Pang Susi

Pang Susi?

Sounds like a catchy name, isn't it? ... but, what is it? From the book, Florence's Tan Best Nyonya Recipes, I can see that it is a bun...

Clueless? I was. Prior baking, I had Google around to see if anyone in our virtual world had baked pang Susi and saw that Wendy (Table for 2) and Jeannie (Baking Diary) had baked and love them very much...

Pang Susi is a Eurasian style soft bun made with a dough with mashed sweet potatoes. It is typically made with a meat filling spiced up with cinnamon, nutmeg and brandy being usually non-curried. As the liquid content in the dough is rich with egg and butter with least water, Pang Susi is sometimes describes as a cross between bread and pastry but I reckon the Pang Susi made with this recipe tastes more like a soft bread rather than a pastry. It can be adapted to a vegetarian version with potatoes or chickpeas filling.

Today, I'm baking mine with Florence Tan's recipe but adapting some changes that I have seen in Wendy's post with chicken mince and dark caramel sauce. At Wendy's post, I saw that a hint brandy can be added in the dough and so I did the same for a traditional kick. However, we can't really taste the brandy and I think that the brandy should be added into the filling instead.

Our verdict?

Man: Good!
Boy: Good!
Mum: Happy!!!

The bread dough is sweet, soft and tasty! The spiced chicken potato filling reminds me of the caramelised chicken potato dish that my grandmother used to cook for me. We love love love Pang Susi!!!

Thumbs up, obviously!!! Trust me, it is NOT the brandy that is making us loving these... LOL!

We love love love Pang Susi!!!

I like Florence Tan's Pang Susi recipe with the addition of potatoes.

These are the seasonings that I used to cook the filling.

This is how I cooked the filling.

This super yummy filling reminds me of the potato dishes that my grandma used to cook for me.

Mashing potatoes is always my son's job but he is not around to do this :(

I added brandy in the dough... but should add this in the filling instead.

I used my breadmaker to knead this dough.

Giving Pang Susi its traditional look... 

They don't grow a lot during its final proving.

... but, puffed up a lot more after baking!

Yummy!!! Happy!!!

Update on 4 May 2017: We love this recipe so much that I'm baking more Pang Susi again!

These are the Pang Susi that I have baked recently :)

As always, they are very yummy!

And here's a video showing how I baked our fav Pang Susi. Fantastic recipe! Highly highly highly recommended!!!

Here's the recipe that is very modified from the book, Florence's Tan Best Nyonya Recipes by Florence Tan

Makes 10

For the dough:
300g plain (all-purpose) flour
(For a finer texture, I have used a combination of 50g Italian OO flour plus 250g bread flour)
150g steamed sweet potato, finely mashed
1/8 tsp salt
50g castor sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 egg yolks
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp brandy (optional and can be substitute with water)
60g butter, soften at room temperature

For the filings:
Cooking oil
1 large onions, finely diced
250g chicken mince
4 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced
150ml water or more if potatoes are the firmer variety
a pinch of ground white pepper
1 1/4 tsp five-spice powder

Seasonings:
1 tsp chicken stock granules
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp dark caramel sauce
brandy to taste, optional

1 extra egg yolk plus 1 tbsp milk for egg wash

Prepare filling: Heat oil in a saucepan in medium-high heat. Fry onions for 3 mins until slightly browned. Add chicken mince and potatoes and cook for another 2-3 mins. Add water, pepper, five-spice powder and seasonings. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cook the filling (with no cover) until potatoes are tender, and gravy has dried. If the potatoes are not cooked thoroughly and the gravy has dried up, add gradual amount of water to continue cooking. When the filling is cooked, remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Prepare bread dough: Place all dough ingredients except butter and yeast in a bread maker accordingly to your bread maker instructions. Add butter and yeast last and switch on the machine with "dough” setting which kneads the dough for 30 mins and allow it to prove for 1 hr.

If bread maker is not available, combine all ingredients for bread, except butter and egg wash, in an electric mixer (fitted with a dough hook). Knead the dough for 1-2 mins first to combine all at first. Add butter gradually and continue kneading at a higher speed for the next 15-20 mins to form a smooth and elastic dough. Place dough into a greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and allow it to double in size. 

Line two baking trays with silicon mats or grease them slightly with oil or extra butter.

Punch dough down and knead for about 2 mins. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Shape them into balls and flatten each one by hand or with a rolling pin. Spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp filling in the middle of each flattened dough. Fold the left and right sides over the filling. Seal edges and shaping the bread like a leaf shape. Turn over and place it with seam side down on the prepared tray. Repeat shaping the bread until all dough pieces have been used up. Cover them with cling wrap loosely and prove for 40-60 mins or until doubled in size. 

Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan forced. Brush bread with egg wash and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and leave to cool on a rack before serving.

Note: There will be 3-4 tbsp of leftover filling and can be kept frozen for 1-2 weeks but ours went to our tummies on the same day :)

Happy Baking
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