Hawaiian Buns From Kaf Food

HAWAIIAN BUNS FROM KAF

Steps:

• Sponge: In the bowl of your stand mixer or the bucket of your bread machine, combine the sponge ingredients. Allow the sponge to rest for 15 minutes.
• Add the pineapple juice, butter, brown sugar, eggs and yolk, and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
• Whisk together the remaining flour, potato flour, and salt before adding to the liquid ingredients.
• Mix and knead until the dough is cohesive and smooth; it'll be very sticky at first. If you're using a stand mixer, beat with the flat beater for about 3 minutes at medium-high speed; then scrape the dough into the center of the bowl, switch to the dough hook, and knead for about 5 minutes at medium speed. It may have formed a very soft ball, but will probably still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. If you're using a bread machine, simply let it go through its entire cycle. If you find the dough isn't coming together, add a tablespoon or two of flour.
• Lightly grease the mixing bowl or a large (8-cup) measure; round the dough into a ball, and place it in the bowl or measure. Cover, and let rise until very puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you're using a bread machine and the dough hasn't doubled in size when the cycle is complete, simply let it rest in the machine for another 30 to 60 minutes.
• Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
• Gently deflate the dough. Divide it into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball. Space the buns in the pan.
• Tent the dough gently with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in the pan for 1 hour, until it's nicely puffy. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Mix the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon cold water, and brush some onto the surface of the rolls; this will give them a satiny crust.
• Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 190°F on a digital thermometer.
• Remove the rolls from the oven, and after a few minutes, turn them out onto a cooling rack.
• Serve warm. Store leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
• Yield: 16 buns.
• Chat with a baker.
• Tips from the bakers.
• Sweet breads can be agonizingly slow risers. Why? Because sugar attracts water, and when it's in bread dough, it pulls water away from yeast - leaving the yeast thirsty and unable to grow. If you're using regular yeast not formulated for sweet dough, you may find the rising time for these rolls will be longer by 30 minutes or more for each rise.
• This is a very wet dough, and can be tricky to handle. If you're having difficulty, we suggest lightly oiling your hands and counter before attempting to roll out the buns.
• If you want to use fresh pineapple juice: microwave the juice for 2 minutes until it reaches 200°F and allow to cool to lukewarm before using. The process of heating will kill any enzymes in the juice, which would otherwise destroy the gluten.
• To make hamburger-sized buns, prepare the dough according to the recipe instructions, and after the rise divide it into six equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball, and place them into the lightly-greased wells of a hamburger bun pan, flattening them gently. Let the buns rise for an hour, until they fill the wells and are nicely puffy, then brush the rolls with the egg wash, and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until they're a deep golden brown.

HAWAIIAN STEAMED BEEF BUNS

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the warm water and honey in a small bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast. Let the mixture rest until it bubbles, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and sesame oil and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. If the dough seems a little dry, sprinkle in a little bit of water. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. If the dough is a little sticky, lightly dust the surface with flour. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with sesame oil. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, gently turning to coat. Cover with a damp clean dishtowel and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• For the filling: Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add the beef and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Return the beef to the skillet. Stir in the Chinese five spice powder and cook until very fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the sherry and cook until the skillet is almost dry. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water. Stir to combine and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 3 minutes. Cool completely.
• To make the steamed buns: Cut the wax paper into eight 3-inch squares. Lightly brush a baking sheet with canola oil. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Punch it down and divide it into 8 equal balls. Roll out each to a 5-inch disc, working from the center to the outer edge and turning it often to keep the middle twice as thick as the outer edge. Cup the disc of dough in one hand and mound 2 tablespoons of filling in the center. Pinch the edges of the dough together with your other hand to seal the bun, Flip the bun over so that it is seam-side down and reshape it into a smooth round dome. Place it on a square of wax paper to keep it from sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Arrange the buns (and wax paper) on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart and cover with a damp towel. Set the buns in a warm place to rise until plumped and puffy, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Fill a large pot with at least 3 inches of water and bring it to a strong simmer over medium-high heat. Put 4 buns in the steamer insert, leaving 1 inch between them to expand. Drape a clean dishcloth across the top of the pot to prevent condensation from dripping from the lid onto the buns. (This step isn't necessary if you are using a bamboo steamer.) Cover the steamer and cook for 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining buns. Serve hot.

HOMEMADE HAWAIIAN BUNS

Steps:

• Beat eggs in a bowl. Add pineapple juice, sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and vanilla extract.
• Measure 3 cups of flour into a large bowl and stir in egg mixture with a wooden spoon until well combined. Sprinkle in yeast packages one at a time, mixing well. Add 3 more cups flour and mix well, using your hands if needed. Make sure all flour is well incorporated; the dough should be tacky to the touch, but not overly sticky. If dough is too wet, mix in a little extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Cover dough with a clean towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
• Remove dough from the bowl and knead in remaining 1/2 cup flour, approximately 10 to 15 times, making sure flour is well incorporated. Form dough into rolls and place on buttered pans. Cover and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Brush tops with remaining 1/4 cup melted butter.

HAWAIIAN BUNS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the pineapple juice to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook it until it has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup and let cool until just warm, about 105 to 110 degrees. Stir in the yeast and let the mixture stand until the yeast has bloomed, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the sugar, flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add the yeast mixture and the eggs, and knead until the dry ingredients have been incorporated (you may have to help it along with a spatula at first) and dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add butter in small pieces and continue to knead the dough until smooth, increasing speed to medium, another 5 to 10 minutes. The dough will be shiny, elastic and slightly sticky. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gather the dough into a neat ball (no need to add extra flour). Cover the bowl with plastic and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. Gently tip dough out onto a work surface. You shouldn't need flour at this point. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball and place in the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the tray lightly with plastic wrap and set aside to double again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The dough should look puffy and spring back slowly when pressed gently.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.