Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns)
A recipe for a Chinese bakery classic: Soft and sweet coconut-filled buns that will keep you coming back for more.
Servings 12
Calories 322kcal
Ingredients
Coconut Filling:
- 100 g dried coconut flakes
- 80 g beaten egg
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter room temp
- ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Matcha variation:
- 20 g matcha
Bun Dough:
Tangzhong:
- 25 g bread flour (or all-purpose)
- 120 ml water
Dough:
- 120 ml coconut milk or whole milk, warmed
- 5 g active dry yeast
- 330 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g granulated cane sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg + extra for egg wash
- 40 ml avocado oil or vegetable oil
Butter Topping:
- 35 g salted butter room temp
- 25 g cake flour
- 15 g powdered sugar
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Sugar Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar
Instructions
Make the coconut filling:
- Add the coconut flakes to a coffee grinder and blitz a few times, until it's ground up. (Be careful not to over pulse).
- Combine the coconut flakes with the beaten egg, sugar, butter, coconut and vanilla extract.
- If making a matcha version: add matcha powder to the coconut flakes, egg, sugar, butter, coconut and vanilla extract.
- Give the mixture a stir to combine, and then cover with a lid.
- Place into the fridge to firm up, about 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the filling into 12 equal portions.
Make the bun dough:
- First, make the tangzhong by combining 25g flour and 120ml water in a small saucepan.
- Bring a low simmer over medium heat and constantly whisk until the mixture becomes gluey and paste-like.
- Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl, combine the warm coconut milk with the active dry yeast and let it foam up and become bubbly.
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, egg, oil, tangzhong and the yeast mixture and knead until the dough becomes shiny and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it double in size in a warm location.
Make the butter topping:
- Combine the butter, cake flour, and powdered sugar in a small bowl and give it a mix.
- Transfer the mixture into a small piping bag, fitted with a round tip.
- Place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes if the butter mixture oozes a bit and is too warm.
- Note: If you don’t have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter, just add a little pinch of salt.
Assemble the buns:
- Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
- Roll the dough out into a long oval about 6″ in length and 2″ wide.
- Place a portion of coconut filling along the centre of the dough, leaving a small border on each side.
- Pinch the long edge seam together and tuck in the ends.
- Place the buns seam-side down on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat with the remainder.
- Cover the buns with a slightly damp cloth and let them rise in a warm location, until slightly puffy.
Bake the buns:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Once the buns have risen, make an egg wash by beating 1 egg in a small bowl.
- Lightly brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Squeeze two “lines” of butter topping (about 1″ from both the top and bottom edges) on the buns.
- Bake the buns at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden in colour.
Make the sugar glaze:
- Combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Remove the buns from the oven and use a clean pastry brush to brush the top of each bun with the sugar glaze.
- Turn off the oven and pop the buns back into the oven for 1-2 minutes to set the sugar glaze.
- Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool.
- Enjoy the freshly made buns.
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg