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With a crunchy crust and a fluffy springy bread, Hong Kong style pineapple buns give you the best of both worlds.

Hong Kong Style Pineapple Buns

With that signature flakey, buttery crust on top, this Hong Kong style pineapple bun is one of the most popular Hong Kong buns at all times! With a crunchy crust and a fluffy springy bread, this bun gives you the best of both worlds.
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Prep Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Hong Kong
Servings 6 buns

Equipment

  • 1 Kitchen machine for the bread dough
  • 1 Electronic scale
  • 1 Dough scraper
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Mixer bowl for the bun crust
  • 1 Silicone baking mat chopping board works well too

Ingredients
  

For the Tangzhong

  • 17 g bread flour
  • 85 g water

For the bun crust

  • 60 g cake flour
  • 1½ g baking powder
  • 30 g sugar
  • 12-13 g beaten egg mixture
  • 30 g unsalted butter

For the bread dough

  • 250 g bread flour
  • 30 g sugar
  • 3 g salt
  • 40 g beaten egg misture
  • 1 tsp instant dry yeast
  • 84 g Tangzhong
  • 21 g unsalted butter
  • 88 ml milk

For egg wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions
 

Prepare Tangzhong

  • In a small pot, whisk to combine bread flour and water. Heat the mixture over low heat and stir constantly until it thickens. 
  • Transfer the Tangzhong to a bowl and wrap it with cling film. Make sure the cling film sticks to the surface of Tangzhong to keep its moisture. Chill in the fridge to let cool.

Prepare the bread dough

  • In a kitchen machine mixer bowl, add in bread flour, salt, sugar, instant dry yeast, beaten egg mixture, Tangzhong, and milk, leaving the butter for later use.
  • Using the dough hook, knead the ingredients on low speed to slowly mix them together. Gradually increase the speed level, and continue to knead until it begins to form a ball (about 5 minutes). Do a windowpane test (see Note 1).
  • Add in butter, then continue kneading on medium-high speed for 8-10 minutes. Do another windowpane test to check if the dough is ready to rise (see Note 2).
  • Take the dough out and shape it to a ball. Transfer it back to the mixer bowl and cover with cling film or a damped towel.
  • Proof for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
  • During the 1st fermentation, prepare the pineapple bun crust.

Prepare the pineapple bun crust

  • In a mixer bowl, whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add in beaten egg mixture and mix to combine.
  • Add in cake flour, baking powder, and custard powder. Mix well. 
  • Use a spatula to scrap out the cookie dough and form it into a rectangular shape. Wrap the dough with cling film and chill it in the fridge.
  • After the 1st fermentation, check the bread dough to see if it has fully risen. 
  • Divide the bread dough into 9 pieces. Shape each piece in a ball, and do the 2nd fermentation (about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they double in size).

Assemble the pineapple buns

  • When the 2nd fermentation is nearly done, take out the cookie dough from the fridge and divide it into 9 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • After the 2nd proof, gently apply egg wash on the surface of the buns.
  • Use a bread scraper or your palm to gently press down on the cookie dough to flatten it.
  • Place it on top of each bun, then apply egg wash on the crust.
  • Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. 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!