
75 g All-Purpose Flour
1/4 +1/8 tsp Baking Powder (Double Acting)
A pinch of Salt
Food Colouring (Black, Mint Green, Yellow, Turquoise,
Orange)

Sugar Glue
50 g Caster Sugar
25 g Water

INSTRUCTIONS
Cookie Dough

  1. Simply mix the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
  2. Add in the eggs and mix.
  3. Pour in the sifted dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder) and mix.
    Before everything is well incorporated, add some mint green and yellow food colouring to create colour shades that looks like Angry Birds.
  4. Knead well until the colour is even (try not to over-mix the dough, we want to keep the flaky crust on top).
  5. Place the dough on the cling wrap, cover it and then store it in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Bread Dough

  1. Tangzhong Mixture
    In a small non-stick pan, combine the 40 g milk and 8 g bread flour. Mix really well until no lumps visible.
    Cook over medium heat, continue stirring. Once you see that the mixture start to thicken, lower the heat and continue cook until it become a thick paste (be careful not to burn it).
    Take it off from the heat and let it cool until warm for about 5-10 minutes, set aside.
  2. Then in a large bowl combine the 135 g bread flour, sugar and yeast. Mix well.
  3. Add in the matcha powder and salt (always add the salt last so it doesn’t come into direct contact with the yeast – salt can kill the yeast).
  4. Pour in the eggs, along with 50 g milk and the Tangzhong batter; mix until just combined.
  5. Cover and let it rest for about 15 minutes (this resting time is to give time for the gluten to form its own).
  6. After 15 minutes, add in the butter. It seems too many butter at first but after 1-2 minutes the butter is all mixed into the dough.
  7. Knead by stretching it
    In a bowl; lift the dough, toss and fold for about 5 minutes.
    Then cover it again (if your dough now isn’t smooth enough, cover it too), wait for about 10 minutes and continue stretching it for another 3 minutes (you can feel that the dough become really smooth).
  8. Place the dough into a clean grease bowl, cover it and let it rise until doubled in size for about 1-2 hours (proofing time depending on room temperature, it may take longer or may not take that long).

Shaping the cookie dough
Prepare 5 pieces (13 x 13 cm) of plain parchment paper and a piece with a 10 cm round shape as a guide.
Take cookie dough out of the fridge and divide it into 5 equal portions; roll each dough into a smooth ball.
To shape the dough; place 1 all of the cookie dough onto a 10 cm guide of parchment paper, cover with another parchment paper. Using flat surface press the dough gently into a 10 cm disk, turn it over and then cover the finished dough with a plastic wrap to prevent the dough dry.

Create the Melonpan

  1. After for about 1 hour, the bread dough has risen to doubled in size. Punch the dough, press out the air, divide the bread dough into 5 equal portions.
  2. To create the Melonpan
    Take 1 portion of the bread dough, press out the air. Pull around the edges, tuck underside.
    And then hold and roll the dough with your hands in C shape, give a little pressure until it create a smooth ball.
    Brush the top lightly with the egg white. Place a piece of a round 10 cm cookie dough to the top; make sure it’s in the centre. Adjust according to the shape, gently press to cover the entire outer edge of the bread dough.
  3. Dip and coat the cookie dough surface with the caster sugar and then gently place the Melonpan into a silicone mould with the cookie dough facing downwards.
  4. Cover the Melonpan with a kitchen towel and then let the dough rise for another 30-45 minutes until puffy and risen almost doubled in size.
  5. Bake them in the preheated 170°C oven for about 18-20 minutes
  6. Take it off from the oven, let it sit in the mould for about 5 minutes (to let the cookie crust firm up a bit) then gently remove it from the pan. Let it cool completely on a cooling rack.


Details Dough

  1. In a medium bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until pale and creamy.
  2. Pour in the eggs and milk, stir well (make sure that all that liquid incorporated into the butter and sugar).
  3. Add in the sifted dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt) and mix until well combined.
  4. Divide the dough and colour it as needed.
    50 g White for the eyes
    40 g Orange for the feet and mouth
    30 g Green for the wings
    15 g each Turquoise and Black for the inner part of the eyes
  5. Create the details (kindly follow video instructions)
  6. Bake them in the preheated 160°C oven for about 8-10 minutes (please pay attention, make sure that you don’t over baked the details.
  7. Take it off from the oven and let them cool completely on the pan.

Sugar Glue
In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar. Cook until bubbly and start to thicken.
Remove the mixture from the stove, but still keep it warm. This can be done by placing the small saucepan in a large saucepan filled with hot water.

Attach the details
If you notice, our lovely Angry bird have a black circle around their eyes. I am using black food colouring mixed with Vodka to draw the black line around the eyes, you can also use edible pen.
Attach all the details with some sugar glue.

NOTES

  1. Once the bread is cooled completely, individually wrap it in plastic to prevent it from drying.
    Place them in an airtight container or bag store in the fridge for up to 3 days, freeze for up to a month.
  2. To reheat
    Fridge; place at room temperature for 30 minutes and then bake it in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 5- 10 minutes until crispy on the outside.
    Freezer; defrost overnight in the refrigerator, take it out to room temperature for 30 minutes and then bake it in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 5- 10 minutes until crispy on the outside.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Chocolate babka (QUICK & EASY)

“Babka” A sweet, braided bread that has ribbons of chocolate running throughout it.
And while the original Babka texture is a bit dense like typically a cakey bread; my ideal Babka version is a soft and fluffy bread twisted with homemade chocolate filling inside which is not overly sweet.

Unlike the common method, this recipe no need to proof the dough twice or overnight; A stunning loaf, quick and easy, how wonderful is that?

For the filling, I highly recommend to use dutch cocoa powder simply because it will give you a darker, more bittersweet experience and also has a more intense chocolate flavour.

This chocolate filling is not too runny, has a beautiful consistency and quite manageable.
You can sprinkle some chocolate chips or even toasted chopped nuts on the top if you want, I just like it the way it is “Simply is the best!“.

Steps to create Babka fascinating shapes

It’s worth the effort and patience, especially when you make two loaves, like in this recipe. You can save the second loaf in the freezer or give it away to show off your hard work.

It always looks stunning, no matter how messy the shaping was. I like to have a nice bite in the middle because the chocolate is piling up there.

The bread texture is so soft and fluffy with a rich smooth chocolate filling inside. I’m sure no one is able to resist a warm piece of this chocolate Babka.

