Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes proofing)

Servings: 6 buns

Country of Origin

China (Hong Kong Style)

Description

The ultimate Hong Kong bakery icon. Despite the name, it contains zero pineapple. Instead, it consists of a sweet, pillowy milk bread roll topped with a golden, crumbly, cookie-like crust scored with a checkered pattern that resembles a pineapple shell.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served hot out of the oven. At tea shops, they are split horizontally down the center to house a thick, ice-cold slab of salted butter (Bolo Yau), creating a contrasting dance of hot-and-cold, sweet-and-savory.

Ingredients

The Soft Bread Dough:

• 250g bread flour

• 35g sugar

• 3g (1 tsp) instant dry yeast

• 120ml warm milk

• 1 small egg (whisked)

• 30g unsalted butter (softened at room temp)

The Crunchy Cookie Topping:

• 80g all-purpose flour

• 45g unsalted butter (softened)

• 40g icing sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tbsp milk powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tsp water (for topping wash)

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Knead Bread Dough: Mix the bread flour, sugar, yeast, warm milk, and half of the whisked egg together into a shaggy dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then add the 30g of softened butter. Continue kneading for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic (passes the windowpane test). Cover and let it rise for 1 hour until doubled.

2. Make Cookie Topping: Cream the 45g of softened butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, milk powder, and baking soda. Sift in the all-purpose flour and fold gently to form a soft cookie dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.

3. Portion: Divide the bread dough into 6 equal balls (about 70g each) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Divide the cookie topping into 6 balls (about 25g each).

4. Apply Topping: Flatten a cookie dough ball between two sheets of plastic wrap into a thin circle wide enough to cover a bun. Peel off the plastic and drape the cookie circle over the top of a bread dough ball, pressing gently so it clings to the sides.

5. Score and Proof: Use the back of a knife to gently score a diamond checkered grid pattern across the cookie crust top. Let the buns rise uncovered in a warm place for 45 minutes until they expand, naturally widening the scored pattern lines.

6. Bake: Brush the cookie tops generously with the egg yolk wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 360°F (180°C) for 13 to 15 minutes until the cookie topping turns a deep golden-yellow and crunchy.

Cooking Tips

• No Heat for Proofing: When proofing your assembled buns for the second time, ensure the environment isn't too warm (keep it under 85°F). If your proofing box or kitchen is too hot, the high butter content in the raw cookie topping will melt and slide off the sides of the bun before the bread has a chance to expand.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per bun without extra butter slab)

• Calories: ~320 kcal

• Total Fat: 13g

• Saturated Fat: 8g

• Cholesterol: 75mg

• Sodium: 55mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 44g

• Protein: 7g