Chinese Hot Dog buns and Bolo Bao (菠蘿包)

您们好！ How are you guys today? Yesterday, I said I would post how to make the hot dog buns and Bolo Bao. This recipe has no filling for the Bolo Bao (菠蘿包), but I will explain the instructions on how to add the filling to the buns, though there won't be any pictures. It would take longer until the bread is done if you want to add the filling. Anyways, don't these bread look delicious? I think they do. I love baking bread. It takes at least 3 to 4 hours though, but it is worth it. Anyways, for the bolo bao topping, I used brown sugar instead of the usual granulated sugar because I had run out of granulated sugar. That's why the cookie topping looks a bit different. Here's the link to the other bread recipe, where my cookie topping for the bolo bao has white granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. It still tastes pretty good though. The cookie topping recipe is at the end of this post. The hot dog buns are yummy too. My brother loves these chinese breads, and they're quite delicious. So, here's the recipe for the bread. The recipe for the dough is a bit different from the other recipe, in that, oil is used instead of butter. If you like a more buttery bread, use butter. I believe it's a bit unhealthier though, so I decided to make a bread recipe using oil. Have fun making the bread. Enjoy. :)

Ingredients: 

Dough:

• 3 3/4 cup bread flour
• 3/4  cup sugar
• 1/2  cup warm milk
• 1/2  cup warm water
• 2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1/4  cup oil

Fillling Options:

• red bean paste
• BBQ Pork 
• hot dog
• lotus seed paste

Instructions

1. In a bowl pour in the warm water and warm milk. Mix in the sugar. 
2. Add in the active dry yeast and let it poof for about 10 minutes.
3. Mix in the egg and oil. 
4. Slowly add in the flour, cup by cup,  until a dough has formed. Knead the dough. It should be elastic, but it shouldn't stick to the bowl. 
5. Cover it with plastic, and let it rise for about an hour in a warm place. 
6. Push the dough down to let out the air.
7. Divide the dough into 15 pieces, and let them rise for an hour.
8. For the hot dog buns. roll out the dough like play dough until it's long, and then wrap it around the hot dog. There are pictures for this step, if you are confused. Let it rise for 30 min to and hour.
9. If you are making the bolo bao and are adding the red bean filling, flatten the dough with your hand and stretch it out just a tiny bit. Add the filling, and then fold in the edges together. Roll it into a ball and let it rise for 30 min to an 1hr. One hour is more ideal, so that the bread would be bigger. 
10. If you are making the bolo bao without the filling, it's time to bake them. Take a piece of cookie dough. flatten it out, make tiny criss cross marks, and but the cookie on the bread dough. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for about 20 minutes.
11. For the hot dog bread, and bolo bao with the filling, after it's done rising, it is time to bake them. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the cookie topping to the bolo bao. Bake the hot dog buns for 15 to 20 minutes. The bolo bao would take about 20 minutes. Use your eye and judgement. The bread grows and rises while it's still in the oven. Enjoy your bread. :)

 

 

 

 

The Pineapple Bun Topping recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar (or a little bit more)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

                                                                 Directions: 

1. Beat the egg and sugar too. Add the egg yolk, baking soda, and the milk. Combine the flour and baking powder and then add it to the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate for an hour before use.