Steamed Custard Bun Recipe

Prep Time1 20

Cook Time25

Resting Time1

Total Time2 45

Servings: 6

Steam Basket if you use other types of steam equipment, wrap the lid with a cloth
Rolling Pin
Baking Paper

3 egg yolks room temperature
150 ml milk 1/2 cup + 1-1/2 tablespoon milk
75 grams sugar 1/3 cup +1/2 tablespoon
20 grams cake flour 3 tablespoon
50 grams salted butter 1/4 cup (butter has to be salted, if not the butter will separate from the custard)

Whisk egg yolks, then add sugar and whisk until light pale in color. Then add cake flour, mix well and set aside.
In a pot, heat up salted butter and milk on medium heat. Mix occasionally. Once bubbles form at the side of the pot, remove from stove.
Slowly pour in half the mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Mix continuously while pouring in. Then pour the mixture back into the pot.
Place the pot on the stove and cook on medium heat. Stir continuously while cooking. When the mixture starts to thicken, immediately switch to lowest heat. Continue to cook until the it becomes a lumpy texture. Remove from stove and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with a cling film, make sure the cling film touches the top of the custard. Place it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
Divide the custard into 10 equal portions. Place them in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge while we work on the dough.

In a large mixing bowl, add in plain flour, cake flour, wheat starch, icing sugar, baking powder, instant yeast and water. Use a chopstick or ladle to gather the ingredients. Then transfer to a flat surface. Add cooking oil (in 3 batches). Knead the dough gently. Knead until the dough feels smooth, soft and supple. It should take about 10 minutes.
Immediately divide the dough into 10 equal portions. About 43-44 grams each. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then take one dough, form into a ball by pulling the dough towards the center. Then flatten the dough using the palm of your hand. The use a rolling pin to flatten it further to about 9.5 cm in diameter.
Place the custard ball on the centre of the flatten dough. Use a spoon to gently press it in. Then close the ends of the dough. Place the dough, pleat side down on a baking sheet. Then transfer to a steam basket. Cover to avoid it from drying out. Repeat for the rest of the dough.
Then let it proof until the dough look plump and smooth.

Place water into the wok or pot. Place the steam basket on top. Then steam on high heat for 15 minutes. Switch off the stove. Let the steam buns rest in the steam basket for 10 minutes. Do not open the cover. Serve warm.

Type and quality of the flour is very important when it comes to colour and texture. I used PRIMA brand TOP flour. This flour is a type of 'superfine' plain flour with 9.5% protein content. This flour produces buns that are more white and have a softer texture. This flour may not be available in your country. So you can replace with plain/all purpose flour. If you use plain flour/all purpose flour, the color is not as white and the texture will be slightly chewy but the buns are still soft and fluffy.
Do not over knead the dough, it will become tough and chewy.
The time to proof the dough varies depending on the type of flour used and the temperature of your area.
When you steam the buns, do not pre boil the water. Place the steam basket on room temperature water. Then only switch on the stove to high heat.
Do not open the cover immediately after steaming. After you switch off the stove, wait for 10 minutes before opening the cover.
Serve the baozi warm right after steaming. Best eaten warm. Baozi is soft and fluffy when its warm.
For custard filling. Recommended to use butter that do not melt too quickly at room temperature. This makes it easier to shape the custard filling.
Use salted butter for the custard filling.
While cooking the custard mixture, stir continuously to avoid the custard from burning.