I hope that you enjoy my version of Babka, it always feels homey and comforting.
LOVE you All!!


CHOCOLATE BABKA
Yield: 2 Loafs 
Pan size: 17x8x6 cm
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Filling

  • 20 g Dutch Cocoa Powder
  • 25 g All Purpose Flour
  • 50 g Caster Sugar
  • 90 g Milk
  • 12 g Unsalted Butter

Bread Dough

  • 110 g Bread Flour
  • 110 g All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Instant Yeast
  • 25 g Caster Sugar
  • 15 g Milk Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 30 g Ice Water
  • 65 g Cold Milk
  • 45 g Eggs
  • 35 g Unsalted Butter

Sugar Glaze

  • 20 g Caster Sugar
  • 15 g Water

INSTRUCTIONS
Chocolate Filling

  1. In a medium non-stick pan, sift in the cocoa and flour (don’t skip this sifting step else you might end up with a lumpy chocolate filling).
  2. Pour in the sugar and milk, whisk all together until they become really smooth.
  3. Add in the butter; cook over medium heat and keep stirring. 
    When the mixture starts to thicken lower the heat, continue stirring until the mixture resembles a chocolate jam (be careful not to burn it).
  4. Take it off from the heat, let the mixture cool completely.

Sugar Glaze
In a small pan combine the sugar and water stir until the sugar dissolved, let it simmer for about 2 minutes; take it off from the heat.

Prep the baking pan
Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with some butter, line it with a parchment paper and grease it again.

Bread Dough

  1. In a large bowl combine the both flour, instant yeast, sugar and milk powder,mix well.
  2. Add in the salt and mix (always add the salt last to make sure it doesn’t have direct contact with the yeast).
  3. Pour in the ice water, along with milk and eggs. Mix well, make sure everything is well incorporated.
  4. Add in the butter and mix until just combine.
  5. Cover and let it rest to let the gluten bonds and begin forming for about 15 minutes.
  6. Place the dough onto a work surface and start kneading the dough (you can use a stand mixer for this process)
    *The mixture is gonna be really wet and really sticky. If you are doing this by hand resist the urge to add any flour. The idea is just to push it around to stretch all of that gluten; this is where we are begin to develop the structure for the dough.
  7. After 15 minutes kneading, you see that the ball is coming together;
    To make sure whether the dough is ready, we can do the windowpane test; take a small ball of the dough and stretch it into a square. Keep on stretching until it becomes a thin film in the middle without breaking. The dough must be thin enough to pass light through it. If it is obtained without any tear, then your dough is properly kneaded.
  8. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each dough into a smooth ball; cover it and let the gluten rest for about 15 minutes.
  9. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  10. To create Babka shapes
    – Take 1 portion of the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a rectangular shape (30×20 cm).
    – Place half portion of the chocolate filling to the center of the dough, spread it evenly (spare for about 1 cm around the edges so the chocolate won’t get mess when you roll it).
    You can sprinkle some chocolate chips or even toasted chopped nuts on the top if you want
    – And to rolled up; starting from the short side closest to you just gently lift up the dough and then move forward rolling it up nice and tight.
    – Using bench scraper or knife; cut the dough in half length wise.
    – Position each half parallel to each other with the chocolate cut sides facing upwards. Then set the other halves on top in the opposite direction to form a cross; twist the halves together, keeping the cut sides facing up, and tuck the ends under. 
  11. Gently transfer the babka into the prepared pans; cover it with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let the dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
  12. Bake them for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top (if you have a thermometer, you are looking for an internal temperature of about 200ºF/93ºC).
  13. After baking, brush the sugar glaze on top of the Babka immediately (we want to do that while it’s hot because it does help to absorb it). It not only makes the babka exterior shiny but helps keeps the bread from drying out.
  14. Take it out from the pan and let them cool completely on the cooling rack.


    NOTES
  1. If you have a very cold room, you can place a tray of a boiling water in the bottom of your switch off oven and put your Babka pan on the top rack, just to create warm humid environment for proofing the Babka.
  2. Store the cooled Babka, wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days or fridge for 4 days.
    You can reheat slices in the microwave for a few seconds or pop the whole loaf in the oven for a few minutes.
  3. Babka also freezes well; once cooled, wrap the loaf in a couple of layers of plastic wrap or in an airtight container; it can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    Defrost at room temperature, still wrapped. Before serving, you can reheat it in a 160°C oven for about 10 minutes, until it’s warm and the chocolate is melty.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 2 Comments

Longevity peach buns “Shou tao bao”寿桃包


Longevity Peach Buns “Shou Tao Bao” 寿桃包 is a representation of Peaches of Immortality.
It is typically served to elders on their birthday as a cake or gift that symbolises long life and wishes of good health.


Traditionally, these buns are piled at least knee high on a tray.
I remember seeing this buns in my grandparents birthday when I was a kid; and I thought they were the cutest thing, I really loved the shape and their colour; And now when I grew up, I love eating and enjoy making them as well ☺️ .


The bun is really soft and fluffy but still a bit chewy with the creamy red bean paste filling inside; fragrant and not too sweet, just the way I like them.
In this recipe, I also will share a few tips to make this beautiful red bean paste. The method is not only faster but also produces a fragrant and flavourful filling.


And when it comes to beans; people will debates whether need or no need to soaked the beans overnight.

After testing, I found that the 1 hour soaked beans in the hot boiling water cooked just 5 minutes faster than the overnight soaked ones; So… why bother soak overnight?

Another differences is after cooking; 1 hour soaked beans absorb more water than the overnight soaked ones

ADDING SALT IN THE BEGINNING
We will add some salt to the beans soaking liquid. By adding salt at the beginning of cooking create more tender results.
A bit of salt is also used as a flavour enhancer, increase sweetness and umami; so instead of increasing the amount of sugar, add a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness first.

DON’T THROW THE SOAKING LIQUID!
After soaked the beans in hot boiling water for 1 hour, there’s no need to rinse or change the water Coz the beans cooked in the soaking liquid were much more flavourful, had a prettier, darker colour, and retained their texture better.


Then using food processor or immersion blender; grind the cooked beans into a fine paste and add some sugar to it.
In general, the beans to sugar ratio for is 1 to 1 (an equal amount). This sugar will preserve the paste for a longer time.
I don’t like it too sweet; so in this recipe I have already reduced the sugar to suit my taste bud; kindly add or reduce the amount of sugar according to your taste.

