I was floored that these came out so well. I had several moments where I was sure I messed up the dough, including yeast that didn't ferment in milk causing me to borrow milk from a neighbor during the storm, and not having a stand mixer so not being sure how long to mix the dough by hand. These tasted WAY better than any one I've had in a Chinese bakery, which also really surprised me! This is partly due to her famous milkbread recipe, which is soft and pillowy and just slightly sweet. Overall, these made 8 craveable and super fun rolls, and I had been anticipating they wouldn't be so good but here we all are trapped in the house together...
I did a few things differently than her recipe- I used a shrimp flavored furikake because I like the way pork and shrimp go together (in the end I couldn't taste the shrimp but everything blended so well!). I also had some leftover fried garlic and onion from an Indonesian recipe so sprinkle that on top as well with the sesame seeds- definitely a great addition.
I can't say enough about what a surprise hit these were, so savory and sweet and the dough was just soft and pillowy and comforting. I would definitely make these again, for when more people were in the house... I also loved the freeze and reheat instructions! FYI, this recipe takes about 5-5.5 hours to complete from start to finish.
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup milk, divided (I had to use half and half here since my first batch didn't ferment and it was fine)
2 tbsp plus 2 2/3 bread flour, divided, plus some for flouring surface
1 tsp active dry yeast
A pinch plus 1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp diamond crystal or 1/4 tsp morton kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
1 tsp vegetable oil
Filling/Assembly:
1/2 cup Kewpie mayo
1 cup pork floss
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tbsp furikake
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk or heavy cream
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
(I also added 2 tsp fried garlic and onion bits)
Directions:
1. Cook 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp bread flour in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly until thickened into a paste 2-3 min (mine never did so I added a bit more flour). Transfer this mixture, called tangzhong, to a small bowl and let sit until warm (should resemble mashed potatoes), 5-10 min.
2. Bring remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk to a gentle rolling simmer over medium heat. Pour milk into a small bowl and let cool until warm to the touch (110 degrees). Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit until foamy, 5-10 min. (I had to sprinkle and stir the yeast in as my first batch clumped).
3. Combine egg, salt, remaining 2 2/3 cup bread flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer w dough hook. Add in tangzhong and yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Add 1 piece of butter at at time, mixing until incorporated, then increase speed to medium high until dough is tacky and slightly sticky about 8-10 min. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, wet hands and form into a ball. (I just used my hands for all of these steps until it formed a tight ball and was a bit sticky).
4. Coat a large bowl with oil and turn the dough until all sides are covered in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm draft free spot for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
5. Roll dough on a floured surface to 18x10". Spread mayo over dough, then sprinkle pork floss, scallions, and furikake. Roll it up lengthwise into a tight log and pinch the ends and remove. Turning log seam side down, cut into 8 equal pieces.
6. Coat a 10" diameter cake pan with cooking spray, arrange rolls leaving a small gap between each one. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours in a warm draft free place.
7. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk egg and 1 tbsp milk/cream in a bowl and lightly brush the tops with this mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the tops (and garlic/onions if using).
8. Bake for 28 min until golden brown (I needed maybe another 3). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool in pan until warm.
9. If storing, chill in airtight container in fridge (warm at 300 degrees until warmed through about 5 min or 30-45 sec in microwave) or freezer (bake 350 for 10-15 min).
