pineapple buns

This recipe for pineapple buns is so easy and authentic, you'll be making this Chinese bakery classic at home in no time. No specialty ingredients involved!

Pineapple Buns

heavy cream ((160 ml, at room temperature))

egg ((at room temperature))

sugar ((75 grams))

cake flour ((70 grams))

bread flour ((500 grams))

active dry yeast ((11 grams))

salt ((7 grams))

dry milk powder ((30 grams))

all-purpose flour ((160 grams))

baking soda

baking powder

sugar

vegetable shortening ((50 grams))

milk ((30 ml))

vanilla extract

Start by making the bread dough. In the bowl of a mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (in that order). Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together.

After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough will grow to 1.5X its original size.

After the bread dough has proofed for an hour, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a circular bun, and place on a baking sheet. Cover the buns with a clean, dry kitchen towel and let rise for another hour.

While that's happening, make the topping. Add the dry milk powder to a mixing bowl. If your dry milk powder has some larger clumps, crush them up with your fingers so it’s uniformly powdery.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and superfine sugar. Stir to combine. Add the shortening, milk, egg yolk, and vanilla. Use your hands to mix everything together into a dough. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk a teaspoon at a time until it comes together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.

When the buns are done rising for a second time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Separate the topping dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into balls. On a clean surface, roll out each ball into a flat circle and place one onto each bun.

Brush with egg yolk and bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes.

Pineapple buns are classic pastries that you can find in Hong Kong style bakeries. The bun is soft and slightly sweet and it’s topped with a golden crunchy, crumbly crust. This pineapple bun recipe uses ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.

How to Make Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao)

all-purpose flour (2 tablespoons)

water (1/3 cup)

whole milk (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)

granulated sugar (1 1/2 tablespoons)

active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

bread flour ((see note 1))

kosher salt (1 teaspoon)

sweetened condensed milk (4 tablespoons) ((see note 2))

butter(4 tablespoons) (melted)

butter (4 tablespoons) (at room temperature)

superfine sugar (2/3 cup) ((see note 3))

milk

all-purpose flour ((see note 4))

turmeric

large-sized mixing bowl

stand mixer

baking sheets

parchment paper

Whisk the flour and water inside a saucepan until the flour dissolves. (See note 5 for microwave directions.)

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir the mixture frequently. In about a minute, the flour will start to thicken. Don’t walk away during this process as you can quickly burn the tangzhong! Once the flour develops into a light paste, turn off the heat.

Transfer the tangzhong to a bowl to cool. It will thicken as it cools.

Make the Tangzhong

Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Set it aside. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk for about 40 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar to the milk. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the milk. It should be around 110ºF to 120ºF. It’s okay if you are just several degrees off. 

Add the yeast and stir to hydrate the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. After 5 to 8 minutes, the milk/yeast mixture will foam up.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, salt, condensed milk, egg, melted butter, tangzhong and the foamy milk/yeast mixture. 

Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix the dough on low for 8 minutes (see note 6). If the dough completely spins away from the dough hook after a few minutes, turn off the mixer. Readjust the dough right into the center of the bowl and position the dough hook in the center of the dough. Run the mixer on “stir” for 15 seconds or so before you increase the speed to low.

After 10 minutes, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface and knead it several times. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, so you do not need to flour the surface.

Shape the dough into a ball and place inside the greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic or silicone mat. Let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the dough doubles in size. 

Prepare the Dough for Buns

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the flat beater attachment. Cream the butter on medium-low until it is light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the superfine sugar in two batches. The mixture will look very crumbly at this point, and that’s okay.

Next, add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, and mix on low until just combined. 

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and turmeric. Add half of the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low until the flour is combined. Then, add the remaining flour and mix again. Once all the loose flour has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low, and keep mixing until the dough starts to come together into large chunks. 

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a surface. Gather it up into one large ball of dough. Transfer this to another bowl and cover it with a towel or silicone mat until the buns are done proofing.

Prepare the Dough for Topping

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Once doubled, punch down the dough to release excess air. Turn the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions (450 to 456 grams each). Place 1 portion of dough back into the bowl, cover it, and refrigerate while you shape the first batch of buns.

Next, divide the remaining dough into 6 equal pieces (74 to 76 grams each). Take one of the pieces of dough and knead it several times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, shape this dough into a ball and transfer it to the lined baking sheet, seam side down. The dough should be about 2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.

Cover the balls of dough with a towel and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, until they increase to 1.5 times its size (about 3 inches in diameter). 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. If you want more golden looking pineapple buns, preheat the oven to 385ºF. Position an oven rack to the center position.

