Sweets and drinksBaked GoodsVietnamAbout 1 hour for the first rise, 30 to 60 minutes for the second, 20 to 25 minutes baking
These sweet buns wrap a bright green coconut custard inside a soft, airy crumb, and a cut bun shows the spiral clearly. The dough starts from a cooked flour paste, which keeps the crumb moist enough to stay soft the next day.
The tricky part is kneading far enough to pass the windowpane test, since underworked dough rises poorly and bakes dense. The filling needs low heat and a light hand with the whisk, because high heat scrambles the egg into little lumps. A common problem is over proofing, which gives the dough a boozy smell and a sour bun.
This batch weighs about 1kg, at roughly 253 calories per 100g.
Method
Put 25g bread flour, 60ml coconut milk and 60ml water in a pot and stir over the heat until thick to make the flour paste, then let it cool.
Combine 350g bread flour, 10g yeast, 5g salt, 49.5g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and the cooled flour paste in a bowl. Add 120ml coconut milk and knead well until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands.
Cover the bowl tightly and let the dough rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.
Make the filling. Warm 128ml coconut milk over low heat without stirring. Whisk 1 egg yolk with 25.2g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 10g cornstarch until pale, then pour in the hot coconut milk.
Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring gently. Once it thickens, add 14g unsalted butter, 5g salt and 5ml pandan paste. Pour it into a bowl and fold through 25g dried coconut.
When the dough passes the windowpane test, divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a rectangle, spoon the filling down the middle and roll it up.
Arrange the rolls in a tin and let them rise a second time for 30 to 60 minutes.
Beat 1 chicken egg and brush it over the tops. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Turn the baked buns out of the tin and brush 15ml honey over the tops for shine.
Tips
Instant yeast goes straight into the dry flour, while traditional active dry yeast needs a little warm water first.
A boozy or sour smell in the dough points to too much yeast, undissolved yeast or too long a rise.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so mix it into the dry flour rather than pouring it straight into the coconut milk.
A crust made with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend stays pale on its own, so an even and generous egg wash is what gives the tops their golden color.
Honey is still sugar, so a thin brushed layer is plenty. A thick one leaves the buns tacky.
The filling has to be completely cool before rolling, since warm filling melts the dough and splits the seam.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.