This Red Bean Paste paste will continue to thicken as it cools
 

NO NEED TO REST THE BUNS DOUGH
Once the dough is ready, you can use it immediately. There’s no need to rest the dough because by proofed it twice will cause a lot of bumps or air bubbles on the surface, we don’t want that happened


And to create the pink shades of the buns, there’s no better way than these old school method; using a toothbrush and tea strainer.
It’s actually an old school method that I’ve learned when I was in primary school 😄.

FOR BEAUTIFUL EVEN COLOUR, DON’T RUSH THIS PART
Dip the toothbrush to the colouring mixture and then tap off the excess onto a kitchen towel; else it might drops and ruin the look of your buns.
Hold the strainer upside down 2 cm above the bun and then gently brush the toothbrush over the back of the strainer in a circular motion. 
You can repeat the same process a few times until you get the desire colour shades.

I highly recommend to brush each bun one by one for an even colour

Some people attach the leaf first before they brush the pink shades. I prefer the other way around; so the pink food colouring won’t stain the leaves.


What do you think; is it cute enough to mimicking the shape of the peach? 🥲


And when you proof them, make sure that you give some space in between the buns so they won’t stick one another after fermentation or steaming.
Please pay attention, proofing time depends on room temperature, it may take longer or may not take that long.


After fermentation, the proofed buns should feel lighter and rise about 50% of their original size
And if you gently press it with your finger, the dough will make indentation and be able to slowly bounce back into shape.


ONLY WELL-PROOFED BUNS ARE FLUFFY
Make sure that you don’t overproof the buns; over-proofed bun is likely to have a very open crumb structure.
Due to the development of excess CO2 during the proofing stage, the gluten ends up being over-stretched, and unable to hold up the internal structure of the buns.
You might just have a deflated buns with very coarse and crumbly texture.


CHOOSE THE RIGHT STEAMER
Bamboo steamer is the best choice in my opinion; because their lids don’t collect condensation
If you are using metal or plastic steamer, make sure that you cover the lid with a piece of cloth so the condensation during steaming won’t ruin the look of your buns.


DO NOT OPEN THE LID DIRECTLY AFTER STEAMING
After steaming, turn off the heat and do not open the lid immediately; make sure that you leave the lid on for another 3 minutes; the buns might deflate without the proper resting.


After 3 minutes…😱 fluffy peach, plump and beautiful birthday buns.

They are so lovely…😳😘


I hope these buns will light up faces and brings happiness and joy for your loved ones; Wishing them always be healthy and live a long life.

LONGEVITY PEACH BUNS
Yield: 5 buns
Active time: 2 hours
Total time: 5 hours

INGREDIENTS
Red Bean Paste:

  • 60 g Red Bean
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1000 ml Water
  • 40 g Granulated Sugar
  • 10 g Vegetable Oil
  • 5 g Glutinous Rice Flour
  • 2 tbs Water

Buns Dough:

  • 85 g Cold Milk
  • 1/2 tsp Instant yeast
  • 15 g Caster Sugar
  • 150 g All Purpose Flour
  • 4 g Vegetable Oil


Colouring

  • Food Colouring (pink and green)
  • Toothbrush
  • Tea Strainer

INSTRUCTIONS
Red Bean Paste

  1. Rinse the beans and transfer it to a large pot.
  2. Add in the salt and water – bring it to a boil; then take it off from the heat and let it rest for 1 hour.
  3. After 1 hour, don’t forget to take the lid off – put it back to the stove (no need to rinse or change the water) and continue cooking on medium low heat until the beans are tender and creamy.
    *The water will evaporate during cooking, adding more water as necessary to keep beans submerged.
  4. After for about 1 ½ hours, pick 1 bean and mash it with your fingers; if it’s mashed easily, it’s done.
  5. Transfer beans to a food processor along with their cooking liquid (you can use regular or immersion blender).
    If you find it too dry, kindly add 1-2 Tbsp of water as needed to help the spinning process.
    Run the food processor until the beans become a fine paste.
  6. Pour the fine paste into the non-stick pan.
    On medium-low heat, add in the sugar along with oil and glutinous rice flour that has been diluted with some water.
    Mix it really well and keep stirring for about 10-15 minutes until the mixture start comes together and doesn’t stick to the pan.
  7. Take it off from the heat (don’t worry if it’s still a bit loose, this paste will continue to thicken as it cools.
  8. Spread onto a flat baking sheet; cover it with a cling wrap to prevent from drying out, open a little gap so the steam can escape and let it cool completely.
    *Make sure the paste cool completely before you fill it into buns dough.


Buns Dough

  1. In large bowl, mix the cold milk along with instant yeast and sugar. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved and there’s no granules visible.
  2. Add in the flour and mix everything together, gather all small crumbs until it creates a dough ball.
  3. Pour in the vegetable oil.
    It seems too many oil at first; collect all the oil in the bowl, and then continue kneading on a work surface for about 1 minute.
  4. When you feel that the oil start to absorb completely; roll the dough into a long shape (moving the hand up and down as you roll to lengthen it).
    Then take left and right ends and fold it to the centre of the dough (repeat the same process 2 times). The dough gradually will become really smooth.
    *Do not overwork, this kneading process will only takes for about 3 minutes.
  5. Once the dough is ready, you can use it immediately. There’s no need to rest the dough because by proofed it twice will cause a lot of bumps or air bubbles on the surface, we don’t want that happened.


Fill & Shape

  1. Spare 20 grams of the dough for the peach leaves and divide the rest into 5 equal pieces (about 47 g each).
    *Please do remember always cover the buns with a plastic wrap to prevent from drying out.
  2. Take 1 portions of the dough, press into a thick disk.
    Using rolling pin, roll back and forth onto rectangular shape, fold into 2 equal pieces, turn it 90° angle and repeat the same process 2 times.
  3. Then roll the dough into a square shape, grab the dough with my left hand and rolling pin on the other hand.
    Using rolling pin roll up and back flatten the edges of the dough while turn the dough a little by little (middle part should be slightly thick).
  4. Place 1 portion of the red bean paste filling to the centre of the dough; gather the sides to enclose the bun and pinch to seal.
  5. To shape the buns into peaches
    – Flip the filled bun so the seam side is down and shape it to a smooth oval ball. 
    – Using your palms form a peak on the top.
    – To make the seam of the peach, gently press the bench scraper in to create a line along the arch; pinch the top, mimicking the shape of the peach
  6. Cover the filled buns with a plastic wrap and repeat this process with the rest of the dough and fillings.
  7. For the bun leaves
    Colour the 20 grams left over dough with green food colouring and divide it into 10 equal pieces (2 gr each).
    Take one portion of the green dough and shape it into a cone.
    Using bend scraper, flatten the cone. Form a line in the centre and create the leaf vein patterns tilts towards the cone.

