Unlike my other holiday trips, I had to take a little longer time to adjust back into my daily Melbourne routine because more than 5 of my colleagues including myself were asked to leave after December 2018!
It is sad but challenging because I'm moving on into a new chapter of my life.
After hearing this news, most of my friends and families actually suggested to me that I should start a baking business or conduct baking classes but I still prefer to bake and blog for fun, not for money or my living.
While looking for another job, I will still continue to blog and share as much as I can but can't promise if I can keep up my baking and blogging when I start my new job. Well, let's see.
Now, I'm not going to blah blah blah excessively about my uncertainty and shall march forward bravely with my stress-relieving BAKING... LOL!
For the past months, I have been thinking of baking pai bao (排包) which is also known as Hong Kong sweet milk bread buns that are baked in long narrow shapes or roti sisir in Malay language. In fact, it was one of the most trendy to bake in most social media lately but I had not bake any yet! Instead of using a recipe that I can find via Google or any social media, I have decided to create my own recipe... And it works perfectly!
Proudly presenting... my very first pai bao and it is super soft and nice! Happy!!! ^-^
Interested? Here's a video showing how I baked my yummy pai bao.
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My freshly baked pai bao... It smells so lovely!!! |
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Super soft!!! |
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Its sweet milky taste is super yummy!!! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! |
I hope that you will like this recipe as much we do.
As always, I will explore more pai bao and other breads baking in the near future and hope to share more recipes with you.
If you like my recipes and want to get the updates about my baking, you can follow me at either my Facebook at here or here or my Instagram @zoebakeforhappykids
Here's the recipe.
Make one 15 cm x 25 cm loaf
210g lukewarm water, at about 37°C
35g condensed milk
300g bread flour with 12% protein
25g caster sugar
15g milk powder
4g salt
50g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp instant dry yeast
For egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp milk
vegetable oil spray or vegetable oil for greasing
extra bread flour for dusting and shaping
If you are using a breadmaker to knead and prove, add all ingredients into the breadmaker according to this order. Use "dough" setting to mix and knead dough for 30 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic and allow the dough to prove for 60 mins.
If you are using an electric mixer with an hook attachment to knead, combine all ingredients except butter in the mixing bowl and mix at low speed until a soft dough forms. Then, knead in the butter until incorporated. Continue to knead at low speed for at least 25 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It is important that the dough has to be elastic and stretchy. Cover the dough and allow the dough to prove in a warm and humid place for about 60 mins or until doubled in size.
Please note that this dough can be sticky at the initial stage of kneading but it will become smooth and stretchy after adequate kneading.
Grease one 15 x 25 cm non-stick pan with vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 15 equal portions (about 44g each). Shape all portions of dough into smooth balls. Allow them to rest at room temperature for about 10 mins.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each portion on a lightly floured non-stick surface into long flat shape. Fold its top and bottom one-third towards its middle. Use a rolling pin to roll its non-fold sides outwards in order to form a long flat shape again, then fold its top and bottom one-third towards its middle again. You should get a nice square dough.
Use a rolling pin to roll into a long flat shape that is 15 cm long and roll slightly more to form a wider 15 cm rectangle. Fold its long-sided top and bottom one-third towards its middle to form a long neat 15 cm strip. Repeat this rolling and shaping step with the remaining 14 portions of dough.
Align and arrange all rolled dough side by side with their skinny length along the width (shorter side) of the pan, with their seams side down. Allow the dough to prove in a warm and humid place for another 60 mins or until doubled in size.
For the egg wash, combine egg yolk and milk. Brush bread dough with egg wash and bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 20 mins or until the breads are thoroughly baked and golden. If the top of bread turns brown too quickly, cover the bread loosely with a foil at the last 5-10 mins of baking and continue to bake it for at least 20 mins in total.
Remove the breads from the pan immediately and transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze in serving portions for 2-3 months.
Happy Baking
oh my God!!! It seems so soft and...delicious! Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteZoe...good luck for your future! I hope that all that's uncertain now, will be clear in the immediate future.
Kisses
Thank you so much for your supportive comment... xoxo :)
DeleteZoe, you're a real talent. Any boss reading the quality of your work shown in your blog will realise this. Onwards and forwards to bigger things, your sparkle can't be covered.
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you so much for your supportive comment. You have motivated me to try my best for everything. xoxo :)
DeleteHi Zoe, Welcome back. Sorry to hear that your position at work is no longer required. One door closes another door opens. There are plenty of other opportunities out there. Good luck and best wishes. Keep up the good spirits.
ReplyDeleteHi, I feel so pumped up after reading your sweet comment. Thank you!!! I try my best to keep going xoxo :)
DeleteHi Zoe, I dont usually write but what a timely recipe! I had a fab milk pai bao from a bakery and wanted to recreate it. Thanks for your amazing recipes, and most of all, the detail that you go into. I am OCD about the recipes I try so I really appreciate the time you take to review recipes for us. I know that you will be successful in all you undertake because I can tell from this blog that you have a great work ethic and lovely personality! Am sure you will find something you love doing, that will also provide for you and your family. In the meantime, enjoy some downtime so play with recipes and bake for your loved ones :) thanks once again!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, Thank you so much for dropping by and left such a beautiful appreciative comment. It feels really nice to know that there are readers like you who appreciate my blog. I hope that you will continue to like all the recipes that I can share in the future. Cheers! xoxo :)
DeleteI tried twice and both times failed. It didn’t rise the second time
ReplyDeleteHmmm... There might be something wrong with your measurements or yeast?
DeleteI will have to get on the computer and rewrite it convert to cups and tsps..but i cannot wait to try it .. keep going forward and be encouraged .. Hugs from Florida ..from an old couple !!
ReplyDeleteHi, Nice to get hugs from Floride. XOXO
DeleteI'm sorry to say that I prefer not to measure my ingredients by cups because it is way less accurate than weighing. Cheers!
need US measurements plz
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that I won't do that for this recipe.
Deletefran use a scale, I converted the recipe and it was not right. I used a scale and measured exactly like the recipe and OMG my family loves it. I have bread lovers in my family this was perfect, a less sweeter version of kings Hawaiian great for a bread for dinner and for making dinner rolls MMMMMMMM.
DeleteThanks Redwolf! I'm happy to hear that you like the recipe and appreciate the benefits of using a scale for accurate measurement of the ingredients. Cheers! :)
DeleteHi Zoe, thank you for sharing this super nice recipe. It's wonderful and my son's told me this was perfect bread.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe! I made them into rolls and they are so pillowy soft and perfect!
ReplyDelete