Authorfoodistisch
RatingDifficultyAdvanced

These baked bbq pork pineapple/melon buns consist of a soft and light bread, a sweet and crunchy top and a savoury and flavourfull filling.

They are slightly inspired by the ones from Michelin Dim Sum place Tim Ho Wan I had in Hong Kong. They are only inspired by them though but definitively not like them. Because unlike Tim Ho Wan I am using Japanese Melon Pan instead of Mexican Coffee Buns that Tim Ho Wan utilizes. 

bbq pork melon or pineaplle bun

Yields12 Servings

Tangzhong
Dough
Cookie Dough
Braised BBQ Pork (Quick Char Siu) Filling

BBQ Pork Filling
1

In a pan over medium high heat, add some oil and the pork belly.
Cook pork until it begins to brown.
Add in soy sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, and sugar, stirring to combine.
Add first ½ cup of water and stir, then place a lid over pan and cook until pork is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove lid and stir in water and cornstarch mixture.
Cook filling until very thick.
Remove from heat and place on a plate/tray in a single layer and cool completely until hard and easy to scoop.

Make the Tangzhong
2

Whisk the flour and water inside a saucepan until the flour dissolves. Place the bowl into the microwave, and heat the flour and water mixture for 20 seconds on high. Take the bowl out of the microwave, stir everything and check the consistency of the mixture. Continue heating the mixture at 5 to 6 second intervals, stirring in between, until you get a thick paste.

Prepare the Dough for Buns
3

Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Set it aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk for about 40 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar to the milk. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the milk. It should be around 110ºF to 120ºF. It’s okay if you are just several degrees off.

4

Add the yeast and stir to hydrate the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. After 5 to 8 minutes, the milk/yeast mixture will foam up.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, salt, condensed milk, egg, melted butter, tangzhong and the foamy milk/yeast mixture.

5

Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix the dough on low for 10 minutes (see note 4). If the dough completely spins away from the dough hook after a few minutes, turn off the mixer. Readjust the dough right into the center of the bowl and position the dough hook in the center of the dough. Run the mixer on “stir” for 15 seconds or so before you increase the speed to low.

6

After 10 minutes, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface and knead it several times. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, so you do not need to flour the surface.
Shape the dough into a ball and place inside the greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic or silicone mat. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the dough doubles in size.

Prepare the Topping Dough
7

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the flat beater attachment. Cream the butter on medium-low until it is light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the superfine sugar in two batches. The mixture will look very crumbly at this point, and that’s okay.
Next, add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, and mix on low until just combined.

8

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and turmeric. Add half of the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low until the flour is combined. Then, add the remaining flour and mix again. Once all the loose flour has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low, and keep mixing until the dough starts to come together into large chunks.

9

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface. Gather it up into one large ball of dough. Transfer this to another bowl and cover it with a towel or silicone mat until the buns are done proofing.

Shape the Buns
10

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once doubled, punch down the dough to release excess air. Turn the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions (450 to 456 grams each). Place 1 portion of dough back into the bowl, cover it, and refrigerate while you shape the first batch of buns.

11

Next, divide the remaining dough into 6 equal pieces (74 to 76 grams each). Take one of the pieces of dough and knead it several times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, shape this dough into a ball and transfer it to the lined baking sheet, seam side down. The dough should be about 2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.

Cover the balls of dough with a towel and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, until they increase to 1.5 times its size (about 3 inches in diameter).

12

Preheat the oven to 195° you want more golden looking pineapple buns.
.
Working one piece at a time, flatten the ball into a circle and place a tablespoon of bbq pork filling in the center.
Gather the edges of the dough, sealing the filling inside.
Roll back into a ball and rest on a lined baking sheet underneath plastic wrap.
Repeat with all remaining pieces of dough.

13

Once all pieces are stuffed with filling, cover lined baking sheet with plastic and let dough rise again. Meanwhile you can divide the cookie dough into 6 pieces. Drape the topping over one of the buns. The topping shouldn’t cover the bun completely. The topping can burn if it touches the bottom of the baking sheet. Continue rolling out the topping and draping it over the buns.