Colour & Decorate

  1. To create the pink shades of the buns, simply mix some water with a few drops of pink food colouring.
    Dip the toothbrush to the colouring mixture; tap off the excess onto a kitchen towel.
    Hold the strainer upside down 2 cm above the bun; then gently brush the toothbrush over the back of the strainer in a circular motion (repeat the same process until you get the desire colour shades).
  2. Attach the leaves onto each peach bun with a dab of water (a pair for one bun) and place each bun onto a piece of parchment paper.


Proof & Steam

  1. Place the finished buns in the steamer; make sure that you give some space in between the buns so they won’t stick one another after fermentation or steaming.
    Cover and allow to rise for about 15-45 minutes.
    *Please pay attention, proofing time depends on room temperature, it may take longer or may not take that long (in the meantime you can start preheat your steamer).
  2. After fermentation, the proofed buns should feel lighter and rise about 50% of their original size.
    If you gently press it with your finger, the dough will make indentation and be able to slowly bounce back into shape.
  3. Over medium high heat; steam the buns for about 10-12 minutes.
    *If you are using metal or plastic steamer, make sure that you cover the lid with a piece of cloth so the condensation during steaming won’t ruin the look of your buns
  4. After 10 minutes, take the steamer off from the heat; do not open the lid and let it sit for another 3 minutes; serve.

NOTES

  1. If you’re not using the red bean paste right away, you can transfer the red bean paste in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
  2. Before freezing, divide the red bean paste into small portions so that you can be flexible on how much to use each time. When you’re ready to use, you can defrost in the fridge overnight.
  3. The buns can be stored in the fridge for 5 days, or frozen for a month.
  4. I highly recommend to reheat the buns in the steamer; place the frozen peach buns on a plate.
    Put the plate on top of the trivet in the steamer and let them steam over high heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.
  5. If you want to reheat in the microwave; place the steamed buns on a plate.
    Wet some paper towel, wring out excess water and place this on top of the steamed buns and microwave on high for 30 seconds; add the time as needed until heated through.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Kawaii Mini Burger


Today I’m gonna share with you my “Kawaii Mini Burger”.
These mini burgers will melt hearts and warm stomachs; they are so teeny-tiny, cute and absolutely delicious. 


The bun is entirely homemade, soft and fluffy; with juicy patty inside and all the delicious toppings and sauce… so Yummy!!
They are perfect to serve up at a party or just a snack for your love ones.

(18.5×26.5×3)cm Cupcake Pan

For the buns, you can make buns using ring moulds and they can be scaled to any size that you like, I found that this regular cupcake pan fits perfectly and easier to get.


To avoid over-proofing, I usually start adding the details when the buns has increase the volume 40-50 percent. If you see from the side, the top of the dough is more or less parallel with the top surface of the pan.


And while we adding the details the dough will continue to rise, so try to finish them as soon as possible.


You don’t want to over bake your lovely buns, if they are too dark they won’t look good on your burger.

Oh… look how cute they are!

And to keep everything from falling apart, I create my own DIY toothpick so it’s easier to “grab and eat”.


It’s not only make it even cuter, but also look more elegant and fancy

These custom toothpicks really take your food presentation to the next level.


You can shape the patty with your hands, I’m prefer to use ring mould, it really helps me to make my burgers look perfect like the ones you get in restaurants.


Some people use a lid from a jar as a mould. Just make sure that you find a lid that is slightly bigger than the size of your burger bun coz shrinkage happens throughout the cooking process.


And before you cook it, give a thumbprint indentation to the center of each patty, this will helps the patty hold it’s shape—rather than swelling.


The best way to tell when it’s done is by using a thermometer without splitting the middle.


Cook until a thermometer reads 160°F.


Besides tomato ketchup, one of the best condiment that I always used when making burger is this wasabi mayo.

I remember having this sauce in a morning burger when I was in Japan and I really love it so much!
You can use either wasabi powder or paste, for me it does taste pretty similar.
If you are a wasabi lover, I promise it will taste really great!

Wasabi Paste

All the ingredients is well prepared; the patties, sharp cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, some lettuce, the sauce…

Toppings and Sauce

And of course our adorable burger buns !


And before we start to stack them, do you know that are many ways to stack the burgers??
If you pay attention to the emojis, each of them arrange the burger in a different order.


Initially I also thought is this thing important?
Then I was really surprised that 2 burger with identical ingredients but different stack orders can result in 2 different taste.


After a few experiment and testing, I decide to use the “Burger King Whopper” stack method as it produce more stable and flavourful burger.


Ok back to our Whopper stack burger, so you will cut half of your tinny buns and stack all the toppings and sauce.


Look how beautiful this burger buns!

Soft beautiful bun

Please do remember the stack order (this will come out in the test! KIDDING 😅) :
1. The bottom of the bun
2. Juicy patty
3. A piece of sharp cheddar cheese
4. Tomato ketchup
5. Some grilled onion
6. A slice of tomato
7. A bunch of fresh lettuce
8. My beautiful wasabi sauce
9. The cute teddy bear head bun
10. And finally secure it with her pretty hair ribbon 

The Scrumptious Sweet Potato Fries

And of course, no burger is truly complete without having a side of scrumptious fries! 
These healthy baked sweet potatoes so tasty, they are caramelised on the outside and tender on the inside. I love it so much!

And as for the seasoning, you can keep it simple or even add more flavor with spices. 
A pinch of curry powder, garlic, and cayenne pepper would be a nice touch. It was the perfect combination of heat and sweet.


They are look not only delicious but also so sweet, I’m sure that everyone and specially kids will love it so much.


The bun is entirely homemade, soft and fluffy, while the burger patty is juicy and tender.


And how about some cold beer for adults?


I hope that you give them a try, they are really a lot of fun to put together.


You can create your own design with a different flavour; replace the beef with juicy grilled chicken patty, change the sauce with sweet and savoury teriyaki sauce;
Whatever you like! THE SKY’S THE LIMIT


I hope that you enjoy the recipe!! LOVE YOU ALL!!


