Lava Custard Bao with Salted Egg Yolk, Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Sweets and drinksSteamed CakesChinaFilling made a day ahead, dough rested 1 hour 30 minutes, steamed 8 to 10 minutes
Lava custard bao with salted egg yolk are loved for the moment they are torn open and the golden filling flows out. The difficult part is the timing in the steamer, since too long and the filling either escapes or sets solid.
The filling has to be made a day ahead, rolled into balls and frozen overnight until rock hard. Each batch takes only 6 to 8 buns, steamed for 8 to 10 minutes.
This batch weighs about 2kg, at roughly 308 calories per 100g.
Method
Make the filling a day ahead. If the eggs are raw, boil them, peel away the shell and white and keep the 6 yolks, then let them cool and mash them with a fork.
Put the mashed yolks in a blender with 117g of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 6 tablespoons of custard powder, 60g of non fat milk powder, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 115g of unsalted butter, and blend until completely smooth. The mixture may look loose while the butter is soft, but it firms up once chilled.
Chill the filling for several hours until firm. Scoop and roll it into balls, giving about 18. Wrap them and freeze overnight.
Make the dough: put 3 tablespoons of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 240ml of warm water at 40 degrees and 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a clean bowl. Add 190g of all purpose flour, 280g of cake flour and 3/4 tablespoon of baking powder. Push the flour to the sides to make a well in the middle and pour in 3 teaspoons of yeast.
Knead the dough, wrap it and rest it for about 1 hour. Knead it a second time, then rest it for another 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces. Set the steamer on the stove and bring the water to a boil while the buns are shaped.
Roll a piece of dough into a ball, press it flat, set a ball of filling in the middle and seal it completely, taking care that none of the filling shows. Set each bun in a cupcake liner sprayed with oil.
Steam 6 to 8 buns per batch for 8 to 10 minutes. Longer than that and the filling either runs out or sets solid.
Tips
Unsteamed buns can be wrapped and frozen, then thawed in the fridge, left out for 5 minutes and steamed as usual.
Steamed buns keep wrapped in the fridge and reheat in 3 to 5 minutes of steaming or 30 to 45 seconds in the microwave, to be eaten within 2 to 3 days.
The filling balls have to be frozen hard before wrapping, since a soft one cannot be sealed in.
Lay a cloth under the steamer lid, because condensation dripping down pits and wrinkles the surface of the buns.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.