These black sesame hedgehog baos are cute and delicious. It’s great way to add black sesame to your diet. In this recipe, I use a shortcut and only proof the dough once. The baos are still fluffy and soft. I don’t see any difference in the baos proofed once or twice. You can always keep the baos in the freezer and steam them for a quick breakfast. Everyone would love this, especially kids!
Hedgehog Baos Recipe
Soft, fluffy baos in the shape of a hedgehog. Who could resist this?
Ingredients
For Baos
- 300 gr Hong Kong Flour
- 4 gr Instant Yeast ( or 1 1/4 tsp)
- 70 gr Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil (Canola or anything with no smell)
- 150 ml Milk
- Black Sesame Seeds for the eyes
For Black Sesame Filling
- 50 gr ground black sesame
- 40 gr unsalted butter softened
- 20 gr powdered sugar
Instructions
For Baos
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Warm up sugar and milk in a saucepan to 35-37deg C. Don't heat up more than 37deg C (it will kill the yeast). If you don't have a cooking thermometer, the milk should be warm, but not hot.
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Add in yeast to the mixture of sugar and milk. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
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While waiting, put Hong Kong flour in a big bowl. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, pour it in into the flour.
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Use mixer with dough attachment and mix for 1 minute.
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Add 1tbsp cooking oil and continue kneading for another 5-8 minutes until dough comes together and is not sticky.
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Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. The weight of the dough should be between 520-550gr.
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Set aside 100 gr of the dough for the black part of the hedgehog.
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Divide the remaining dough into 2. Cover one half of the dough and put it in the fridge to stop yeast activity. I do this step because my steamer is not big enough to steam all 12 buns. If your steamer is big, you may skip this step.
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Take 100gr of the dough that you set aside earlier and mix with ground black sesame powder. Knead the dough lightly to combine.
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Divide into 12 balls. Flatten it thin to cover the hedgehog's body.
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Take one half of the white dough and shape into 6 balls, each weighing around 34-36gr.
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Flatten the dough with a rolling pin, add the filling and close the dough.
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Shape all 6 into a hedgehog and cover the body with the thin black dough.
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Dab the dough with room temperature milk to make it shiny and smooth.
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Cut the body by using a scissors to form spikes.
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Use black sesame seeds for the eyes. Add nose if you'd like.
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Place it in a covered container and leave it to proof for 15 minutes (not more than that). Dough should increase in size but it won't be very visible.
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Transfer to a steamer and steam in low heat for 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat but do not open the lid or the baos will shrink. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
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While waiting, take out the other half of the dough from the fridge. Repeat steps 11 to 18.
For Black Sesame Filling
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Mix black sesame, powdered sugar, softened butter in a small bowl.
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Store it in the fridge until needed.