Imagine biting into a warm, freshly baked sesame bread roll, with its fragrant sesame seeds adding a nutty flavour and a satisfying crunch with every bite. These golden-brown sesame bread rolls (芝麻豬仔包) have soft, chewy, and springy interior encased in a sesame-studded crust. Unlike other Hong Kong sweet buns, like pineapple buns or soft milk buns, sesame bread rolls have a salty, savoury flavour with aromatic sesame seeds on top, adding crunchiness and bringing the flavour to the next level!
With this easy-to-follow recipe, you can recreate the magic of Hong Kong’s beloved sesame bread rolls right in your own home. So get ready to savour the taste of Hong Kong with every bite of these delectable sesame bread rolls.
Table of contents
Ingredients for Hong Kong sesame bread rolls (芝麻豬仔包)
- Bread flour: This produces baked goods with more structure and a chewy texture.
- Yeast: A leavening agent that allows the bread dough to rise with a light and airy texture.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavours of all ingredients, and strengthens the dough.
- Sugar: This activates the yeast that puffs up the dough and contributes to the sweetness of the bread.
- Whole milk powder: Using milk powder allows the dough to rise higher and yields a softer texture of the bread, creating an added level of tenderness. It also gives the bread a more milky taste.
- Water: Since I’ve used milk powder instead of full fat milk for this recipe, water is added to compensate for the lack of water content in milk powder, giving the dough enough hydration for fermentation.
- Egg: This helps weaken the gluten formation to yield a softer dough and a more springy bread crumb.
- Unsalted butter: Gives a buttery flavour to the bread and tenderises the bread dough to yield a soft and fluffy crumb.
How to make Hong Kong sesame bread rolls (芝麻豬仔包)
- Combine all the ingredients in a mixer bowl, leaving the butter for later use.
- Using a dough hook, knead the dough in the kitchen machine for around 5-8 minutes. Do a windowpane test (see tips below).
- Add in butter, then continue kneading for 12-15 minutes. Do a windowpane test again (see tips below).
- Shape the dough into a ball and divide into 6 pieces.
- Pat the dough to form a rectangular shape, roll it up, then gently roll one end to form a pointy tip. The dough will look like a cone shape. Repeat for the other pieces.
- Lightly grease the dough pieces with oil or melted butter on both sides, and proof them for 35-40 minutes.
- After the first proof, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough, then roll up the dough from the wider end. The tip on the other end should be at the bottom of the bread rolls.
- Proof for the second time for 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Gently brush the rolls with egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds generously on top, and bake at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Success tips for making Hong Kong sesame bread rolls (芝麻豬仔包)
Do windowpane tests.
I normally perform a windowpane test twice during the kneading process before proofing the dough to ensure the gluten has been well developed. The test is to verify whether the dough is strong and elastic enough to hold the bubbles as it rises, and stretch even more when it is baked in the oven.
I do a test before adding in butter by pulling out a small piece and stretching it out gently. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point, and as it tears apart, the holes should have rough edges.
For the second test (performed after kneading the dough with butter added), the dough should be more easily stretched out without breaking. You could use a finger to poke a hole and this time, the hole should be smooth without rough edges. This means the dough is ready to rise!
Lightly dust the working table with flour to avoid sticking.
For easier shaping, you can lightly dust the working table, and your hands, with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
How to store the buns and how long will they last?
Store the purple sweet potato buns in a food bag in the kitchen. They will last for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Can I use milk instead of water?
Yes, that’ll be fine! Using milk instead of water will make the bread rolls sweeter. You can even opt out the milk powder if you’re using milk to make the bread dough.
These Hong Kong sesame bread rolls are a perfect balance of softness and crunch, making them a delightful treat for any time of day. Whether enjoyed on its own, paired with a cup of tea, or used as a delicious sandwich base, these sesame bread rolls are sure to become a favourite in your kitchen!
Other bread recipes
I’d love to hear about your experience making my recipes! If you’ve tried this Hong Kong Sesame Bread Rolls (芝麻豬仔包) recipe or any other recipe on HomeCookJournal, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Feel free to take snapshots of your experience with my recipes and share them on Instagram so I can repost on stories! And if you have any other foods you’d like to make, please feel free to comment as well!
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get updates on any new recipes!
Hong Kong Sesame Bread Rolls (芝麻豬仔包)
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen machine
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 300 g bread flour
- 30 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 g whole milk powder
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 150 g water
- 30 g unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- oil (for greasing the dough)
For the egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl, combine all ingredients, except butter (for later use), for the bread dough together. Gently mix on low speed in the kitchen machine.
- Gradually increase the speed and mix until the dough begins to form a ball (about 5-8 minutes). Do a windowpane test (see Note 1).
- Add in unsalted butter, and mix for another 12-15 minutes. Tip: use unsalted butter softened at room temperature for better incorporation.
- Do another windowpane test to check if the gluten network has been well formed (see Note 2).
- Take out the dough and shape it into a ball. Divide into 6 pieces.
- Pat to flatten and form into a rectangular shape, roll it up, then roll out one end to form a pointy tip. The dough will look like a cone shape.
- Repeat for the other dough pieces.
- Lightly grease the dough pieces with oil or melted butter on both sides.
- Proof for 35-40 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten and roll out the dough. From the wider end, roll up the dough. The pointy end should be at the bottom of the bread roll.
- Proof for the 2nd time for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Brush the rolls with egg wash, then sprinkle sesame seeds generously on top
- Bake at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Do a test before adding in butter by pulling out a small piece and stretching it out gently. The dough should be slightly smooth and elastic at this point, but tears apart easily. And as it tears apart, the holes should have rough edges.
- For the second test, the dough should be more easily stretched out without breaking. You could use a finger to poke a hole and this time, the hole should be smooth without rough edges. This means the dough is ready to rise!