Chinese Ham and Cheese Buns

Chinese ham and cheese buns combine the tenderness of an enriched dough with the gooeyness of melted cheese and the savoriness of ham.  I love making a batch, freezing half, and then gradually defrosting and eating the buns.

https://thewoksoflife.com/2015/10/ham-and-cheese-buns/

 

Chinese Ham and Cheese Buns
Adapted from Woks of Life

Yield: 12 buns

For the buns:

• 2/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
• 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon milk (at room temperature)
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2-3/4 cup cake flour OR all-purpose flour (start with the low end and add more if the climate is humid and the dough is too sticky)
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 12 slices ham
• 12 slices cheese, such as Swiss

For the egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water

For the simple syrup (optional):

• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons hot water

 

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake OR all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt.
2. Use the dough hook attachment, and turn on the mixer to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together.  The dough should feel tacky but not sticky.  If you’re in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour until it comes together. If you don’t have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes of mixing, 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.
4. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. After the hour of proofing, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles.
6. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 12 equal pieces.  (It’s easiest to do this if you have a kitchen scale.)
7. Roll out each piece into a rough oval/rectangle shape, and lay the ham and cheese on top. If you’re using supermarket pre-sliced ham and cheese, fold each piece in half.
8. With the short end facing you, roll everything up into a log (so you get a short, fat log, not a long, skinny one).
9. Cut three slits into the top of each bun (about ½ inch deep).
10. Continue assembling until all the buns are made.
11. Place on baking sheets and cover with a clean, damp towel or plastic wrap.
12. Allow to rise for another hour.
13. During the latter part of the final rise, position racks to divide oven into thirds and preheat to 350ºF.
14. Whisk together egg and water.
15. Brush the risen buns with egg wash and bake for 20-24 minutes until golden. Halfway through baking, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back.  Remove from the oven.
16. If desired, dissolve sugar in hot water to make simple syrup.  Brush the buns with sugar water to give them a really great shine, sweetness, and color.
17. To store, cool completely and store in an airtight container in the freezer.  You can later defrost and toast them.