KAWAII MINI BURGER
Yield: 6 burgers
Cupcake pan dimensions: (18.5×26.5×3)cm
Active time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
BURGER BUNS ( 6 burgers, 55 grams each)

  • 200 g Bread Flour
  • 1 tsp Instant Yeast
  • 25 g Granulated Sugar
  • 8 Milk Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 120 Cold Water
  • 15 Unsalted Butter


SWEET POTATO FRIES

  • 750 g Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 Egg White (30 g)
  • 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)


PATTIES (6 patties, about 55 grams each)

  • 250 g Beef (Ground Chuck)
  • 15 g Eggs
  • 25 g Bread Crumbs
  • 25 g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
  • 1 tsp Dried Parsley
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper


TOPPINGS & ASSEMBLY

  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Tomato Ketchup
  • 1 Onion (grilled)
  • 1 Tomato (thin slice)
  • Lettuce
  • Wasabi Sauce (3 tbs Mayonaise + 3 tsp Wasabi Paste)
  • DIY Toothpick

INSTRUCTIONS
BURGER BUNS

  1. Grease the pan with generous amount of butter; cupcake pan dimensions: (18.5×26.5×3)cm.
  2. In a large bowl combined the flour, instant yeast, sugar and milk powder; mix well.
    Add the salt and mix (adding the salt last to make sure that it doesn’t come into direct contact with the yeast; salt can kill the yeast).
  3. Pour ice water into the flour mixture (ice water slows down the fermentation so we have more time to decorate the buns).
    Don’t knead the dough at this time, just mix water and flour mixture until it forms a cohesive ball
  4. Cover and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
    After 10 minutes you can feel that the dough become more stretchy and pliable.
  5. Place the dough on the work surface, add in the butter and start kneading the dough.
    The dough is really sticky at this point, that’s totally fine, don’t be tempted to add more flour to it; just continue kneading it until you get a smooth ball (it takes for about 10 minutes).
    *You will know whether the dough is ready by doing the windowpane test; if you can stretch the dough into a thin translucent membrane without breaking it that means the gluten is well developed and your dough is done.
  6. Weigh 6 portions of the dough, 55 grams each (there will be leftover dough for the details, some plain dough for the Bear’s ears, colour a bit with dark brown for the eyes, nose and mouth; and another pink for bear’s lovely cheek).
    Cover all the dough in a plastic wrap to prevent from drying out and let them rest for about 5 minutes.
  7. After 5 minutes, take 1 portion of the dough, flatten it with the palm of your hand to remove any air bubbles, pull all creases to the back; place it on a work surface and then roll and shape it into a smooth ball. Continue with the rest dough.
  8. Place the buns onto a greased cupcake pan, cover it with a kitchen towel and let them half proof for about 20-30 minutes. 
  9. In the meantime; Preheat the oven to 170°C.
  10. After 30 minutes, you will see that the dough noticeably puffy and increase the volume 40-50 percent. If you see from the sides, the top of the dough is more or less parallel with the top surface of the pan.
    Now you can start adding the detail (while we adding the details the dough will continue to rise, so try to finish them as soon as possible):
    – Roll some plain dough for the Bear’s ears and then the center of her face
    – Using some dark brown dough to create the inner part of the ears, her tiny nose, two little eyes and mouth.
    – A bit of pink dough for her shy cheek
  11. After finish with all the details, you can check whether the buns is fool proof; if you press the dough then the indentation slowly springs back half-way, that means the dough is well proved and ready to bake.
  12. Bake them in the preheated 170°C oven; turn on your alarm and check them out right after 10 minutes baking. Do not over bake, if they are too dark they won’t look good on your burger. Once it’s done, take it out from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.


SWEET POTATO FRIES

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. If you leave the skin on, make sure that you wash and scrub them well before you cutting or cooking it; pat them dry.
  3. Cut the fries; I recommend a width between 1/4- and 1/2-inch.
  4. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy, add a bit of vegetable oil and coat the fries (this egg whites mixture acts as a binding agent so all the spices will stick well to the fries).
  5. Toss the sweet potatoes with the rest ingredients (salt, pepper and spices).
  6. Place the fries on parchment lined baking sheets (try not to overlap the fries for even baking). Bake them for 20 minutes.
    After 20 minutes, flip the fries; return to the oven and bake it for another 15-20 minutes.
  7. Serve immediately.
    *The browner they are, the crispier they will be, but if they get really dark, they will be a bit hard because of the natural sugars of the sweet potatoes caramelizing. Oven may vary, So watch carefully.

PATTIES

  1. Season ground beef with all the ingredients; mix really well and divide it into 6 patties. 
  2. Place 1 portion of ground beef inside the 7 cm diameter ring; press the meat down, make sure it spread evenly.
    *You can shape the patty with your hands, I’m prefer to use ring mould, it really helps me to make my burgers look perfect like the ones you get in restaurants (some people use a lid from a jar as a mould, just make sure that you find a lid that is slightly bigger than the size of your burger bun coz shrinkage happens throughout the cooking process).
  3. Before you cook it, give a thumbprint indentation to the center of each patty (this will helps the patty hold its shape—rather than swelling).
  4. Over medium heat, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. The best way to tell when it’s done is by using a thermometer without splitting the middle; cook until a thermometer reads 160°F.
    *Don’t forget to fry your onion for toppings.

ASSEMBLY
Stack Orders :
1. The bottom of the bun
2. Juicy patty
3. A piece of sharp cheddar cheese
4. Tomato ketchup
5. Some grilled onion
6. A slice of tomato
7. A bunch of fresh lettuce
8. My beautiful wasabi sauce
9. The cute teddy bear head bun
10. And finally secure it with her pretty hair ribbon 

NOTES

  1. To store buns; in an airtight container 4 days in the fridge, 2 week in the freezer.
  2. To defrost the buns; pull the bag out of the freezer and leave it on the counter at room temperature (a single bun may need 15 to 20 minutes to defrost).
    Take out the buns from the bag and toast the buns in the preheated 180°C oven for 5-10 minutes, or just long enough to warm them through.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Filled Buns)


Char Siu Bao 叉烧包 considered as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Dim Sum” in China. Compared to regular Chinese buns, Char Siu Bao has distinctly different fragrance and texture and also sweeter taste.


This steamed buns is one of the essential Dim Sum that really brings my childhood memories.
The Soft, fluffy steamed buns filled with Chinese BBQ pork (Char Siu Pork) and the slurry sweet and savoury Char Siu Sauce.


