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Steamed custard buns (lau sa bao)
Lau sa bao (流沙包): fluffy steamed buns with a molten salted egg yolk custard centre
Hong KongTear one open at a Hong Kong yum cha table and a stream of golden, buttery custard runs out, which is exactly why the name means 'flowing sand'. The filling is sweet and salty at once, grainy with mashed salted duck egg yolk and rich with butter and milk powder, wrapped in a snow-white, cotton-soft bun. Teahouses from Central to Mong Kok bring them out in bamboo baskets of three, usually near the end of the meal with a pot of pu'er or chrysanthemum tea. Most failures happen when the filling goes into the dough soft: it smears, leaks through the seams and never turns runny inside. Chef's tip: freeze the filling balls until rock hard before wrapping, then serve the buns within a few minutes of steaming, while the butter is still liquid.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the filling
- 6 salted duck egg yolksfrom raw salted duck eggs, whites saved for another use
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
- ½ oz custard powder
- 2 tbsp evaporated milk
For the dough
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 oz caster sugar
- ¾ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
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Method
0/13 doneStep 1: Lay 6 salted duck egg yolks on a heatproof plate and steam over a high heat for 10 minutes, until firm and opaque right through. Cool for a few minutes, then mash with a fork and push through a fine sieve for a smooth filling.
12 minStep 2: Beat the sieved yolks with 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter, 1 ¾ oz icing sugar, 1 oz full-cream milk powder, ½ oz custard powder and 2 tbsp evaporated milk to a thick, glossy paste.
3 minStep 3: Spread the paste in a lined container, cover and freeze for 1 hour, until firm enough to scoop.
60 minStep 4: Scoop the filling into 12 equal pieces (about 15 g each), roll quickly into balls with cold hands and return to the freezer until rock hard. Soft filling is the usual cause of leaking buns.
5 minStep 5: Meanwhile, mix 10 ½ oz bao flour or low-protein plain flour, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 oz caster sugar in a bowl. Add ¾ cup lukewarm milk and 1 tbsp neutral oil and bring together into a shaggy dough.
3 minStep 6: Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, satiny and springs back slowly when pressed. It should feel soft but not sticky.
10 minStep 7: Cover and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes, until puffy and about 1.5 times its size.
45 minStep 8: Knock back the dough, knead briefly and roll into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces and cover them with a cloth so they don't dry out.
Step 9: Roll one piece into a 9 cm round, thinner at the edges than the centre. Set a frozen filling ball in the middle, pleat or gather the edges up and pinch firmly to seal. Place seam-side down on a square of baking paper. Repeat with the rest.
Step 10: Arrange the buns in a bamboo steamer, 3 cm apart, cover and prove for 20 minutes, until slightly puffed and light when touched.
20 minStep 11: Bring water in a wok or pan to a rolling boil. Set the steamer over it and steam over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the buns are puffed, smooth and spring back when pressed.
10 minStep 12: Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 3 minutes; lifting it straight away makes the skins wrinkle and collapse.
3 minStep 13: Serve hot, warning everyone that the centre is molten. Leftovers can be re-steamed from cold for 6–8 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does steamed custard buns (lau sa bao) take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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 unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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