Red beans and chocolate make a perfect flavor pairing for these fluffy, classic Chinese buns, by Melissa Chou of Grand Opening Bakery in San Francisco.
About 2 Dozen Buns
Milk Bread:
Tang
45 g bread flour
120 g milk
120 g water
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650 g bread flour
90 g sugar
14 g instant yeast
8 g salt
2 eggs
240 g milk
120 g butter
Filling:
20 g Guittard Cocoa Rouge
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
1 1/2 oz water
6 oz butter
10 oz red bean paste, unsweetened
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1 cup Guittard 70 % Bittersweet Baking Bars or wafers, chopped
Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Tang:
Whisk tang ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil whisking, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid the bottom burning. Remove from heat and pour into another container. Put plastic directly onto the surface of the tang and cool to room temp (about 2 hours)
Dough:
Mix together the dry ingredients with the tang in a stand mixer using the dough hook, on low speed. Gradually mix in the eggs and milk (both at room temp) and continue mixing the dough until shaggy and roughly mixed. Then add in the butter in pieces with the mixer still running on low. Continue to mix for about 15 minutes until the dough looks smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover, and proof about 1 hour. Pat dough as evenly as possible onto a flour dusted half sheet pan. Cover, and refrigerate at least one hour.
Filling:
Boil butter and water together. Mix in cocoa, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Then mix in red bean paste. Blend in a blender until shiny and smooth. Cool to room temp.
Syrup:
Boil sugar and water.
Assembly:
Once dough is cold, roll out into a rectangle 8” x 18”. Spread half of the filling in an even layer across the dough. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and chocolate.
With the long side facing you, roll the dough like a jelly roll, then cut the roll into 2 “ pieces. Place in a baking pan lined with parchment paper, and proof another hour until the buns are puffy. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 12 minutes, until the buns are lightly golden.
Brush with the syrup when the buns come out of the oven. Cool about 15 mins and then dust with more Cocoa Rouge.
https://www.guittard.com/in-the-kitchen/recipe-print/chocolate-red-bean-buns