Steamed Custard Bun ("Nai Huang Bao" 奶黄包)

I have never even heard or eaten of this buns before until I saw Tze of AwayofMind Bakery House posted her Steamed Custard Bun sometime back. She mentioned that her custard buns was being made after watching a video on Youtube by Irene Chan.  But her video does not indicate the proper measurement of the ingredients; only showing how to mix the ingredients and steaming the custard.

Subsequently I tried searching in the web to search whether she has a blog and at last I found hers, but the site was in Chinese.  So, those ingredients that I am not familiar what it was, I have to ask my elder sister to translate it for me.

And here, Steamed Custard Buns or in Chinese "Nai Huang Bao"

Steamed Custard Buns

Ingredients for custard filling:
60g custard powder
40g milk powder

100g caster sugar (I used only 75g, but still can cut down to 60-50g)

130g coconut milk
80g evaporate milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten first
30g  melted butter

Method:
Place the custard powder, caster sugar and milk powder in a bowl and mix to combine.

Using a whisk, add in the coconut milk and evaporated milk and whisk till the sugar dissolved.  Add in the egg, stir until combine, and lastly add in the melted butter.

Sieve the liquid and pour it into a lightly grease pan and steam high for 8~10 mins.

Remove the custard out from steamer and mash the custard with a potato masher.

(Irene Chai’s video showing she knead the custard using hand till till the custard smooth; I didn’t do it this way.  I just continue using the masher to mash for 5 minutes).

Divide the custard into small balls; about 20g-30g to your preference.

Recipe source from Irene Chan

And thanks to Tze of Awayofmind Bakery House, that I came to known of this Custard Buns when she posted hers recently.

As for the buns I'm using back the same buns I made for the red bean buns previously.

Steamed Buns
(makes 12)

Ingredients:

300g Hong Kong pau flour
3g baking powder
3g instant yeast
30g caster sugar
160ml water
15g vegetable oil

Custard Filling 

Method 

Sieve Hong Kong pau flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add yeast, caster sugar and mix well.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, add in water and mix to form a dough. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough until it becomes smooth (about 5 mins). Knead in the vegetable oil and continue to knead for another 10-15 mins or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.  Take a piece of dough  (about the size of a table tennis ball) and stretch it, you should be able to stretch it  to a fairly thin membrane without tearing off easily, if not continue to knead for another 5 to 10mins.

Roll dough into a smooth round, place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it proof for about 1 hr or until it doubles in bulk.

Punch down the dough and give a few light kneading to release the trapped air bubbles.

Divide the dough into 12 portions (about 40g each). Roll each portion into a smooth round. 

Flatten each dough into a small disc with your palm or a small rolling pin, make the edges thinner and the centre portion thicker. Wrap each dough with 20g of custard filling. Pinch and seal the seams. Place dough seam side down on a square piece of parchment paper. Cover loosely with cling wrap and leave buns to proof for 20-25 mins.  

Place buns in a steamer and space them apart so that they do not touch one another. Steam it medium to high heat for 12mins (make sure the water is already boiling before steaming). 

When ready, remove the lid carefully to prevent water from dripping over the buns. Remove immediately and serve warm. Keep any leftovers in fridge (covered with cling wrap or store in airtight containers) and re-steam till hot before serving.

 I didn't use hands to knead the custard (like what Irene Chan did in her video.  Instead I just continue to mash, mash, mash with the masher.  Lazy me lor.....)