They say this is Chow Yun-fat’s favorite pineapple bun with butter! Super detailed bread-making video you’ll regret missing!
Nowadays many Hong Kong-style cafés innovate by putting egg, tomato and butter into pineapple buns, calling it tomato-and-egg pineapple bun with butter. One day I watched a mukbang food blogger who introduced a café that named this tomato-and-egg pineapple bun “Chow Yun-fat’s Favorite Pineapple Bun with Butter.” I made “Chow Yun-fat’s Favorite Pineapple Bun with Butter,” and my husband said it was delicious. The mix of sweet and savory flavors really worked, so it looks like it’s not only Chow Yun-fat’s favorite, but also my husband’s favorite pineapple bun with butter!
Ingredients
Steps
Use the delayed fat method to knead the dough until it reaches about 90% gluten development. Please refer to the video for the kneading method.
Keep the finished dough temperature at 24–26°C.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, then let it proof at 26–28°C with 70% humidity for about 1 hour.
Proof until the dough doubles in size. Dip a finger in flour and press into the dough; if it springs back slightly and the indentation remains, it’s ready. If it springs back quickly, keep proofing. If it doesn’t spring back at all or collapses, it’s over-proofed.
After the first proof, do not degas. Turn the dough out and divide evenly into 8 portions. Round each piece, cover, and let relax for 30 minutes. If room temperature is low (below 22°C), let it rest somewhere warm at 26–28°C; otherwise you’ll need to extend the resting time.
After relaxing, the dough pieces will become larger. Dip a finger in flour and press into the dough; if it springs back slightly and the indentation remains, the relaxation is sufficient. If it springs back quickly, rest longer. If it doesn’t spring back or collapses, it’s over-proofed.
Once relaxed, shape the dough. First gently flatten each piece.
Flip over, fold in half, and pat gently again.
Rotate 90 degrees, fold in half again, and pat gently once more.
Round the dough, pinching the seam tightly at the bottom. Place on a baking tray.
Proof at 30–35°C with 80% humidity for about 1 hour. If the temperature is low, lengthen the proofing time; if it’s high, shorten the time.
While the dough is proofing, make the pineapple-crust topping.
Mix the softened butter and sugar until well combined.
Add the egg yolk and mix well.
Sift in the cake flour, milk powder, and baking soda.
Pour in the heavy cream.
Bring together into a dough and divide evenly into 8 portions. Cover to prevent drying.
Proof the dough until it doubles in size. Dip a finger in flour and press into the dough; if it springs back slightly and the indentation remains, it’s ready. If it springs back quickly, continue proofing. If it doesn’t spring back or collapses, it’s over-proofed.
Preheat the oven now: top heat 210°C, bottom heat 180°C, for 15 minutes. Brush the dough surface with beaten whole egg. It must be whole egg—this time I used just egg white because I had some leftover, but I feel the result isn’t as good as when I used whole egg the day before. Brushing a layer of egg wash helps the pineapple crust adhere firmly to the dough so it doesn’t fall off after baking.
Place a piece of pineapple-crust dough on a plastic bag (cut open), cover with another piece of plastic, and roll it into a round sheet. Gently peel off the top plastic. If the crust dough is a bit sticky, lightly dust with a thin layer of cake flour.
Place the crust over the proofed dough.
Brush with egg yolk wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 2 g water).
When the oven has finished preheating, place the tray on the lower-middle rack. My oven has many rack levels so I use the second from the bottom; if your oven has fewer levels, just use the lower-middle rack. Bake at top heat 210°C, bottom heat 180°C for 12–13 minutes.
Remove from the oven immediately after baking, tap the tray to release steam, and place the buns on a cooling rack.
Once the bread is cool, bag them individually. If you’ll finish them within 3 days, just keep at room temperature. If not, store in the freezer. They keep for 1 month frozen. I’ve found that baking bread really goes through a lot of plastic bags!
Before eating, take them out in advance to thaw. I usually take them out the night before and leave them at room temperature; they’re ready to eat the next morning. If you like them cold, just eat as is. For a warm bun, slice it open—or not, either way is fine.
Bake in a preheated oven at 230°C for 3–5 minutes. Make sure to preheat the oven first.
Add a slice of butter and it becomes a classic pineapple bun with butter.
Add a fried egg, tomato, and butter, and you have “Chow Yun-fat’s Favorite Pineapple Bun with Butter.”
Actually, I don’t really recommend freezing pineapple buns. Since this recipe makes only 8, the two of us finish them in about two days. This kind of sweet bread is very popular and rarely lasts to the third day.