Green Tea Pineapple Buns
A Chinese-Japanese Fusion Dessert
The idea for pineapple buns came from Hong Kong-style bread. Its predecessor was the baked char siu bao, upon which a pineapple crust was placed. Later, dim sum chefs borrowed from Chinese cuisine and used pineapples to make a filling. In recent years, Japanese green tea (matcha) has become a popular ingredient. Thus, the green tea pineapple bun is a new creation that combines Chinese and Japanese cuisine.
Master Chef's Corner
If you're making many buns at once, use a latticed grid mold to form the crust to save time. Ripe pineapple is sweet. It should not have a sour, astringent taste. If the pineapple you bought is not ripe, simply give it time to ripen. This will make the pineapple buns taste better.
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Ingredients
- 1.98 pounds (900 grams) bun dough (see The Basics of Making Dough)
- 2 eggs, beaten (for brushing on the buns)
Crust Dough
- 2 ⅓ cups (300 grams) flour
- 0.67 ounce (19 grams) matcha powder
- 3.31 ounces (94 grams) butter
- 0.67 ounce (19 grams) custard powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- 2.64 ounces (75 grams) lard
- 0.67 ounces (19 grams) powdered milk
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
- 1/2 egg
Pineapple filling
- 1.98 pounds (900 grams) fresh, ripe pineapple
- 6.63 ounces (188 grams) instant custard powder
Please see measurements in grams to be more exact for all ingredients and seasonings.
Cooking Directions
How to make pineapple filling
- Peel pineapple and remove core. Dice. Press out water, then mix with instant custard powder.
How to make crust dough
- Crust dough: Mix flour, matcha, powdered milk, and custard powder together to form a powder mixture. Separately, mix sugar and baking soda. Then mix in lard and butter. Then mix in egg. Mix this all with the powder mixture and knead into a dough.
How to assemble a perfect green tea pineapple bun
- Divide bun dough into 39 parts approximately 0.81 ounce (23 grams) each. Using rolling pin to press them into thin wrappers 2 inches in diameter and 4 millimeters thick. Add 0.67-ounce filling to wrapper and form into bun with the opening at the bottom. Place on parchment paper on baking tray and let ferment for 1 hour. Brush beaten egg on buns.
- Form crust dough from step 2 into balls approximately 0.28 ounce (8 grams) each. Use rolling pin to press into thin, circular skins. Lay this over the bun completed in step 3. Use a small piece of bamboo to etch lattice patterns on the crust.
Bake green tea pineapple buns
- Preheat oven until 392°F (200°C). Place buns in oven. Bake for 4 min. Lower heat to 248°F (120°C) and bake for another 3 min. Serve.