Natural Yeast Yam-my Pumpkin Snow Bun 天然酵母雪中宝

This is a variation to my Halloween theme yam bun shared last week - no more ugly expression on the bun face. I have also increased the filling portion to make a more appetite-satisfying sweet bun.

A brief description of the soft bread - it is a lightly-baked milk bun filled with soft creamy sweetened yam paste and a pumpkin chunk that resembles a gem ^^

More efforts, in terms of adding natural yeast, being hand kneaded, and undergoing overnight cold fermentation, have been put into producing buns. When I bit into the buns, it was all worth it :)

Filling

Yield: 285g sweet yam paste

65g steamed pumpkin chunks 

Ingredients

210 ~220g peeled yam
55~65g peeled Japanese Kabocha pumpkin
1 pandan leaf
55g raw sugar
20g unsalted butter
10g coconut cream powder

Directions

1.  Cut yam into chunks, and divide pumpkin into 9 chunks.

2. Steam at high heat, with pandan leaf, for about 20 minutes, or till soften.

3. Discard the pandan leaf. Set aside the steamed pumpkin chunks, and mash the yam chunks into paste.  Blend in the raw sugar, unsalted butter and coconut cream powder.

4. Cover and refrigerate till needed.

Bread dough

Raw dough weight: 459g

Yield: 9 buns

Ingredients

185g bread flour
20g top/cake four
30g fine sugar
2g fine salt, about 1/4 tsp
20g beaten egg

80g natural yeast, 100% hydration*
90g whole milk
20g condensed milk

20g unsalted butter, softened

Click here to view growing natural yeasts using grapes.

* replace 80g of natural yeast by 40g water + 40g bread flour + 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

Directions

1. Feed natural yeast and use it within 3 hours after feeding.

2. Mix all the ingredients, except the unsalted butter, following the sequence listed.

Stir in one direction till all the ingredients combine into a dough that pulls away from the wall.

Cover and let it stand for about 20 minutes to allow the flour to absorb liquid.

3. Knead the dough into a smooth dough.
Click here for steps in kneading dough by hands.

Shape into a ball.

4. Keep the dough into a plastic bag spray with a little oil. Squeeze out most of the air in the bag and tie a loose knot at the end.

Let the dough stand in room temperature for about 1 hour.

5. Double protect the dough with another plastic bag, place in big mixing bowl, cover with a lid, and keep in the fridge for overnight proofing.

I let the dough proofed for about 20 hours.

6. On the next morning, take out the dough, invert it, and let it returns to room temperature for about 60 to 90 minutes.

7. While waiting for the dough to thaw, divide the sweet yam paste into 9 equal portions, about 31g each. Wrap a steamed pumpkin chunks into the yam ball.

Cover and set aside.

8. Turn the dough onto a floured work top. 

Deflate the dough and divide it into 9 portions.

9. Roll the dough into balls, cover and rest for about 15 minutes.

10. Roll the milk dough into a flat dough.

Flip over and place the yam ball from step 7 onto the dough.

Wrap up the milk dough to conceal the yam ball.

Face the sealed end down, and shape the dough into an oval shape.

11. Arrange the doughs on a lightly floured, non-stick baking sheet.

12. Spray some water over the tops, and proof in a closed, warm oven.

 I switched on 50 degree Celsius for 1 minute and off it.

Let the dough proof for about 90 minutes, or till the dough double in size.

13. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius. Sift some flour over the dough surface.

14. After transferring the dough into the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C and bake for 10 minutes.

Further reduce the temperature to 150°C and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, or till the top going to brown slightly.

15. Let the buns cool down slightly on a wire rack before enjoying. Best serve warm 😋