Unlike the other common recipe that needs 2-3 days, this recipe only takes less than 24 hours to make it.
The following diagram is a guide so you can get the idea how’s the process and what we need to prepare to make these beautiful buns.

Diagram the Process of Char Siu Bao Making

It’s very important to choose the right flour and leavening agent, otherwise the buns won’t rise well and white bright in colour

This recipe has been through so many trial and error. After some testing and tweaking, 
I found that the key to a snowy white buns is this unbleached cake flour,

Unbleached Cake Flour that I used in the recipe

a good brand of double acting baking powder,

Make sure that you use “Double Acting Baking Powder”

and also special leavening agent called Ammonium Bicarbonate that helps the buns crack to the tops.

Be careful when adding this type of leavening, make sure that you measure it correctly; too much Ammonia will cause an extremely intense unpleasant ammonium smell in the dough

This chemical compound releases a large amount of carbon dioxide gas when heated
forcing the dough to crack open

Some recipes state that it’s crucial to use natural sourdough; but when testing, I found that instant yeast is easier with similar results.

Slurry Char Siu Sauce for the Filling

The filling of these buns consist of Char Siu Pork and slurry Char Siu Sauce.
Some people called it a slurry, some people call it a sauce, but whatever you called it, it’s the star of the show; and it’s what makes Char Siu Bao, “Char Siu Bao”.

Look how beautiful this Char Siu Pork!

One of the things that makes Char Siu Pork so tasty is a rich Marinade Sauce.
You can use store bought but I found creating your own marinade sauce makes the pork richer, smokier and more aromatic.

Some people use either shoulder, butt or neck part; it really depends on personal preference.
I’m prefer pork belly because it was the best part, they are more juicy and less likely to dry out.

I use baking pan and cooling rack on top for roasting
Line baking pan with some grease proof paper to prevent the sugar residue stick to the pan

There are also a few ways to roasting the pork. I found the simple and easy way to cook your pork is to roast it in the oven. Just get creative – the air should be able to circulate underneath the pork.


The steamed foreskin is just soft and smooth, and slightly cracks to reveal the barbecue stuffing, sending out the smell of barbecue.


The filling is luscious, sweet and delicious; juicy and sweet bbq pork is wrapped in soft and pillowy Chinese steamed buns.


These looks really addictive with such a flavourful filling nestled in the soft, pillowy bun. You won’t be able to forget this feeling and will crave it all the time.
I hope that you enjoy the recipe!

CHAR SIU BAO
Yield: 6 pieces
Active time: 4 hours
Total time: 19-20 hours

INGREDIENTS
Mother Dough

  • 25 g Unbleached Cake Flour
  • 1/6 tsp Instant Yeast
  • 20 g Water


Barberque Pork

  • 250-300 g Pork Belly
  • 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tbs Ginger (Minced)
  • 4 tbs Green Onion (Chopped)
  • 300 ml Water
  • 2 tbs Rice Wine
  • 1½ tbs Light Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce

  • 5 Star Anise
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 2 Cardamom Pods
  • 6 Whole Cloves
  • 2 Liqorice Root
  • 1 Luo Han Guo (Monk Fruit)
  • 1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
  • 25 g Rock Sugar
  • 1/2 tbs Liquid from Red Bean Curd
  • 1½ tbs Red Miso Paste
  • 1/2 tsp Red Yeast Rice Powder or Paprika Powder
  • 1½ tbs Honey
  • Additional Light Soy Sauce for Marinate


Basting Sauce
Equal part honey and marinade sauce


Starter Dough

  • 24 g Mother Dough
  • 72 g Unbleached Cake Flour
  • 42 g Water


Slurry Sauce (for the filling)

  • 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 Onion (Chopped)
  • 2 Scallion (Chopped)
  • 40 ml Water
  • 1/2 tbs Light Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 tsp Red Miso Paste
  • 3/4 tbs Sweet Soy Sauce
  • 1 ½ tbs Caster Sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 tbs Corn Starch
  • 1/2 tbs Unbleached Cake Flour
  • 1/2 tbs Potato Starch
  • 30 ml Water


Final Dough

  • All Starter Dough (138 g)
  • 50 g Caster Sugar
  • 10 g Water
  • 1/5 tsp Ammonium Bicarbonate
  • 1/5 tsp Baking Soda
  • 80 g Unbleached Cake Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1⅔ tsp Double Acting Baking Powder
  • 6 g Shortening

INSTRUCTIONS
DAY 1 (7:00 p.m.)

Mother Dough

  1. Simply mix the Unbleached Cake Flour, instant yeast and water; stir until just combined.
  2. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap, store it at warm place (68-72°F/ 20-22°C), and then let the dough ferment for 12 hours.


Marinade Sauce

  1. Fry the ginger and green onion with some vegetable oil for about one to two minutes until they’re fragrant but definitely not burnt.
  2. Pour in the water along with rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and all the herbs and spices. Bring the mixture to boil, let it simmer until the mixture reduce to about half cup.
  3. Strain the mixture to remove all the herbs and spices; pour the liquid back into the saucepan.
  4. Add the rest ingredients into the liquid; ginger powder, rock sugar, liquid from red bean curd, red miso paste and red yeast rice powder.
    Cook over medium low heat until the sugar melted, once the sugar dissolved, turn off the heat, add in the honey, and stir until well combined.
  5. Pour the sauce into a jar or container and then store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. 


Marinate the Pork

  1. Wash the pork, wipe off all the excess water with a paper towel, poke both sides of the pork with meat tenderizer (you can use either fork or a few skewers, that’s also works well). The holes will help the marinade sauce seep into the pork.
  2. Place the pork belly into a ziplog bag or a container, add 3 parts marinade sauce and 1 part light soy sauce.
    Seal the bag and do a little massage to make sure the marinade sauce is even and then store it in the fridge for at least 4 hours (max 12 hours).

DAY 2 (7:00 a.m.)
Starter Dough
After 12 hours, our mother dough is ready, you can see so many small bubbles and smell a bit sour.
Please note that for 1 batch of the recipe, we only use 24 g of the mother dough, you can throw the rest.

  1. Add the flour and water to the 24 g of the mother dough, mix until it forms a dough ball.
  2. Grease the bowl with a little bit of vegetable oil, place the dough inside the bowl, Cover with a cling wrap and then store it back to the warm place (68-72°F/ 20-22°C) for about 6-8 hours.


