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

is there anything better than a fresh steamed bun