Sweet Potato Bun 甜薯面包 （牛油 + 年糕)

Bread dough with added cooked sweet potato tends to yield very soft bun.  I divided the dough into 10 portions and baked in two different flavours.

The butter sugar buns with the base soaked up with melted butter, smell and taste like butter cookies.

The peanut nian gao version has the centre of the buns taste like soft peanut candy. A healthier alternative in finishing up the nian gao

Yield: 10 small buns

Breadmaker: Whirlpool BM 1000

Raw dough weight: about 454g

Ingredients (room temperature)

90g sweet potato paste

200g bread flour

3/4 tsp instant dry yeast

30g fine sugar

1/4 tsp salt

30g trim coconut milk

70g fresh milk

15g beaten egg

20g unsalted butter

Some beaten egg as egg wash 

年糕strips

Ground peanut

13g cold butter

Some coarse sugar 

Direction 

1. Place sweet potato chunks with pandan leaf (optional) in a heat resistant bowl. Add 50ml water to the inner pot  and start to steam using the "Ultraquick" function (35 minutes). 

Or, steam over stove using medium high heat for 20 minuets, or till a stick can poke through the sweet potato easily.

2. Remove the pandan leaves and drain away the excess liquid. While the sweet potato is still hot, mash it using a fork. Collect 90g of sweet potato paste.

3. Pour trim coconut milk and fresh milk into a heat resistant bowl and keep warm in a rice cooker for about 10 minutes.

4. Pour the milk mixture into the bread pan.

5. Pour in the sugar and salt.

6. Add in the unsalted butter.

7. Loosen the sweet potato paste slightly and add into the bread pan.

8. Add in the beaten egg.

9. Pour in the bread flour.

10. Dig a hole with your finger and pour in the instant dry yeast.

11. Place the bread pan back to the bread machine.

12. Close the lid and select "Dough" function, and start the process.

After 1:30 h, the dough is ready.

13. Invert out the dough onto a floured worktop.

14. Flatten the dough with your palm.

Wear a pair of disposable gloves to handle the sticky dough.

15. Divide the dough into 10 portions, each weighs about 45g.

16. Shape the 10 doughs into balls, coat with some flour, covers with a lid and let them rest for 15 minutes.

17. Roll out a dough into a round flat dough and place on a slightly floured baking pan.

18. Spray some water and let the dough proof in a closed oven for about 30 minutes.

19. While the dough is proofing, cut about 13g of cold butter into 15 cubes. Keep the butter cubes in the fridge till needed.

20. After the proofing, remove the baking pan from the oven and starts to preheat the oven to 170 degree Celsius.

21. Poke a few holes over the surface of the dough.

22. Apply egg wash over the dough surface and place cold butter cubes over the holes.

23. Sprinkle some coarse sugar over the surface.

24. Bake in the preheated oven set at 170 degree Celsius at middle rack for about 18 minutes, or till the surface turns golden.

25. Allow the buns to cool down on a wire rack.

26. The bun is best enjoy warm :)

The base soaked with melted butter :P

Alternative 

花生年糕面包卷 peanut nian gao roll

17. Cut nian gao into strips of about 8cm long.

18. Roll out the dough into an oval shape.

19. Add about 1 tsp of ground roasted peanut and place the nian gao strip over.

20. Roll up the dough and pinch to seal at the end.

21. Place on a slightly floured baking pan and proof in a closed oven for 30 minutes.

22. After the proofing, snip some small cut over the top using a pair of kitchen scissors.

23. Brush with egg wash.

24. Bake in a preheated oven set at 170 degree Celsius, at middle rack, for about 18 minutes or till the surface turns golden.

25. Let the buns cool down on a wire rack.

26. The bun is best consume warm :)