Roast the Pork

  1. Preheat the oven to 130°C .
  2. Line baking pan with some grease proof paper (to prevent the sugar residue stick to the pan), place a cooling rack on top of the baking pan.
    Just get creative – the air should be able to circulate underneath the pork.
  3. Place the pork on a roasting tray and then roast it for 1 hour
    Keep flipping and basting every in 15 minutes (the basting sauce was simply equal parts honey and Marinade Sauce).
  4. Once it’s done, brush the pork one more time with vegetable oil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting


Slurry Sauce (For the Filling)

  1. To begin, we have to make the scallion oil;
    In a pan combine vegetable oil, onion and scallion on medium heat; fry for about one to two minutes until fragrant and then take out the onion and scallion.
    Don’t throw the delicious scallion and onion, you can add later to your dishes.
  2. Pour in some water into the scallion oil along with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, red miso paste, sweet soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil (let it simmer for 1 minute).
  3. To thicken the sauce; in a small bowl combine corn starch, cake flour, potato flour and water (make sure that you mix it really well before you pour it to the mixture ).
    Pour thickening into the simmering mixture, continue stirring until the mixture is thicken and a bit translucent.
    Take it off from the heat, pour the mixture into a bowl, cover it with a cling wrap and then keep it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up (preferably 2 hours).


Combine the Filling
The ratio for the filling is equal part Char Siu Pork and slurry Char Siu Sauce.
After 2 hours in the fridge the consistency of slurry Char Siu Sauce turned similar to jelly.
Thinly slice the pork and remove the tough skin (you can keep some for your delicious Char Siu Rice). Coarsely chop the rest, combine it with slurry sauce and mix it really well.
Cover with a cling wrap and store this pork filling in the fridge while waiting for the final dough.


DAY 2 (1:00 P.M.)
Final Dough
After for about 6 hours you can see the starter dough has a lot of bubbles and it’s doubling in size.
This bubbly sponge texture is carbon dioxide produced by the yeast which makes the buns very soft.

  1. Add the sugar and water into the starter dough; mix well.
    After a couple minutes of mixing, the sugar will ‘melt’ into the dough and it should be more liquid-y.
  2. Add baking soda and Ammonium Bicarbonate (this chemical compound releases a large amount of carbon dioxide gas when heated forcing the dough to crack open).
    Please note: Be careful when adding this type of leavening, make sure that you measure it correctly. 1/5 tsp is about less than ¼ tsp (too much Ammonia will cause an extremely intense unpleasant ammonium smell in the dough).
    Mix for about 1-2 minutes (it’s really important that ammonium and baking soda is completely mixed with the dough); “Take your time, don’t rush this part”.
  3. Add the sifted Unbleached Cake Flour, Cream of Tartar and Baking Powder; mix well.
    Gather all small crumb, be careful not to over-knead the dough, you’re just looking for the dough to come together and stop sticking.
  4. Finally, add in the shortening and knead until just combined
  5. Cover the dough with a cling wrap for about 5 minutes to relax the gluten and don’t forget to preheat your steamer. 

Wrapping the Bao

  1. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (it’s about 50 g each).
  2. Take 1 portion of the dough, press into a thick disc.
    Grab the dough with your left hand and rolling pin on the other hand, using rolling pin roll up and back, flatten the edges of the dough while turn the dough a little by little (flatten the edges of the dough to a 10 cm circle); the center part should be slightly thick.
  3. Add about 30 gr of the pork filling to the center of the dough.
  4. Pinch one side of the dough and then pleat the dough around the filling in a circular motion while using your left hand thumb lightly pressing the filling downwards.
    Once you get to the end, press with force and pinch at the top of the bun to make sure everything is well sealed “kindly watch the video for more details“.
  5. Place each buns onto an individual greaseproof paper (always cover the buns with a plastic wrap to prevent the skin from dying out).


Steaming
Place the buns into the preheated steamer;
Over high heat, steam the buns immediately for about 10-12 minutes.
Take it off from the heat and serve immediately.

NOTES

  1. I highly recommend to use bamboo steamer because it doesn’t collect condensation, so you never have to worry about water dripping onto your buns.
    If you’re using metal or plastic steamers, I suggest to cover the lid with a piece of cloth, to absorb the condensation during steaming; otherwise the dropping water could affect the look of your buns.
  2. Char Siu Bao crave high heat, NEVER ever open the steamer lid during the steaming process else it won’t rise perfectly.
  3. Some people claims that add vinegar to the steaming water will make buns whiter,
    I personally didn’t find that method is useful.
  4. The best taste and texture of Char Siu Bao, serve them straight out of the baskets while they’re steaming hot.
    If there are any left, put them in an airtight container/bag and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or 1 month in the freezer.
  5. To reheat; Steam for 5-10 minutes or microwave for 1-2 minute.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Salted Caramel Mexican Coffee Buns (Tangzhong Method)

Hey Guys, today we are making these “Salted Caramel Mexican Coffee Buns”. A sweet buns which is basically made with coffee topping and butter filling.

It’s actually originated in Malaysia and quite popular around Asia. Papparoti and Rotiboy are the most famous brands for these delicious coffee-coated buns, while in Singapore was popular with Roti Mum.
They even customized the buns with other flavours combination such as chocolate, cheese, kaya and peanut

The familiar and alluring smell of the coffee buns will always be the first scent that greets the nose and they go perfectly well with coffee, hot coffee preferably.

The aroma of this Mexican coffee bun is really tantalizing and makes you just want to eat it piping hot.

Tanzhong Starter

In this recipe, I’m gonna show you how to use Tangzhong Method in bread making. One of the most reliable method to produce soft and fluffy breads. This method contributes to the ultra airy, pillowy texture of this bread.

Tangzhong starter or called roux starter is basically a liquid (milk or water) and flour that is being cooked into a paste and then incorporated into the dough.

Windowpane test

Some people (I used to) scared of making bread and the FAQ is “How to tell if your bread dough is fully kneaded?”

Actually, we can check to see if your dough is well-formed by doing the windowpane test by stretch it out into a thin membrane without breaking it. That’s an indication that the gluten is
well-formed.

Magical Coffee Topping

For the Coffee Topping, YES! you can substitute it with espresso powder if you don’t have instant coffee on hand, but I really don’t recommend it coz it will make your buns taste a lot less flavorful

So.. try stick to instant coffee!
Use the best instant coffee you can get coz this is the thing that will spell the difference for your coffee buns.

Perfect Homemade Caramel for the Bread Filling

And instead of butter, I will use my homemade salted caramel sauce for the bread filling, which is so tasty. It’s melty and slightly savory against the sweet cookie crust and buns!

