Red Bean Buns with Homemade Red Bean Paste

Other than my love for Raisin Loaf, I love red bean buns too! Store bought red bean buns are always too sweet and tasted a bit weird. It seems like some artificial stuff are added to the red bean paste according to some old people at home.

I did not use any starter for this recipe but I guess the extra 2 tablespoons of oil added into the red bean paste act like a bread softener. Its so soft even after I leave it to cool under a strong fan for about 2 hours.

I guessed I have to practise on my shaping skills as the skin of the buns is always too thin resulting in a crispy skin if eaten hot.

Red Bean Buns with Homemade Red Bean Paste
**Make about 12 buns

For the buns:
320gm Bread Flour
3/4 tsp Yeast
1 Whole Egg
1/4 tsp Salt
160gm Milk
30gm Sugar

50gm Butter

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in everything from (A) except for the butter. Reserve 30gm of the milk to be added in later.
2. Mix under low speed till a dough is form. Add in milk slowly. Wait till all the liquid is absorb before adding in more milk.
3. Add in butter and knead till the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. When pull apart, dough should form a very thin, almost transparent layer.
4. Leave dough to rise for 60 minutes at a warm place covered with a wet cloth till double its size.
5. Take out the dough from the bowl and put in on a floured working surface. Punch the dough to get rid of the air trapped inside.
6. Divide dough into 50gm each and roll into a round ball.
7. Wrap each dough with red bean filling(about 25gm each), shape into round balls and put it on a lined baking tray.
8. Leave dough to proof in a cold oven for about 1 hour.
9. After an hour, take the bread dough out and brush lightly with egg wash. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for garnishing.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 160c for about 20 minutes.

For the Red Bean Paste:
250gm Red Bean
500ml Water
Rock Sugar
2 tbsp Corn Oil

1. Wash and drain the red beans and put it into the slow cooker.
2. Fill the slow cooker up with water and switch it on to LOW for about 6 hours.
3. Add rock sugar to taste.
4. Sieve the cooked red bean to get rid of any remaining liquid and blend into a fine paste with a blender/food processor.
5. In a frying pan/wok, heat about 2 tbsp of oil in it.
6. Add in blended red bean paste and lightly simmer and toss till desired consistency is formed.
7. Leave red bean paste to cool and it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Homemade Blueberries Jam

Look a bit sourish isn't it?

I went to pasar malam last week and saw some fresh blueberries from the fruits stall. Its only RM 10 for a pack and without further thoughts, I bought a pack. When I reach home, I started thinking what do I do with the blueberries? Its not very nice to eat just the way it is and I started googling for some blueberries recipe.

The blueberries are quite big size compare to the usual ones.

It was then I saw some method of making our own blueberries cheesecake topping or blueberries jam etc etc.

I have a Japanese Cotton Cheesecake in my fridge which I will bring to my friend's house warming party. So I decided, I would make some blueberries jam to go with the cake!
 
Blueberries Jam
2 cups of fresh Blueberries
3 Tbsp Castor Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Rind
1 + 1/2 Tbsp Corn Flour
2 Tbsp Butter

1. Wash and drain blueberries and discard any fruit that is soft or spoil.
2. In a small pot, put all the ingredients in except for the butter and cook under low heat.



3. Blueberries juice will start oozing out and the colour will turn deep purple after about 5-6 minutes of cooking.



4. Transfer it into a clean container and stir in melted butter.



5. Leave to cool, cover and chill in the refridgerator before serving.

65°c Cream Cheese Meat Floss Buns

I made some water roux last few days and keep planning that I wanna bake some buns again using the water roux method. I don't know if different recipes will produce different results as the previous time I bake with water roux, its not as soft as I would expect.

My raisin loaf which I did not use any starter did not fail to disappoint me. I once kept them for 6 days and ate it and its still tasted fresh and soft. Maybe my expectation for water roux is too high... If I were to bake it for my mum, friends or family, I would always go back to the raisin loaf.

So this time, I tried again. When its out from the oven, its really really soft. But I find that it has no difference compare with other dough. No doubt, the dough is so sticky that it requires so much extra flour to shape and wrap the fillings it.

Give it a try as this recipe requires cream cheese instead of the usual butter. If u have some odd amount of cream cheese sitting in your fridge, might as well use them up!

65°c Cream Cheese Meat Floss Buns (65°c 烫种奶油乳酪肉松面包)

To make Water Roux Starter:
250ml Milk
50gm Bread Flour

1. In a pot, whisk the milk and flour together till no lumps.
2. Cook under medium-low heat for until temperature reaches 65°c, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Remove from heat and cover with a cling firm touching the paste and let cool under room temperature.
4. Water Roux Starter can be use after it has cool down to room temperature.

