Steamed chocolate buns

Inspired by traditional bao, these steamed buns are filled with chocolate custard.

Steamed chocolate bao Credit: The Chocolate Queen

• makes

  12

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Chocolate custard

• 145 ml full cream milk
• 1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 35 g caster sugar
• 1¼ tsp corn flour
• 2 egg yolk
• 100 g good quality milk couverture chocolate
• 15 g butter, softened

Chocolate bao

• 340 g plain flour
• 20 g Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 20 g skim milk powder
• 50 g caster sugar
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 6 g instant yeast
• 200 ml water, lukewarm
• 35 ml vegetable oil

Rising time: 105-120 minutes total.

Instructions

1. For the custard: Place the milk and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil on high heat, induction setting 8.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and corn flour in a bowl. Add the egg yolk to the sugar mixture and whisk to form a slurry.
3. Slowly add the hot milk to the slurry while whisking.
4. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to the boil on medium heat, induction setting 6, while gently whisking.
5. Pour the custard over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has completely melted and combined.
6. Lastly, add the softened butter and whisk to incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and place into the refrigerator to cool.
7. For the bao: Place the flour, cocoa powder, skim milk powder, sugar, baking powder and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed while adding the lukewarm water followed by the vegetable oil.
8. Once the mixture has come together, increase to medium-high speed, and continue mixing for 8 minutes.
9. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and prove at room temperature for 75-90 minutes, until doubled in size.
10. Once doubled in size, gently knock back the dough then roll out to a log approximately 50mm in thickness.
11. Cut 50g portions out of the dough and gently roll the dough between the palm of your hand and the workbench to form a ball. Place each ball onto a small square of baking paper and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to prove at room temperature for a further 30 minutes, until the dough puffs slightly and springs back slightly when gently pressed.
12. Place the bao into a perforated steam container and into the steam oven. Steam at 100°C for 15 minutes. Alternatively, if you do not have a steam oven, they can be steamed in a bamboo basket over a saucepan of boiling water.
13. Remove the baking paper from the base of the bun.
14. Fill a piping bag with the prepared chocolate custard and pipe into the base of the bun. Serve buns with any leftover custard on the side.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.