14

Brush the top of the bun off with an egg wash. Bake the buns for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.

Enjoy the buns while they’re still warm! That’s when they are the tastiest.

Tried this recipe? Mention @foodistisch I would be super happy to see your cakes!

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Ingredients

Tangzhong
Dough
Cookie Dough
Braised BBQ Pork (Quick Char Siu) Filling

Directions

BBQ Pork Filling
1

In a pan over medium high heat, add some oil and the pork belly.
Cook pork until it begins to brown.
Add in soy sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, and sugar, stirring to combine.
Add first ½ cup of water and stir, then place a lid over pan and cook until pork is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove lid and stir in water and cornstarch mixture.
Cook filling until very thick.
Remove from heat and place on a plate/tray in a single layer and cool completely until hard and easy to scoop.

Make the Tangzhong
2

Whisk the flour and water inside a saucepan until the flour dissolves. Place the bowl into the microwave, and heat the flour and water mixture for 20 seconds on high. Take the bowl out of the microwave, stir everything and check the consistency of the mixture. Continue heating the mixture at 5 to 6 second intervals, stirring in between, until you get a thick paste.

Prepare the Dough for Buns
3

Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Set it aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk for about 40 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar to the milk. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the milk. It should be around 110ºF to 120ºF. It’s okay if you are just several degrees off.

4

Add the yeast and stir to hydrate the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. After 5 to 8 minutes, the milk/yeast mixture will foam up.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, salt, condensed milk, egg, melted butter, tangzhong and the foamy milk/yeast mixture.

5

Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix the dough on low for 10 minutes (see note 4). If the dough completely spins away from the dough hook after a few minutes, turn off the mixer. Readjust the dough right into the center of the bowl and position the dough hook in the center of the dough. Run the mixer on “stir” for 15 seconds or so before you increase the speed to low.

6

After 10 minutes, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface and knead it several times. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, so you do not need to flour the surface.
Shape the dough into a ball and place inside the greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic or silicone mat. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the dough doubles in size.

Prepare the Topping Dough
7

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the flat beater attachment. Cream the butter on medium-low until it is light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the superfine sugar in two batches. The mixture will look very crumbly at this point, and that’s okay.
Next, add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, and mix on low until just combined.

8

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and turmeric. Add half of the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low until the flour is combined. Then, add the remaining flour and mix again. Once all the loose flour has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low, and keep mixing until the dough starts to come together into large chunks.

9

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface. Gather it up into one large ball of dough. Transfer this to another bowl and cover it with a towel or silicone mat until the buns are done proofing.

Shape the Buns
10

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once doubled, punch down the dough to release excess air. Turn the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions (450 to 456 grams each). Place 1 portion of dough back into the bowl, cover it, and refrigerate while you shape the first batch of buns.

11

Next, divide the remaining dough into 6 equal pieces (74 to 76 grams each). Take one of the pieces of dough and knead it several times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, shape this dough into a ball and transfer it to the lined baking sheet, seam side down. The dough should be about 2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.

Cover the balls of dough with a towel and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, until they increase to 1.5 times its size (about 3 inches in diameter).

12

Preheat the oven to 195° you want more golden looking pineapple buns.
.
Working one piece at a time, flatten the ball into a circle and place a tablespoon of bbq pork filling in the center.
Gather the edges of the dough, sealing the filling inside.
Roll back into a ball and rest on a lined baking sheet underneath plastic wrap.
Repeat with all remaining pieces of dough.

13

Once all pieces are stuffed with filling, cover lined baking sheet with plastic and let dough rise again. Meanwhile you can divide the cookie dough into 6 pieces. Drape the topping over one of the buns. The topping shouldn’t cover the bun completely. The topping can burn if it touches the bottom of the baking sheet. Continue rolling out the topping and draping it over the buns.

14

Brush the top of the bun off with an egg wash. Bake the buns for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.

Enjoy the buns while they’re still warm! That’s when they are the tastiest.

BBQ Pork Melon Pan
IngredientsDirections