I developed this filling to combine two of our favorite ingredients and the result rivals the delicious original coconut filling that you find in Asian bakeries. It is sweet and slightly crunchy from the almonds balancing so well with the rich, sweet, moist dough that surrounds it. Try it warmed up with your morning tea or coffee.
The secret to this dough is the tangzhong, a cooked flour mixture that when added to the dough helps it to stay extraordinarily moist and gives it an unbeatable texture.
My girls love almonds so I developed this filling combo in their favorite Chinese bakery baked bao. They can't decide which they like better and luckily they don't have to choose.
Baked Almond Coconut Bao
Ingredients (makes 12 buns)
Tangzhong
6 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons unbleached bread flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Dough
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (or high performance bread flour - recommended)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
Filling
1 cup whole, raw almonds
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
2-3 Tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
4 Tablespoons coconut oil
Egg wash
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon honey
Garnish
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions
Make the tangzhong: Combine milk and flour in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan over low heat, and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until you get to a thick gravy consistency 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, stir until incorporated and set aside to cool.
Give the yeast a little head start. In a small bowl add the yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm water. Let sit to start blooming while you get your other ingredients together.
Make the dough: Fit mixer with the paddle attachment. In the mixing bowl add milk, flour, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, salt, tangzhong, and yeast mixture and mix 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and knead 1 minute. Add egg and continue kneading for an additional 8 minutes or until a smooth, elastic dough forms. If kneading by hand mix with a silicone spatula first until you get a shaggy looking dough then switch to kneading by hand. Do not worry if it feels sticky at first. Keep kneading allowing flour to absorb moisture. If it is too dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. If it is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. Dough should look smooth and feel like play dough.
Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest in a lightly greased covered bowl for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk. Your "off" oven is a good place.
While the dough is proofing, make the filling. Toast the almonds in a toaster oven or in oven at 325°F for about 5-7 minutes until almonds are just brown. Do not burn. Let it cool about 15 minutes then add to the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse to a rough chop. Add the coconut flakes and sugar and process until fine. Be careful not to over process or you'll turn the almonds into almond butter!
Transfer to a bowl and add coconut oil. Use a silicone spatula to mix together to form a paste. If the coconut oil is too solid soften in the microwave for a couple seconds. Don't worry if there are some loose bits as long as most of it kind of sticks together. It is ready to use. If you are not using right away, place in a zip top bag or an air tight container and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
After 60-90 minutes continue working on dough. Gently deflate the dough, divide it into 12 equal pieces.
Roll out each piece of dough into an oval about 3"x6" Add a heaping tablespoon of filling in in the middle and spread almost to the ends. Bring up the edges and ends and pinch to close. Place, seam side down, on a sheet tray lined with parchment or greased pan, and let rest for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffy.
In a small bowl mix the egg, water and honey with a fork until honey is dissolved.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes, and brush on some more egg wash. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown on top; a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the middle bun should read at least 190°F.
Remove the buns from the oven. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
redthreadkitchen.com is written for informational purposes only. Nutrition values could vary depending on slight differences in brands, substitutions, etc. Feel free to consult your preferred online nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
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