Begin with a comparison image. The presentation looks quite appealing, doesn’t it?
Now, let’s examine the original product from Sanbailo Bakery.
First, prepare the poolish starter. Poolish is a type of pre-ferment that helps bread rise faster, especially in winter, improves moisture retention, slows down staling, and adds some flavor.
Since bread is typically consumed over several days, I usually make a starter to maintain softness, with poolish being the most commonly used.
The process is straightforward: In a medium bowl, combine 50g of room temperature water (use warm water below 38°C in winter) with 1g of high-sugar-tolerant yeast, and mix until the yeast is mostly dissolved.
Then, add 50g of high-gluten flour and stir until well combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment at 25-28°C for one hour, then refrigerate overnight at 4°C.
If needed immediately, continue fermenting at room temperature until small bubbles appear on the surface and the interior becomes honeycombed when pulled apart.
Next, handle the main dough.
Place all ingredients for the dough base, except the poolish, butter, and yeast, into a mixer and mix on low speed until just combined.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate, including the dough hook and mixing bowl, for hydration.
This method, known as autolyse, allows the dough to develop gluten naturally through resting, ranging from one hour to two days.
Longer resting times develop more gluten, reducing mixing time in the stand mixer, which saves effort and helps control dough temperature.
Heat from the mixer’s motor and friction can raise dough temperature quickly, and keeping it below 28°C is crucial for gluten development and achieving a windowpane effect.
To control dough temperature:
In summer, if room temperature exceeds 26°C, use all liquid ingredients chilled, preferably in an ice-water state, and attach an ice pack to the mixer during kneading to ensure the dough stays below 26°C.
In winter, such as in Beijing where room temperature can drop below 16°C, use room temperature liquids and opt for overnight hydration.
Begin kneading after four hours of refrigeration, starting at 15.6°C.
Combine the main dough, poolish, and yeast in the mixing bowl, and mix on low speed for two minutes.
Then, increase to medium speed and knead for about eight minutes until the dough reaches 85% gluten development.
Add butter at this stage, maintaining the ice pack throughout.
The dough temperature will have risen to 24°C.
After three more minutes of medium-speed kneading, lift the dough hook; if the dough pulls away completely and feels strong, it is ready based on experience.
For assurance, perform a windowpane test to check gluten development.
As these are pastry-style buns, achieving a perfect glove membrane like with toast is unnecessary. The final dough temperature should be 25.8°C. Fold and round the dough until the surface is smooth, then place it in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This temperature and humidity are sufficient for room-temperature fermentation, which takes about 1 hour.
After the first fermentation, divide the dough into 60g portions. Shape them and place into molds. Conduct the second fermentation at around 33°C for approximately 50 minutes. The dough is ready when a small indentation made with a finger rebounds slightly.
Brush the fermented dough with milk. Preheat the oven to 170°C upper heat and 200°C lower heat. When the oven thermometer reads 200°C, place the dough in the lower-middle rack. Bake for about 12 minutes until the surface colors, then cover with foil and bake for another 3 minutes. Adjust timing based on mold and oven variations.
Once baked, transfer to a cooling rack to cool. These can also be made into cocoa bread sticks. Pre-baked versions can be frozen and thawed before consumption.
For the whipped cream filling, a crucial step, start by softening butter at room temperature and whisking until slightly pale. Add whipping cream and granulated sugar—ensure the cream is at room temperature. Whip until the mixture separates (over-whipping intentionally). Place the bowl over 60°C warm water briefly until the butter begins to melt, then remove and continue whipping. Add room-temperature milk and whip until smooth.
Transfer the cream to a piping bag for decorating. Note: This batch included coffee liqueur, resulting in a slightly yellow tint, but the flavor remains excellent. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. The plain cream version is particularly appealing.