Tangzhong Cocktail Buns (湯種雞尾包)

Both pineapple buns and cocktail buns are my childhood favourite snacks that I grew up with. These two HongKong-style sweet buns are classics, typically soft and light. As for cocktail buns, the sweet buttery shredded coconut fillings make them more sensational and addictive.

As a tangzhong lover, I always love to add some tangzhong to make buns that can be kept soft for more days. So the other day, I prepared some tangzhong to make some soft buns, wrapped some fillings inside, popped them in the oven, cut one in half when finished baking, gave it to hubby to taste, and asked if it tasted like a cocktail bun. He commented it’s a real cocktail bun.

Tangzhong Cocktail Buns Recipe (Printable recipe)
By Christine's Recipes
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 180 mins
Yield: 8 buns

Ingredients of buns:

• 80 ml milk
• 35 gm whisked egg + plus more for egg wash
• 80 gm tangzhong (for method, please see below)
• 3 gm salt
• 35 gm sugar
• 5 gm milk powder
• 230 gm bread flour
• 4 gm instant yeast
• 20 gm butter, softened at room temperature

Fillings:

• 90 gm butter, softened at room temperature
• 40 gm caster sugar
• 25 gm cake flour
• 30 gm milk powder
• 45 gm desiccated coconut

Toppings:

• 35 gm cake flour
• 40 gm butter
• 20 gm caster sugar
• sesame seeds for sprinkling on top, to taste

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients (except the butter) into a bread machine, wet ingredients followed by the dry ingredients. (I use to make a well in the middle of flour and place yeast in it.)
2. Select the “dough” setting. Knead until all ingredients come together. Add the butter. Let the machine finish kneading. The dough should be smooth and elastic. It can be stretched to form a thin “membrane”. Let the dough sit inside the machine and finish the 1st round of proofing, double in size.
3. Transfer to a clean floured surface. Deflate and divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Knead into ball shapes. Cover with cling wrap, let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Wrap fillings (as above picture shown) . Transfer to a lined baking tray with seals facing down. Repeat this step with the remaining dough portions and fillings. Cover with a plastic wrap and let them proof for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Lightly brush whisked eggs on the surface of each dough. Pipe two lines of toppings and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Baked in a pre-heated oven at 180C / 356F, for about 13 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy !

How to make the fillings:

1. Combine the butter and sugar well. Stir in milk powder, cake flour and desiccated coconut.
2. Roll into a long tube. Divide into 8 equal portions. Set aside.

How to make the toppings:

1. Mix the softened butter with sugar well. Sift in the cake flour and combine well.
2. Transfer into a piping bag and cut away the tip. Pipe over the tops of buns after egg wash.

Notes：

• Please refer to this post for more details of tangzhong and how to make it. You can make the tangzhong well ahead and keep it in fridge for two or three days. Simply measure out the quantity yielded by the recipe when you’re ready to make buns.
• You can knead the dough by hand or a stand mixer. Beware that the tangzhong dough is quite wet and sticky. It needs more patience. That’s why I used a bread machine.
• When the buns are completely cooled down, they can be kept in an air-tight container for a few days at room temperature.