Chinese Steamed Custard Buns (Nai Wong Bao 奶黄包)

Custard buns, especially the salted egg yolk lava ones, seem to be all the rage nowadays online. Funny enough, it wasn't something that was ever popular back in the day when I was a kid sitting at the dim sum table. The only time I can remember when these preserved duck egg yolks were used was in my grandma's zongzhi (aka Chinese tamales per Google). It was always considered a "bonus" if you got a zongzhi with a bright orange yolk, but to be honest with you, I always ate around it. It's very rich, salty, with a pungent kick of... something else (sulfur maybe?). The texture could also be a bit mealy and gritty compared to the more Cantonese style custard, so I chose to make the latter. Ultimately, YOU are the boss you your buns so choose whichever style you prefer! I just have personal memories tied back to this style so that's why I made it here. Whether you're team salted egg yolk or team egg custard, there's no denying that the bun must be soft and fluffy. Look no further for an easy, no fail recipe that is versatile enough for any sweet bun filling!

Makes 10 buns.

Fluffy White Buns:

2-1/2 cups (325 g) bread flour
1/3 cup (68 g) sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt
~3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coconut milk, warm to ~110-120 degrees F
1 teaspoon (3.5 g) yeast (instant or dry active will work)

Activate yeast in warm coconut milk along with a couple tablespoons of sugar taken from the total 1/3 cup (68 g). Mix and allow to rest until foamy, about 5-7 min. Mix flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients. Stir until all the flour is moistened. Knead for ~7 min. or until dough is smooth. Form into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and proof until doubled in size.

Egg Custard Filling:

***As mentioned in the video, you will have some leftover pastry cream so you can either use it for something else, or double the bun recipe! It's also good straight with a spoon :D

4 large egg yolks
~4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (170 g or 6 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) milk
1-1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (26 g) unsalted butter, softened

Whisk together egg yolks, condensed milk, powdered sugar, and cornstarch. Add milk and vanilla extract. Place bowl over a water bath that's just simmering. Cook while stirring frequently until mixture is thickened, ~10 min. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Cover a freeze until firm.

Once dough has risen, shape into evenly sized spheres. For 10 buns, each ball will need to be between ~55-60 g. Roll them until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 15 min.

Once the custard is firm/semi-frozen, portion out about 1-2 tablespoons of filling per bun. I prefer to freeze them briefly again so they hold their shapes and are easier to handle, though it's not absolutely necessary.

When ready to fill the buns, take a ball of dough and roll into a circle. Make sure the edges are slightly thinner than the center. There should be a domed surface in the center of each bun. Dollop the prepared filling into the center of the dough. Pull up the sides to enclose the filling. Pinch to seal tightly. Flip the bun over and roll gently in between two hands. Place seam side down on a piece of parchment paper. Place onto a cookie sheet and cover lightly so the surface doesn't dry out. Proof until about 1.5x its size.

Once ready to steam, place the bun into the bamboo steamer. Turn on heat to medium and steam for 15 min. Once done, turn off the heat and DO NOT REMOVE THE LID OF THE STEAMER. Set timer for an additional 5 min. Then remove from heat and enjoy warm and fresh!

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Видео Chinese Steamed Custard Buns (Nai Wong Bao 奶黄包) канала In Shannon's Kitchen