rhubarb & salted egg yolk custard buns
liu sha bao meets rhubarb & custard
i love the classic dim sum molten custard bun (liu sha bao aka molten lava buns aka custard lava buns aka salted egg yolk lava buns aka golden sand buns)
i also love rhubarb & custard together
when i was given a free bundle of rhubarb on the weekend (thanks cathy!) and a dozen eggs (thanks dad!), it felt meant to be
makes five buns
ingredients
roasted rhubarb (makes extra)
250g rhubarb
50g rice malt syrup
50g water
salted egg yolk custard
2 eggs
30g caster sugar
30g butter, softened
15g milk powder
5g cornstarch
0.25 tsp salt
steamed buns
250g plain flour
15g caster sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
0.75 tsp baking powder
130g cool water
method
roasted rhubarb
preheat the oven to 160C
chop the rhubarb (250g) into 1 inch pieces and place in a baking tin
drizzle over the rice malt syrup (50g) and water (50g) and lightly toss to combine
bake for 10 minutes
let cool completely in its syrup
store covered in the fridge
this will make more than you need, but leftover roast rhubarb is delightful on yoghurt, oatmeal, or by the spoonful out of the jar
salted egg yolk custard
hardboil the eggs (2) then let cool
while the eggs cool, stir together the sugar (30g), softened butter (30g), milk powder (15g), cornstarch (5g), and salt (0.25 tsp)
peel the eggs, and remove the cooked egg yolks (eat the cooked egg whites for protein)
press the egg yolks through a fine mesh sieve
stir through the butter-sugar mixture until fully incorporated
divide into five even pieces and roll into balls
transfer to the fridge to cool
steamed buns
250g plain flour
15g caster sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
0.75 tsp baking powder
130g cool water
in the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, add the flour (250g), sugar 15g), yeast (1 tsp), baking powder (0.75 tsp), and water (130g)
knead on low speed until it forms a smooth dough, about 10 minutes
cover and let rise at room temperature for 30-45 minutes
assembly
turn out the dough onto your work surface
divide into five even portions
working with one dough ball at a time, flatten to a disc about 12cm diameter
keep the other dough balls covered while you work
place a generous spoon of roasted rhubarb (avoiding the juices) in the centre of the disc and top with a custard ball
gently wrap the dough around the filling, pinching closed together at the top
shape into a ball and place seam side down to rest while you repeat with the remaining buns
keep covered while you preheat the steamer
steam the buns for 15 minutes (you may need to work in batches)
let rest covered for a few minutes to avoid them collapsing and getting wrinkly
best eaten when warm for the molten custard filling
keep any leftovers (hah!) in an airtight container in the fridge and steam or microwave before eating