Shape the Buns (Use Photos in Blog Post for Reference)

While the buns are proofing, divide the dough for the topping into 12 pieces (about 27 to 29 grams each). Roll each piece into a ball.

Take a plastic storage bag, and cut off the zipper. Continue cutting the bag along the edges so that you have 2 large sheets of plastic. You’ll be rolling the topping in between these plastic sheets.

In a small bowl, prepare the egg wash by whisking an egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of milk.

After the buns are done proofing, start rolling out the topping. 

Take a ball of the topping dough and place it on the center of a plastic sheet. Lightly flatten the dough out with the palm of your hand. Then, cover the flattened disc with the other sheet of plastic. Roll out the dough until you get a circle that is 3.5 to 3.75 inches wide. 

Peel off the top sheet of plastic, turn the topping onto your hand and carefully peel off the other sheet of plastic. 

Drape the topping over one of the buns. The topping shouldn’t cover the bun completely. The topping can burn if it touches the bottom of the baking sheet. Continue rolling out the topping and draping it over the buns.

Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash. 

Bake the buns for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden. 

Once the first batch of buns is in the oven, prepare the second batch of buns and bake. 

Let the buns cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy the buns while they’re still warm! That’s when they are the tastiest.

Add the Topping and Bake (Use Photos in Blog Post for Reference)

These Homemade Pineapple Buns taste just like the Chinese bakery classic. They feature a soft and light, pillowy bun with a crunchy, lightly sweet buttery topping. 

Homemade Pineapple Buns (Bo Lo Bao)

salted butter (room temperature)

g cake flour

g all-purpose flour

g sugar

g powdered/icing sugar

dry milk powder

g baking powder

Tbsp egg white or milk

tsp vanilla extract

85 ml whole milk

115 ml whole milk (warm)

g active dry yeast

sea salt

ml avocado oil oil

In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add in the room temperature butter.

Cream the butter for about 30 seconds, until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add in the cake flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, powdered/icing sugar, dry milk powder, and baking powder until combined and crumbly.

Add in the egg yolk, 1 Tbsp of egg white and vanilla extract and continue to mix for another 30 seconds.

The mixture should be able to clump together in your hand. If it is too dry, add 1 tsp of milk or egg white to the mixture.

Transfer the butter mixture to a large piece of parchment paper and flatten out with a rolling pin.

Chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the topping (each topping should be about 35g).

Keep the cut out topping in the fridge until ready to use.

Alternatively, you can shape the butter mixture into a log.

Chill in the fridge and then cut into discs, and then flatten out into a round. It just depends if you want a clean round cut or not.

Make the topping:

Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan.

Whisk over medium heat until thickened and gloopy, with a texture similar to a gluey paste.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Make the tangzhong:

In a small bowl, combine the warmed milk, sugar, and yeast. Give it a stir and let the yeast activate and become bubbly, a few minutes.

In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment, add in the cooled tangzhong mixture, flour, sea salt, egg, oil, and the activated yeast mixture.

Knead until the dough becomes shiny and smooth, at least 5-8 minutes. The dough may appear wet at first, but it will come together.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a tea towel in a warm location. Leave it to rise until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Deflate the dough and divide into 8 equal portions, about 76g each.

Shape the dough into a round ball with your hand and place onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet. (I used a 9" by 17" baking sheet).

Allow some space between each dough for it to expand. Repeat with the remainder.

Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and let it become slightly puffy, about 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.

Remove the butter topping from the fridge.

Use a sharp pairing knife to make parallel slits on each topping going in one direction, and then repeat going in the opposite direction, so that you end up with "hashtags," or the visual effect of a pineapple.

Use a dough scraper to transfer the butter topping onto the surface of each dough ball.

Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the topping with egg white (or milk).

Bake at 350°F/177°C for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden in colour.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack.

Best enjoyed freshly baked.

Make the dough:

These were lovely and fluffy. It was almost like a yeast doughnut. 
I want to try them again, but with a parmesan "cookie" on top and use them for pork burgers.

These pineapple buns are so yummy and very delicious! My daughter and I had loads of fun making these together! Such a great and easy recipe! Making these again very soon!

What a special recipe, yet so easy to make! The whole family enjoyed these beautiful pineapple buns. We hand tore them in half and lavished them with butter. A great way to start the day!

Such gorgeous Bo Lo Bao! I absolutely love that golden crust. Definitely perfect for pairing with Hong Kong Milk Tea.

Interesting that pineapple buns don't actually have any pineapple! They turned out beautiful, and were light and fluffy!

I had this once many years ago with a filling - it was delicious - I noticed you have a filling too - printed out the recipe and cant wait to try it!!

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