PUMPKIN SHAPE BREAD BUNS

 These Pumpkin Bread Buns recipe was shared by Happy Home Baker which I had bookmarked since last year but did not do it until recently.

The thought that it is difficult to make the buns look like pumpkins is the main reason why I took so long to try.  Thanks to HHB for her very informative post and I learned a lot from there.

These buns looks so cute and they aren't difficult to make if you watch video here.  I love the pumpkin paste filling for its' tastes, moisture and buttery aroma.  The sweetness is just perfect not overly sweet like the store-bought ones.

Ingredients for Filling
150 gm mashed steamed pumpkin
30 gm sugar
30 gm butter

1. Pan fry mashed pumpkin in a non stick pan together with sugar and butter until fairly dry and leaves the side of pan clean.
2. Dish up and leave to cool. 
   
   
   

Ingredients for the bread dough

[makes 8 buns]

250 gm bread flour [I used 200 gm bread flour and 50 gm wholemeal flour]
15 gm  caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
80 ml milk
100 gm mashed pumpkin
1 tbsp butter
*8 pieces of kitchen twine [90 cm each] soak in oil

How to make the bread dough

1. Knead all the dough ingredients [except butter] in a mixing bowl into a rough dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Shape in a round ball, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
3. Punch down dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each dough into smooth rounds.
4. Roll each dough into a round disc.  Wrap each dough with one heaped tablespoon of the pumpkin filling. Pinch and seal the seam tightly.  
5. For each wrapped dough, place seam side down on the middle of a kitchen twine, wrap the kitchen twine around the dough to form 8 segments [note-do not wrap too tight].
6. Place seam side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with some space in between. Leave  to proof for  about 40 minutes or double in size.
7. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush lightly with melted butter.
8. Remove from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.
9. Remove the kitchen twine and store immediately in an airtight container.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Note: If there are any leftovers after the second day, store them in the fridge, reheat/warm in oven before serving.

EZ BAKED YAM BUNS

Yam is one of my favourite ingredient for cooking and baking. I like the soft and cottony texture and it tastes good either sweet or savoury. Has a unique aroma.

These baked buns are soft, light and fluffy.  They stay soft  even by the third day.  Moreover, the filling is easy to prepare.

Recipe adapted from my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #5 -Yum Yum Magazine No. 48 [modified]

Ingredients for Filling

300 gm yam

100 gm sugar

50 ml thick coconut milk [you can use dairy whipping cream]

a pinch of salt

1. Steam yam until soft.  Mash it into a paste while still hot.  Transfer to a non-stick wok, add in sugar, coconut cream and a pinch of salt.  Stir over low heat until dry but still moist.  When the paste leaves the side of wok clean, it is ready.  Dish up and leave to cool before use.

Ingredients For Dough

[makes 20 buns]

500 gm bread flour [high protein flour]

15 gm instant dry yeast[I used 4 tsp]

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp milk powder

50 gm castor sugar

1 egg [set aside 1 tbsp for glazing]

200 ml water or more [depending on size of egg]

2 tbsp butter

some toasted black and white sesame seeds

1. Line small tart tins with paper cases.
2. Put all dough ingredients [except butter] into a mixing bowl, beat at medium speed until a rough dough is form.  Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.  Shape into a round ball, cover to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
3. Punch down and divide into 20 equal portions.  Shape each into round, flatten and wrap filling.  Seal the edges well and roll into round.  Place on paper cases.
4. Leave to proof for 40-50 minutes or double in size.
5. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
6. Baked in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove to cool or serve warm.

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #5 hosted by
Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

PANDAN CINNAMON BREAD ROLLS

First time, baking cinnamon rolls with pandan flavour. Not a bad idea to try, after all pandan flavour can blend with cinnamon too.
These buns are soft, moist and very aromatic.  The pandan flavour is not strong, can add more for stronger aroma.

Recipe adapted from my selected Cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event#4 - Ricky Ng's book 'In Love with Pandan [modified]

Ingredients A

350 gm bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
50-70 gm castor sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
2 eggs lightly beaten + 100 ml milk
1/2 tsp pandan paste [I should have used 1 tsp of store bought pandan paste]
80 gm butter
Ingredients B [mix well]
2 tsp ground cinnamon powder
70 gm brown sugar
50 gm raisins
60 gm ground almond [I omit]
Ingredients C
2 tbsp melted butter

1. Knead ingredients A [except butter] until soft and smooth.  Add in butter and continue to knead until soft and elastic.  Shape into a ball, cover to rest for 30-40 minutes or double in size.
2. Punch down, roll dough into a big rectangle [or you can divide into 2 portions].  Brush some melted butter over dough, sprinkle over ingredients B [keep some for topping].
3. Roll into a log [Swiss roll], seal the edges well.  Cut into equal portions and size.  Arrange dough rolls with the swirls facing up on a loaf pan or round pan, let it proof for about 30-40 minutes [or double in size].
4. Apply egg glaze and sprinkle remaining ingredients B.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 190 degrees for 20 minutes. 
6. Remove and brush some melted over rolls.  Serve.
   
   
   
   
   

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray