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Cocktail bun
Coconut-filled sweet buns
Gai mei bao (雞尾包): soft milk rolls with buttery coconut filling, two white stripes and sesame
Bakeries across Hong Kong pull trays of cocktail buns from the oven before the morning rush, and schoolchildren and commuters buy them warm in paper bags to eat on the bus or with milk tea at a cha chaan teng. The story goes that 1950s bakers invented them to use up day-old bread mixed with sugar and coconut, so the name is a playful nod to a cocktail of leftovers. Today the soft, milky roll holds a sweet, buttery coconut filling that's slightly sandy and chewy, under two piped stripes and a scatter of sesame seeds. A soft, warm filling tends to ooze out during proving and baking, so chill it until firm before you roll the buns. Chef's tip: roll each bun up tightly from the long side and pinch the seam well, then place it seam-down; loose rolls split open in the oven.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz strong bread flour
- 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar
- 1 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 eggbeaten
- ½ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 oz unsalted buttersoftened
For the coconut filling
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz desiccated coconut
- ⅔ oz milk powder
- ½ oz plain flour
- 1 eggbeaten, used for the filling and the glaze
For the topping
- ⅔ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- ⅔ oz icing sugar
- 1 oz plain flour
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz strong bread flour, 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar, 1 ¼ tsp instant yeast and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 egg and ½ cup lukewarm milk and bring together into a rough dough.
3 minStep 2: Knead for 8 minutes, then work in 1 oz unsalted butter and knead for another 6–8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing.
15 minStep 3: Cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
60 minStep 4: Meanwhile, beat 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter and 1 ¾ oz caster sugar until creamy, then mix in 2 ⅛ oz desiccated coconut, ⅔ oz milk powder, ½ oz plain flour and half of ½ egg to a thick paste. Chill for 30 minutes, until firm.
5 minStep 5: Beat ⅔ oz unsalted butter and ⅔ oz icing sugar until smooth, then stir in 1 oz plain flour and 1 tbsp milk to a pipeable paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small round nozzle or a freezer bag.
Step 6: Knock back the dough and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each into a ball and rest under a cloth for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
10 minStep 7: Divide the chilled filling into 8 portions and shape each into a log about 8 cm long.
Step 8: Roll a dough ball into an oval about 12 × 9 cm. Lay a log of filling along the long edge, roll up tightly, pinch the seam and ends to seal and place seam-down on a lined baking tray. Repeat, leaving 5 cm between buns.
Step 9: Cover loosely and prove for 40–45 minutes, until puffy and a gentle press leaves a slow-filling dent. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) towards the end.
45 minStep 10: Brush the buns with the rest of ½ egg. Pipe two parallel stripes of topping lengthwise along each bun and sprinkle the centre with 1 tbsp white sesame seeds.
Step 11: Bake for 15–18 minutes, until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding underneath.
18 minStep 12: Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before eating, as the filling is very hot. Best on the day; warm leftovers briefly in the oven.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cocktail bun take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 130 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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