Char Siew Bun (Water Roux Method) 汤种叉烧面包

Good char siew bun 叉烧面包 which is optimally seasoned (i.e. not too sweet nor salty), and with finely diced meat chunks, is hard to come by. I do not fancy char siew bun filling which appears in artificial orange or red colour. By preparing the bun's filling yourself, then you will see the true char siew colour - not so bright in colour actually 😊

Yield: 6 buns
Raw dough weight: 390g
Bread maker: Mayer MMBM12

Char Siew Filling

208g Char Siew filling

This is an estimated quantity of ingredients made up the filling:

Ingredients
160~180g char siew/roasted honey pork, cut into small pieces

40g char siew gravy given by the seller

Or, prepare the sauce yourself

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp onion crisp

Sauce ingredients
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp raw sugar
15ml water
1 to 2 tsp rock sugar

To be added later
2g glutinous rice flour mixed with about 30~40ml water

1 tbsp chopped green coriander

Directions

1. Collect the char siew sauce in a bowl, and cut char siew/roasted honey pork into small cubes. If you do not have char siew sauce, just combine the sauce ingredients, except the glutinous rice flour water and chopped green coriander,  together in a bowl.

2. Heat about 2 tsp of olive oil with about 1 tsp of fried onion crisps in a pot or pan till fragrant.

2. Pour in the char siew sauce, 15ml water,

and rock sugar. Bring the sauce into a light boil, and till the rock sugar dissolved in the sauce.

3. Add in the char siew cubes and mix well.

4. Push the ingredients to the edge of the pot, and create a well in the center, pour the glutinous rice water into the well. Wait for the glutinous rice water to turn from opaque to translucent before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.

Turn off the heat and let the meat cool down for about 5 minutes.

5. Finally, mix in the chopped green coriander leaves when the meat has cooled down slightly.

6. Transfer the char siew filling to a bowl and cool down completely before storing in the fridge.

Water Roux
12g bread flour
60g water

Dough Ingredients

50g cold milk
30g cold water
10g condensed milk
60g water roux
25g raw sugar
2g fine salt

180g bread flour
10g superfine wholegrain flour
2g instant dry yeast

To be added when the countdown timer reads "1:17"
20g unsalted butter, cold

Directions

1. Mix 12g of bread flour with 60g of water. Heat over medium low temperature till the mixture thickens. Collect 60g of the water roux for use and discard the remaining. Let the water roux cool down slightly before use (about 15 minutes).

2. Add all ingredients, except the cold unsalted butter, into the bread maker. Select "C-11 Ferment Dough" and start the program.  At about 13th minute ( or when the countdown timer reads "1:17") into kneading, dispense 20g of cold unsalted butter to the kneading dough.

3. After the program stops, let the dough stays in the pan for about 15 minutes more.

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured work top. Deflate the dough and divide it into 6 portions, about 65g each.

Shape the dough into 6 balls, cover and let them rest for about 15 minutes.

5. Take a dough ball and roll it into a flat round shape with the center thicker than the edge.

Place a scoop of char siew fillilng, about 33g, in the centre.

Wrap up, pinch to seal, and shape into a ball.

And place the stuffed dough balls onto a non-stick baking pan.

Spray some water over, cover and let them rest for about 60 to 80 minutes.

6. When the dough balls have expanded to about double in size, start to pre-heat the oven to 180℃ for about 10 minutes.

7. After sending the stuffed doughs into the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 170℃ and let the buns bake for about 10 minute. Further reduce to 160℃ and bake for about 10 minutes, then 150℃ for 3 minutes, or till the top becomes lightly tanned. Bake at lower rack of the oven.

8. Remove the hot buns from the oven, and let them cool down over the wire rack till warm/cool.

Enjoy the buns warm 😋