Pandan Milk Bun with Gula Melaka Ermine Frosting

A soft moist sweet buns flavoured by fresh pandan leaves which also gave the bread its characteristic chlorophyll green.

The gula melaka* ermine frosting, which is half buttercream and half water roux, reduces the fat content but not compromising the buttery taste. 

* Gula melaka is also known as palm sugar or coconut nectar sugar is low in glycemic index (GI).

Yield: 8 buns in a 20 cm square pan or 25Lx8Wx9H cm tin

Raw dough weight : ~516g

Appliances: Whirlpool breadmaker BM1000

Using fridge-cold ingredients if possible

Ingredient A

10g pandan leaves

140g cold fresh milk 

20g condensed milk

Ingredient B

25g beaten egg

40g raw sugar

1/4 tsp salt 

30g cold unsalted butter

Ingredient C

225g bread flour

25g cake/top flour

Ingredient D

3/4 tsp instant dry yeast

Direction

1. Blend ingredient A in a food processor. 

2. Pour ingredient A and B into the bread pan.

3. Mix ingredient C before adding on top of ingredient A and B.

4. Dig a hole in the centre of the flour, and pour ingredient D in.

5. Select "kneading" function and press start. The process will take about 1:30 hour to complete.

6. After the program ends, let the dough sits in the bread pan for about 15 to 20 minutes.

As cold ingredients have been used in this recipe, they slowdown the proofing process. Therefore, it needs the extra time for the dough to rise taller.

After 20 minutes,

7. Invert the dough out of the bread pan and onto a floured work top. 

Press down the dough to release the trapped air. 

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

8. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, about 65g each. 

9. Roll the dough up, pull down the sides, and seal at the bottom, into a small dough ball.

Cover and let the dough balls rest for 15 minutes.

10. Take a dough ball and roll it into an elongated dough.

Fold in the two wings

Fold into half and pinch to seal the joining edges.

Coat the bottom of the dough with some flour and arrange the doughs in a 20cm square pan, or a 20cm long baking tin.

Or,

11. Give the doughs a few pumps of water and transfer to a closed and warm oven to undergo second proofing for about 30 to 40 minutes, or till the doughs almost double in size.

12. Remove the tray of doughs from the oven and start pre-heating the oven to 170 degree Celsius.

Apply beaten egg over the top of the dough.

Or,

13. Bake the dough in the oven at 170 degree Celsius for about 17 to 20 minutes or till the top becomes golden.

At lower rack of the oven.

Or,

14. After the baking cycle, lift out the bread and transfer it to a cooling rack immediately.

15. Allow the bread to cool down before making a shallow slit in the middle.

Or,

16. Pipe the gula meleka ermine frosting into the slit.

Using a Wilton 1M nozzle

Using a Wilton 6B nozzle

Gula Melaka Ermine Frosting 

Ingredients

10g granulated gula melaka* 

40g water

5g all purpose flour 

40g salted butter, slightly softened 

5g icing sugar 

* can be substituted by dark brown sugar 

Directions

1. Mix granulated gula melaka with all purpose flour.

2. Pour 40g of water and mix well.

3. Heat over low heat till the mixture thickens. Stirring constantly.

4. After the mixture has cooled down to room temperature, store it in the fridge till needed.

5. After whipping the softened butter till creamy, add in the icing sugar and whip till it is light and pale.

6. Add in the cold gula melaka mixture, spoon by spoon. Mix well before adding the next spoon.

7. Transfer the gula melaka ermine frosting to a piping bag fix with a Wilton 1M or 6B nozzle.