Spicy Sardine Sweet Bun

Cottony soft bread encasing the sweet and spicy sardine paste. The buns were decorated by fish theme doodle drawn using diluted dark soya sauce and a cotton bud Y(^_^)Y

Yield: 11 pieces of 5x4x4cm buns

Sardine filling (290g)

Ingredients:

1 can Sardines in tomato sauce 230g
110g onion, finely chopped (1 onion)

Seasonings:
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

1 tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1~2 small limes, extract the juice
The seasoning quantities may adjust according to individual taste.

Directions:

1. Pour away the canned sardine tomato sauce leaving about 1/4 of the original quantity. Crush the sardines and mix together with the remaining tomato sauce using a fork. 

2. Heat up about 2 tsp of olive oil in a non-stick pot over medium heat. Pour in the chopped onion and stir-fry till the onion turns soft. Try to evaporate most of the water content.

3. Add in the crushed sardines and seasonings and stir fry in medium heat till the sardine filling become partially dry.

4. Transfer the sardine paste into a clean container to cool down. I collected about 290g sardine paste. Set aside.

Bread dough

120g whole milk 全脂牛奶

15g condensed milk 炼乳

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast 即发酵母粉

180g bread flour 高筋面粉

20g top flour 低筋面粉

30g fine sugar 细糖

20g beaten egg 蛋液

1/4 tsp salt 盐

30g unsalted butter 无盐奶油

Some beaten egg for glazing 蛋液

Directions

1. If you are using fridge-cold milk, you can warm the whole milk and condensed milk in rice cooker for 10 minutes.

Or, you can leave them in room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Sprinkle yeast over the surface of the warm milk without stirring it. Let it stand for about 10 minutes till foamy.

The temperature of the warm milk should not exceed 38 degree Celsius.

3. Mix all the remaining ingredients, except milk and butter, in a mixing bowl. 

4. Slowly add in the yeast milk mixture and stir in one direction till it become a lump. Cover and let the dough rest for about 20 minutes. This is to allow the flour to fully absorb the liquid.

5. As the dough is quite sticky, wearing a pair of CPE disposable gloves would make kneading easier. Knead the dough by slamming, pulling, and folding the dough, until the dough becomes smooth. This process takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Spread out the dough and apply softened butter. Knead to incorporate butter into the dough.

7. Continue to knead till you can stretch out the dough into a thin membrane. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling down the sides several times, till the dough surface is stretched and smooth, and seal at the bottom. 

9. Spray some water over the dough, cover with a lid and let it proof for about 60 minutes.

10. At the end of proofing, turn out the dough onto a floured surface and flatten the dough with your palm.

11. Divide the dough into 11 equal portions.

12. Roll up the dough. 

Shape the dough into a ball by pulling down the sides of the dough several times till the surface is tight and smooth, and seal at the bottom. 

Coat with some flour.

13. Place the doughs back to the mixing bowl and cover with a lid. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.

14. After the 10-minute rest, take a dough ball and roll it out with the centre thicker than the edge.

Flip over so the smoother side will be facing out when wrap.

15. Place a spoonful of sardine paste in the middle and wrap up the dough.

16. Invert the bun dough with the sealed end facing down. Place the bun dough in a paper casing and arrange on a baking tray.

Spray a few pumps of water over the surface. Start the timer for the final proofing, which takes about 40 minutes.

Optional: you may doodle on the bun using diluted dark soya sauce.

17. Place the tray of dough buns into a closed oven to complete the final proofing.

18. When the proofing time is up, remove the tray of buns from the oven, and start preheating the oven to 170 degree Celsius for 10 minutes. 

19. Brush the bun surface with beaten egg wash.

20. Bake the bun at 170 degree Celsius for about 18 to 20 minutes, or till the surface turns golden.

21. Allow the buns to cool down on a cooling rack.

22. Serve and enjoy :) 

Keep the unconsumed buns in the fridge for overnight keeping :)