Hong Kong Pineapple Buns （港式菠萝包）

This recipe for Hong Kong pineapple buns is a tribute to my inner (and outer) child. Growing up, going to Chinese bakeries was always a treat. The smell of freshly-baked bread with notes of buttery, eggy sweetness always made my mouth water (and still does).

Pineapple Buns, or bō lúo bāo in Mandarin, are one of the basic staples. But don’t be fooled — they don’t contain any pineapple! The name comes from the pineapple-like pattern of the topping after baking. Sometimes, you’ll find them with various fillings (e.g. red bean paste), but the most classic version has just the rich, fluffy milk bread bun topped with the sweet, crumbly topping.

This was my first time ever working with yeast! I was a little intimidated, but it seemed straightforward. However, the first couple attempts at this recipe failed to rise … but after some easy tweaks, my buns got HUGE after proofing! (pictured below: my dough babies, not my … other buns)

Recipe Tips: Hong Kong Pineapple Buns

So, how did I get my dough to rise?

I garnered some advice from some more experienced bakers (thanks Mrs. Wong), and turned to the all-knowing Google for help. I found that “let rise at room temperature for 1 hour” is more like “let rise in a 30°C corner of your kitchen on a hot day with no air conditioning for 1 hour.” Obviously, my 20°C kitchen in late Canadian winter/early spring wasn’t going to have the same effect.

The Solution: Using the “Proof” setting on my oven, and letting the dough proof in there. We’ve had this oven for almost 8 (?) years now. However, no one in the house ever noticed it was there or knew what it was for. It brings the oven temperature to around 28-35°C, so the yeast is super happy and does its thing — make your dough HUGE!

If you have any questions, or any feedback on the recipe, be sure to drop a comment below!

Did you make your own Hong Kong pineapple buns? Share a photo with me on social media by tagging me @houbakes!

Hong Kong Style Pineapple Buns （港式菠萝包）

Recipe by Sophia HouCourse: Breakfast, SnacksCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Resting time

2

minutes

Bake time

13-15

minutes

Bring your Chinese bakery home with these deliciously soft and authentic pineapple buns with a lovely hint of sweetness. Share your creation and tag @hou_bakes on Instagram!

Ingredients

• Roux

• 25g bread flour

• 125mL water

• Dough

• 275g bread flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 40g sugar

• 6g yeast

• 92g roux (made earlier)

• 2 tbsp milk

• 3 tbsp heavy cream

• 1 large egg

• 25g softened butter

• Topping

• 72g butter

• 1 large egg, whisked

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 50g powdered sugar (more if desired)

• 110g bread flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions

• Prepare the dough:
• In a big bowl, combine: bread flour, salt, white sugar, and active dry yeast.
• Whisk an egg. Remove milk and cream from fridge and set aside.
• On very low heat, prepare the roux: combine 25g flour and water in a pan and stir constantly until the mixture thickens.
• Use a spatula to measure out 92g of the roux into a bowl. Add milk, cream, and whisked egg, and combine.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry and begin to knead. Once a dough forms, add cubed soft butter into centre and fold. Continue kneading until dough is smooth & elastic and passes the windowpane test. (About 20-30min by hand, or 8-10min with an electric mixer on 4.)
• Shape the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Proof in oven on “proof” setting (or in a warm room about 30-35°C) until 1.5x in size, about 45min.
• Prepare the topping:
• Fold melted butter with 1/2 whisked egg, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Save the remaining egg for egg wash later.
• Add flour and baking soda until uniform. Cover and chill in fridge. 
• Shape & assemble:
• Remove bread dough and portion into 8 pieces. Shape into small buns.
• Place buns on a cookie sheet, cover with saran wrap, and proof again for 1-1.5h until doubled in size.
• When buns are done proofing, remove from oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Divide chilled topping into 8 portions. Roll each into a ball then flatten with rolling pin into a thin disc.
• Gently place topping onto buns. Do not press, otherwise buns will deflate. Brush each bun with remaining egg wash.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool. Best enjoyed fresh, but they can be kept at room temperature for up to a week (but they’ll be gone before then)!

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Looking for another Chinese recipe? Try out these Napa Cabbage Pork Buns or this 2-ingredient Easy Char Siu Pork!