The combination of the soft bread with the sweet, salty, velvety smooth caramel sauce is completely divine!

This caramel sauce is so good! Left over can be refrigerated for up to 1 month and taste great on everything, especially for your favorite ice cream sundaes.

The Sweet Aromatic Coffee Shell for the Buns

Please note, you don’t want to pipe down this beautiful aromatic mixture all the way because that will be WAY too much topping, coz once you put these into the oven they will melt downwards and form a coffee shell over the buns.

If you pipe until the bottom, the topping will just ooze down all over the place.

The Caramel Inside is Melty, It’s Leaked out as they Baked

Look how amazing these buns are! It not too oily and It doesn’t flattens at all.

The caramel inside is melty, it’s leaked out as they baked, the gooey crusty texture on the bottom of the buns intensely flavorful and so aromatic. Just one whiff of these is enough to make my mouth watery! They are so difficult to resist.

I don’t think making these buns are difficult, although they do require some time and a number of steps.

If you keen to sell these, this a good choice to start baking business ideas in my opinion coz the ingredients quite cheap and it’s easy to produce. This bread also addicting for some people, that’s a good thing!

Simple DIY Packaging

And Yes, packaging is really important for selling point, but the main key of success still on the taste of our baking goods.

As home bakers, we don’t need to produce such a mass packaging for starter which can cost a lot of money. Yet, we can simply use ready made paper bag or even make DIY packaging with our own design, like what I did here.

Pillowy Soft, Moist and Creamy Interior

These bread has a perfectly moist, creamy interior with a crisp outer crust. Crispy on the outside, soft bread in the inside, with an additional salted caramel in the center of the soft bun.
Oh I Love Caramel so much! It’s really addictive and they really gone too fast.

I hope you will enjoy the recipe of these memorable taste of the caramel coffee-coated buns and let’s spread the love for coffee buns!

SALTED CARAMEL MEXICAN COFFEE BUNS
Yield: 5 Pieces 
Active time:  1 1/2 hour
Total time: 5 hour

INGREDIENTS
Caramel Filling:

  • 100 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 40 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 60 grams Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt


Coffee Topping:

  • 3/4 teaspoon Instant
  • 1/4 teaspoon Hot Water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 25 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 25 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 25 grams Eggs
  • 25 grams Cake Flour


Tangzhong Starter:

  • 10 grams Bread Flour
  • 60 grams Water


Bread Dough:

  • 120 grams Bread Flour
  • 30 grams Cake Flour
  • 10 grams Milk Powder
  • 20 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 3 grams Instant Yeast
  • 15 grams Eggs
  • 45 grams Water
  • 40 grams Tangzhong Starter
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 10 grams Unsalted Butter


INSTRUCTIONS
Caramel Filling

  1. In a medium heavy pan, heat the sugar over medium heat until melted, swirl the pan occasionally. Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber color (almost a reddish-brown colored and have a slight toasted aroma).
    * Be careful, at this point the caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye.
  2. When the caramel reaches its sweet spot, turn off the heat, add in the butter (watch out, it will bubble up). Stir until the butter is completely melted. 
  3. Remove it from the heat, slowly pour in the cream (be careful, it will bubble up ferociously). Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and smooth.
  4. Add in salt, stir well. Set aside to cool for about 10-15 minutes, pour into your favorite glass jar, let it cool completely, close the lid and store in the fridge to harden it.

Coffee Topping

  1. Dissolve instant coffee with a small amount of hot water, add in vanilla extract, set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in color. Gradually add in the eggs, mix well.
  3. Add in the coffee mixture and mix, fold in the flour and mix until smooth.Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and chill in the fridge to firm up.

Tangzhong Starter

  1. In a medium pan, mix the bread flour and water until no lumps remain.
  2. Cook over medium low heat, keep stirring until the mixture turn into a sticky paste (be careful not to burned the paste).
  3. Take it off from the heat, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the mixture to prevent the skin form on the surface, let it cool completely.

Bread Dough

  1. In a large bowl, mix the bread flour, cake flour, milk powder, sugar and yeast. Add in the eggs, water, Tangzhong Starter and salt. Mix for a minute until a sticky dough forms.|
    Add in the softened butter and fold it into the dough with your hands until well combined.
    *It will be sticky at first, it’s not necessary to add additional flour and then end up with a tough bread.
  2. Transfer the dough onto a work surface and continue kneading (10-15 minutes), feel free to use electric mixer. As you knead the dough, it will be less and less sticky, knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
    * Check if your dough is well-formed by doing the Windowpane Test; Take a little bit of dough, stretch it out into a thin membrane without breaking it. That’s an indication that the gluten is well-formed.
  3. Round and place the dough into a clean grease bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise until it almost doubles in size.
  4. Punch down the risen dough, divide dough into 5 equal pieces (55 grams each)
    Roll each dough into round, pull around the edges, tuck underside into itself.
    Hold and roll the dough with our hands in “C” shape, give a little pressure on it, smoothing top and sides at same time as turning.
    Cover each roll with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes (to relax the gluten).
  5. After being rested,  flatten each ball into a disc, place a half tablespoon caramel filling in center, enclose it by pulling the seams of the dough over and around it.
    Hold and roll the dough with our hands in “C” shape into a ball and place it on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (spare at least 3-inches space around each buns as they will expand during final proof and while baking).
  6. Cover the shaped buns with plastic wrap or kitchen towel, let them rise for 30 to 40 minutes or until almost double in size.
    In the meantime take out your coffee toppings from the fridge and preheat the oven to 180°C.
  7. Once the buns has risen, pipe the coffee topping in a tight circular pattern. Starting from the top of the buns down to about the middle part of the sides of your coffee buns.
    *Don’t pipe down all the way because that will be WAY too much topping which will just ooze down all over the place.
  8. Bake the buns for about 12-15 minutes. Take it off from the heat, transfer and let them cool completely on the cooling rack.

NOTES

  1. I don’t recommend to use espresso powder for the coffee toping coz it will make your buns taste a lot less flavourfull.
  2. To proof the dough in cold days; place them in the preheated 60°C oven that has been turned off.
  3. Buns best eaten freshly baked while still warm. You can store them in the fridge for 2 days.
  4. Reheat; in the preheated 180°C oven or toaster for obout 5-7 minutes, take it out.
    The top will soft at first, let them sit for about 5-10 minutes, it will become crispy.