Recipe: Perfect Hong Kong Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao)

Mary Butler

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Recipe: Perfect Hong Kong Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao) Delicious, fresh and tasty.

Hong Kong Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao). Pineapple buns (菠蘿包, bolo bao in Cantonese) are one of my favorite pastries from Chinese bakeries. Said to have originated from Shanghai, pineapple buns gained popularity in Hong Kong & Chinatowns throughout the world. Although the pastry does not contain any pineapple, the name comes from the way that the topping looks when it's baked.

The name comes from the cookie-like crust that covers the bun and is decorated into a pattern that resembles the outside of a pineapple.

Pineapple buns, called Bolo Bao in China, are a popular sweet treat from Hong Kong.

They are light, soft, and airy inside.

You can have Hong Kong Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao) using 18 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Hong Kong Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao)

Prepare 300 g of bread flour.
You need 70 ml of water (For yudan mix) *.
It’s 80 ml of water (For flour mix).
You need 1 of egg.
You need 7 g of instant yeast.
You need 20 g of milk powder.
You need 8 g of custard powder.
Prepare 45 g of sugar.
You need 1/6 tsp of salt.
Prepare 20 g of unsalted butter.
You need of Ingredient for the topping：.
It’s 1/2 of egg (12g).
You need 105 g of All purpose flour.
You need 1/4 tsp of baking soda.
It’s 1 tbsp of milk.
Prepare 60 g of sugar.
Prepare 55 g of unsalted butter.
You need 1/2 tsp of water.

And on top they have this cracked surface with a delightfully crispy texture.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about these sweet pineapple buns is that there is no pineapple inside of them.

Pineapple buns, Bolo Bao, are a classic at Hong Kong bakeries.

They're a buttery bun with a crispy sugar cookie topping and served with an optional generous.

Hong Kong Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao) instructions

Yudan mix: Put a tablespoon of flour into the pot, add 70 ml of water, and mix well. Gently cook, this will make the bread soft. Use medium heat, slowly become a paste, cook it like this, turn off the fire then pour it in a bowl. Let it cool. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the surface from becoming hard..
Make topping: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder. Add in egg yolk, butter, and rub it with your hands. Gradually add milk. Wrap the dough with cling film & rest in fridge..
For the dough: add flour, milk powder, custard powder, salt, yudane. Place the yeast on the the other side of the bowl. Add water. Mix until combined then slowly add the butter. Knead the dough until smoothly. Cover with a clean clamp towel and let it double in size..
Sprinkle some flour on working surface. Roll the dough a cylindrical form then divide into 8 equal portions (67g for each). Round the balls. Prepare a lined baking tray. Spray sone water. Cover & let them double in size..
Take the dough from the fridge, divide into 8 portions. Place on top of cling film, flatten the dough then cover the top. Roll out evenly, big enough to cover the dough.
Place the crust dough on the top of the buns. Gently brush some egg wash..
Preheat the oven at 200oC before 10 minutes. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown. Best served with a slab of butter..

Learn how to bake your own Hong Kong Style pineapple buns that you can typically find at most Chinese bakeries.

This recipe uses a soft and chewy Japanese milk bread with a crunchy sweet crust.

But typically there's one basic bun that most customers expect to see, and expect to see done well in a Chinese bakery: the pineapple bun, or bolo bao.

Pineapple buns, a soft roll-like bun with a sweet crunchy topping, were invented in Hong Kong and are ubiquitous fare in bakeries and cafes as a morning pastry or an anytime snack.

Pineapple Bun 菠蘿包, known as bor lor bao in Cantonese, or bo luo bao in Mandarin, is a very popular Cantonese/Hong Kong style pastry served as a dim sum snack, breakfast bun, or dessert pastry and it's sold in Chinese bakeries all around the world.