If you’re a fan of dim sum and Hong-Kong style bakeries, you are no stranger to custard, which is very different from what we imagine in the west. And today, I’ll share the delicious Buttery Custard Buns I recently learned to make.
Western custard is something like a creme brulee, pudding, or flan; moist, wobbly, gently crafted from eggs and milk. Eastern-style custard, as it applies to fillings anyway, is dry, almost grainy, but has a delicious eggy flavour. A bit sweet, salty, wonderfully rich, and unlike a french cream pastry, it doesn’t spurt out cream all over the place when you bite into it.
This is my first attempt at such a custard, and I’m working with some new ingredients. Custard buns use as their filling base, not chicken yolks, but salted duck egg yolks, which I covered in my previous post. These yolks have the fantastic quality of being firm and pliable, the consistency of cold butter, and give the custard its rich and sweet-salty taste.
Buttery Custard Buns
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 3 medium egg yolks cooked salty
- 4 tablespoons custard powder
- 4 tablespoons milk powder
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons shortening
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Dough Ingredients
- 200 grams flour plain
- 50 grams sugar granulated
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons shortening
- 80 ml water
Instructions
Filling Instructions
- Force the salted egg yolks through a strainer to ensure any cooked white bits are removed.
- In a stand mixer, mix well with the other ingredients until it forms a smooth mass.
- Cover a surface with cling wrap and pour out the custard filling; form into a log.
- Wrap and refrigerate until firm.
- Divide the log into 9 pieces, knead into balls, and refrigerate until needed.
Dough Instructions
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar.
- Fold in the shortening (or lard), milk and water.
- Knead until it forms a smooth dough.
- Cover with a cloth and let sit for half an hour.
Assembly Instructions
- To put together the buns, knead the dough into a log, and divide it into 9 portions.
- Divide the dough into parts.
- Use a rolling pin to press each one.
- Place a ball of filling in the centre of each, and wrap the dough around the filling. Pinch to close and fold.
- Place seams down onto parchment paper. Steam for 15 minutes in a steamer.
