Hello Giaotornomers!
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I’m back again and with the recipe of a comfort food close to my heart - Golden Sand Buns… But make it cutesy. Why it’s close to my heart, you might ask? I remember being cold and almost drenched in the middle of Chinatown with a dear ex more than 10 years back. We were kinda hungry and waiting it out but a random pushcart uncle came over to us and asked if we wanted to have some Golden Sand Buns. And they weren’t your average ones. He made the effort to shape them into cute yellow duckies! Who could say no to that, right?! (Of course we paid duh, ain’t no freeloader here)
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And so there we were, gorging on some piping hot Golden Sand Buns while waiting out the rain after a passionate night out clubbing. Sounds very romance novel-esque but that’s exactly what happened! My fond memories of people aren’t in the fancy dinners out or the overly cheesy moments. It’s ratchet little experiences like these. Being cold, shivering and a tad turnt with a desperate yearning to go home but reveling in the comfort of some freshly made Golden Sand Buns. Sinking your teeth into those pillowy soft buns while the warm Salted Egg custard oozes out like gold lava. I’m drooling so hard just typing this out I swear.
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So it kind of became our ‘thing’ back then. We’d have Dim Sum once a month on our regular dates and having it for dessert was pretty much a ritual. It was always pricey, though, and not every place served good ones so I took the liberty of experimenting to make the whole experience more handmade and close to the heart. Sure, there are many recipes online but I like my Salted Egg Custard runny but with body, and sandy but not too chunky. Also I sure as hell am able to tell when it’s made of actual yolk or flavoured powders! I’m somewhat of an expert on that subject, wink wink. Also I’ve been asked many times before if my dad was a baker because I’ve got nice buns. Geddit?
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Nonetheless, although my ex and I aren’t together anymore I still look at it with weighted sentimental value. Anyway… let’s not continue sifting through the rubble of my failed relationship and get to some serious bun-making!
INGREDIENTS
Salted Egg Custard
10 Salted Egg Yolks
120g Condensed Milk
100g Unsalted Butter
100ml Coconut Milk
30g Full Cream Milk Powder
30g Custard Powder
EDIT!!! Cutesy Baos
100ml Water
120ml of Milk
4g Instant Yeast
60g Sugar
4g Baking Powder
400g Hong Kong Flour
20ml Canola Oil
STEPS
Salted Egg Custard
Separate the salted egg yolks from the whites, then give them a gentle rinse under running water.
Steam the yolks over high heat for 10 minutes.
When they are slightly cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Add butter, condensed milk, coconut milk, custard powder and milk powder.
Mix with a hand mixer until the custard is pale and smooth.
Chill the custard in the refrigerator for an hour, allowing it to firm up a little bit.
Remove from the refrigerator and use an ice cream scoop to portion out into custard ‘balls’ to use as fillings (around 20-25g each).
Place on a baking tray lined with cling wrap and cover with another layer of cling wrap. This makes it much easier to remove later on and so that the custard does not stick.
Store in the freezer overnight for use the next day, or minimally 6 hours if in a rush.
Buns
In a mixing bowl, add Hong Kong flour, instant yeast, caster sugar and baking powder. Give it a good mix. Now, with a hook attachment, beat at low speed while adding the milk and water. Once a dough has begun to form, add the canola oil.
Leave the mixer running on low setting for around 10 minutes.
Dust a clean work surface and knead the dough on it till it ‘comes together’ and is no longer sticky, around a minute or so.
Proof the dough for an hour, covered with a cheese cloth.
After which, begin segregating it into portions, adding colouring and shaping it into fun shapes. Place the frozen egg custard in the centre.
Once satisfied with the bao designs, line with individually cut paper and place them in an already pre-heated bamboo steamer on medium heat. Let it steam for 10 minutes.
Note: Do not remove before the time has elapsed, or the buns may deflate. Try not to go too far above the recommended timing as well, as the filling may explode or become very pasty (we’re going for runny lava-like custard).
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And there you have it… your very own cutesy Golden Sand Buns! Probably the only recipe I’ve shared thus far that I’ve NOT bastardized by adding something completely unnecessary. Trust me, I tried really hard. Almost ‘tipped’ a few drops of vanilla extract in the baos but I held myself back. I’m so naughty I need to be punished.
That’s all for this week! Have fun making your baos (or watching me make them)! Stay tuned for more updates as I pivot to less on baking and more of actual foods.
Stay classy Giaotornomers xx
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