Ingredients: 
80gm Water Roux Starter

200gm Bread Flour
100gm Wholemeal Flour
1/2 tsp Yeast
1 Whole Egg
70gm Cream Cheese
50gm Molasses Syrup (I substitute with the same amount of Honey)
1/8 tsp Salt
80ml Cold Water

Method: 
1. In a large mixing bowl, put everything into the bowl  and mix under low speed till a dough is form. Reserve 30ml of water to be added in later.
2. Slowly pour in the remaining water making sure that all the liquid are absorb before the next pour.
3. Knead under medium speed till the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. When pull apart, dough should form a very thin, almost transparent layer.
4. Leave dough to rise for 60 minutes at a warm place in a large bowl covered with a wet cloth till double its size.
5. Take out the dough from the bowl and put it on a floured working surface. Punch the dough to get rid of the air trapped inside.
6. Divide dough into 12 equal parts. Roll each part into a smooth round ball. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Shape dough, wrapped in desire fillings and arrange it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
8. Sprinkle some water onto the shaped dough surface and leave to proof for another 60 minutes.
9. Brush the dough lightly with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for garnishing.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes at 170c.
11. Leave bread to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Super Soft Raisin Loaf

I loves my Raisin bread, Raisin Loaf, Raisin cake...No matter which bakery I go, I will always pick up their Raisin Loaf and not other bread/buns.

The raisin loaf from The Loaf Bakery is always my favourite although its a bit on the expensive side. Its RM 10 per loaf.

Since I have some raisins soaked in rum in my fridge, might as well I add in some into my Milk Loaf.

Funny this recipe doesn't require any starter at all but it yields such a soft loaf. Even the crust is soft. Just like those bought from bakery. After 24 hours under room temperature, sliced and kept in an airtight container, it still taste fresh from the oven.

Milky Raisin Loaf
(Adapted from: 烘焙新手必備的第二本書 by Carol 自在生活)
**Make a 500gm Loaf Pan 

Ingredients:
(A)
426gm Bread Flour
67gm Whole Egg
1 tsp Yeast
1/2 tsp Salt
26gm Sugar
213gm Milk
67gm Butter

80gm raisins

Method:
1. Soak raisins in rum or hot water for at least 30 minutes before use. Squeeze the raisins dry before putting into the mixer.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add in everything from (A) except for the butter. Reserve 30gm of the milk to be added in later.
3. Mix under low speed till a dough is form. Add in milk slowly. Wait till all the liquid is absorb before adding in more milk.
4. Add in butter and knead till the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. When pull apart, dough should form a very thin, almost transparent layer.
5. Add in raisins and knead under low speed till raisins are well mix. 
6. Leave dough to rise for 60 minutes at a warm place covered with a wet cloth till double its size.
7. Take out the dough from the bowl and put in on a floured working surface. Punch the dough to get rid of the air trapped inside.
8. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into a smooth round ball. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
9. Shape the dough like a swiss roll and leave to rest for another 10 minutes.
10. Repeat by shaping each dough like a swiss roll and put it in the bread pan.
11. Cover the bread pan and let the dough to proof in the oven for about 1 hour.
12. Bake in a preheated oven at 210°c for 40 minutes.
13. Unmould immediately when done and let cool completely before slicing.

Sugar Doughnuts

My maid has been pestering me to make some doughnuts every since she saw my KA mixer able to knead bread dough. I told her if I were to make on normal days, me and her would have to finish 20 biji of doughnuts in a day. Promised her I would make some on Sunday as on Sunday, there would be a huge crowd of children around.

This is a recipe I bookmarked long ago before I started baking breads. To save time, I knead the (A) part the night before, let rise for an hour and leave it in the fridge for about 18 hours. I don't know whether this affect my dough or not but it shouldn't as there are many recipes out there calling for overnight-dough-rising starter.

I am not careful enough when breaking my eggs and my hand slip so I only put in about 30gm of eggs. The rest of the egg I substituted with water.

The dough is also quite hard to manage because its very soft and I end up using quite a lot of flour to work the dough.

Nevertheless, this is a good doughnut recipe and its a keeper!!!

Sugar Doughnuts
(Adapted from: Nasi Lemak Lover)

Ingredients:
(A)
412gm High Protein Flour
247ml Water
10gm Instant dry yeast

B)
103gm High Protein Flour
41gm Whole Egg
62gm Sugar
10gm Salt
15gm Milk powder
62gm Butter
26gm Water

Method:
1. Knead (A) into a smooth dough and cover with cling film and let rise for about 1 hour till double its size.
2. Pour all ingredients (B) into the mixing bowl and add in the rise dough above and mix well.
3. Add in water little by little for the flour to absorb the water fully.
4. Add in butter and knead till elastic.
5. Divide dough into 50gm round balls each and set aside for about 15 minutes covered with a wet cloth.
6. Shape dough into doughnuts and then fry in hot oil till golden brown.
7. Coat with sugar immediately.