Beautiful Ube Bao Buns
You are going to love the sweet, steamed bun carrying purple love. Friends and family will love these beautiful ube bao buns too. You've been warned.
Equipment
- Steamer
- Wax paper
Ingredients
*Yeast Activation (see notes if using Rapid Rise/Instant Yeast)
- 1 packet active dry yeast see notes if using Rapid Rise Instant Yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbs sugar
- 1 cup warm water 180° (too hot will kill the yeast)
Bao Dough
- 2½ cups bleached cake flour
- 5 Tbs granulated white sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbs milk powder
- 1½ Tbs coconut oil
Ube Halaya/Ube Jam
- 1 package frozen grated purple yam (16oz) defrosted
- 1 package frozen coconut milk (16oz) defrosted
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 9 oz heavy whipping cream
- canola oil enough to grease the pan
- 1 tsp McCormick Ube Flavor at most. can be less
Latik Topping
- 1 can coconut cream 6.5 floz
Instructions
Latik Topping
- Pour Coconut Cream in a non-stick sauce pan or pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir occasionally until fully reduced to golden brown crumbles. Don't over stir or your crumbles or will they will break into tiny crumbs.
Ube Halaya/Ube Jam
- Combine yams and coconut milk into sauce pan then turn on heat to medium.
- Add butter, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream.
- Add sugar and mix well.
- Reduce heat to low after butter has melted.
- Scrape and Stir constantly for 30-45 minutes. ***Important pattern for 45 minutes is let it boil, scrape and stir, for 2 minutes, let it boil, scrape and stir for 2 minutes...etc. for 45 mins total.
- Turn off your heat, now assess if you want more Ube color. Add a couple of drops at a time and mix well. Cool to room temperature
- If you are making a mold, grease your mold and pour your mixture into the mold and refrigerate until firm. When ready to eat, release the sides and flip onto a dish.
*Yeast Activation (see notes if using Rapid Rise/Instant Yeast)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, sugar, and salt. Mix until the yeast is dissolved. The yeast is activated when it starts to bubble.
Bao Dough
- In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients, milk powder, sugar and salt. Form a well in the center of the ingredients.
- Slowly pour a third of activated yeast, at a time, with dry ingredients in the center of the well and mix. Mix well for 10 minutes.
- Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.
- Add coconut oil, mix for 5 minutes.
- Form a mound, cover and rest until it doubles in size (1½ to 2 hours).
- Poke hole in center of dough to release gas, dough should not deflate.
- On a floured surface, continue releasing the gas by kneading the dough.
- Roll the dough to stretch, and cut into equal parts. 8 for big boa, 10 or 12 for smaller size baos.
- Cover cut pieces with plastic wrap to keep from drying out.
- Roll out a pieces in a circle shape, be sure to leave a little thickness in the center.
- With floured hands, place dough in one hand add Ube Halaya/Ube Jam filling and pinch the sides closed and place on a wax paper seam side down in a steamer tray. Seam side up if you created a fancy seam.
- Roll top of bun on Latik for coating.
Steam
- Boil water, place trays on and steam for 12-15 minutes, depending on size.
Notes
Skip, Yeast Activation, if using Instant/Rapid Rise Yeast. Just add instant/rapid rise yeast with dry ingredients.
There will be plenty of Ube Halaya left to enjoy. This recipe makes approx. 4 cups of Halaya.
A standing mixer with a dough attachment can be used but the amount of dough is not too much to mix by hand.
Kneading releases gases and creates gluten, be sure to thoroughly knead but not over knead your dough.
To achieve the correct dough consistency, slowly add liquids in intervals. Depending on your accuracy when measuring out flour, amount of liquid can vary. (ex. the right consistency, might be less than a cup of water).
It is easier to achieve the right dough consistency when adding water versus trying to adjust by adding flour.