Chinese Coconut Buns

Fluffy and delicious Chinese Coconut Buns, just like from the Chinese bakery, except they are better! Recipe with step-by-step photos.

Chinese Coconut Buns

As a child, my parents owned a Vietnamese bakery in Australia. They sold everything from Vietnamese baguettes to Aussie Meat Pies. And despite the vast array of delicious treats on offer, it didn’t stop us from visiting other bakeries and getting our sweet fix elsewhere.

One case in point was the Chinese bakery at the local Chinatown in Brisbane, which became a regular stop for my mother and I after each Yum Cha feast on Sunday morning. Even if we had stuffed ourselves silly with endless dumplings and squeezed in a plate of Chinese Custard Tarts to finish, we still somehow had appetite for more dessert from the Chinese bakery next door.

It was one of those Hong Kong-style bakeries where you grabbed a tray at the entrance and helped yourself to the many cakes and buns on offer. And something I always looked out for were these Chinese Coconut Buns.

What are Chinese Coconut Buns?

Chinese Coconut Buns are a small yeasted bun filled with a sweet coconut filling. Due to their size, they are sometimes called Cocktail Buns.

Chinese Coconut Bun Recipe

The bun itself is used for many other types of baked buns in Chinese baking, and which many recipes refer to as a “milk dough“, due to the use of milk.

Despite this recipe being Chinese in origin, when testing recipes for Chinese Coconut Buns, I found that many of the dough recipes had similarities to French brioche, which is also a yeasted dough enriched with butter, milk and eggs. However, Chinese baked buns are usually not as rich as French brioche.

So I decided to use my trusty recipe for enriched dough (which I use for Finger Buns and Cream Buns) but with the addition of an egg for extra richness and more colour, and which is exactly the same dough that I use for my Cinnamon Rolls.

To this dough, I added a coconut filling and decorative topping which are adapted from The Woks of Life, and the results are perfectly-tasting Chinese Coconut Buns, better than from the Chinese bakery!

So this recipe for Chinese Coconut Buns uses the same dough as for my Cinnamon Rolls, but with a Chinese twist

Homemade Coconut Buns

I will admit that making these Coconut Buns at home are a bit fiddly and time-consuming. But if you are someone who makes Cinnamon Rolls or Finger Buns, the steps involved here are not too dissimilar.

In any event, if you are like me and live in a city (or country!) that does not have a Chinatown, these Chinese Coconut Buns are a lovely treat, and also a delicious weekend project.

To make Chinese Coconut Buns, you will need to make:

1. An enriched dough – this recipe uses a yeasted dough which has been enriched with eggs, milk and butter. Asians refer to it as a “milk dough” or “milk bun” and it has a very similar taste and texture to a French brioche, although not as rich.
2. The coconut filling – this is a buttery paste made with dessicated coconut and milk powder. It should be sweet, but not too sweet, with a touch of salt to balance the sweetness.
3. The decorative topping – this is essentially a buttery paste which is piped onto the buns. Is it just me or do these buns look like rugby balls?

How to Make Chinese Coconut Buns

Step 1

Measure the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Lightly mix the ingredients together.

Step 2

Add the egg to the bowl. Slowly add the warm milk (you may not need all of it), and lightly beat everything with the dough hook until it comes together into a large ball of dough. Only add as much milk as you need to bring the ingredients together into a dough.

Step 3

Slowly incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until all of the butter has been used.

Then increase the speed to medium and continue kneading with the dough hook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Step 4

Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, and place the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave it somewhere warm for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 5

While the dough is proofing, make the Coconut Filling. Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and beat until everything is combined and smooth. I like to make the filling with my electric stand mixer, but you can also use a wooden spoon.

Step 6

Portion the Coconut Filling into 16 equal pieces. I like to do this using a digital scale (weigh the whole amount of the filling, divide this number by 16 to obtain the weight for each piece).

Roll each piece into a log, about 8 cm/3 inches long.

Step 7

Once the dough is ready, punch it back and knead the dough a few times until it is smooth again. Portion the dough into 16 equal pieces. Again, I like to use a digital scale for this step.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball, and place it on a large baking sheet lined with baking paper. Set the dough aside for about 10 minutes to puff up slightly.

Step 8

Gently roll out a piece of dough to flatten it into a rough oval shape, about 12 cm/5 inches long. Place a piece of Coconut Filling inside the dough. Enclose the filling inside the dough by pinching together the edges of the dough. Shape the dough into an oval shape, and place it on another large baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Repeat the above steps with the remaining pieces of dough.

Step 9

Place the shaped buns onto a large baking sheet lined with baking paper.

If you wish to create individual buns, space the pieces of dough a good 5 cm/2 inches apart. This is the more traditional way to bake the Chinese Coconut Buns.

If you wish to create adjoining buns, place the pieces of dough closer together (about 1 cm/1/2 inch apart). I find that baking the buns closer together creates buns with more height, and with a softer and fluffier interior.

Set the tray aside somewhere warm for about 30 minutes for the buns to rise again.

Step 10

Make the decorative topping by beating together the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until the butter has softened and you have a smooth paste. The butter needs to be quite soft because you will be using a piping bag to pipe the mixture later.

Transfer the paste to a small piping bag, or a small plastic bag with the end snipped off. I like to create lines which are about 5 mm thick.

Step 11

Gently brush the buns with egg wash. Pipe two rows of the decorative topping on each bun. Sprinkle some sesame seeds in the middle of each bun.

Step 12

Bake the buns in an oven at 180°C/350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. I recommend checking the buns at about 10-15 minutes. If the buns are browning too quickly, place a sheet of foil over them for the rest of the baking time.

Remove the cooked buns to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Store Coconut Buns

These Chinese Coconut Buns are best eaten the same day they are baked. However, I find they keep very well in a ziplock freezer bag for 2-3 days, away from direct sunlight; the plastic bag will help to keep them soft.

More Bread Recipes

If you are looking for more bread recipes, you might also like:

Cinnamon Rolls

Cream Buns

Finger Buns

Print

The post Chinese Coconut Buns appeared first on Eat, Little Bird.