Clem's Rotiboy Buns

 

I was introduced to Rotiboy buns in Kuala Lumpur by my good friend Bill in 2012. I found them to be wonderfully fragrant and tasty, what with its crunchy crust. The Rotiboy is basically a fluffy butter bun with a coffee-butter-sugar crust. In Malaysia, it is thought to have  been first seen in Penang.  In Mexico, this type of bun is known as Papparoti buns. In Hong Kong, there is similar baked offering called Polo bun which is also a soft bun but with a butter sugar crust (no coffee).

Since Kuching did not have a Rotiboy outlet until 2022, they were a delight only had when people in East Malaysia passed through KL. But, here is how you can make your own:

INGREDIENTS
 

To make six buns

For the dough:

• 200 g of bread flour (this is high-protein [meaning gluten] flour).
   
• 110 mL full cream milk.
   
• 25 g sugar.
   
• 45 g of unsalted butter.
   
• 1/2 a beaten egg (the other half goes to ingredients for the crust).
   
• some 5 g of instant dried yeast.
   
• 3 g salt.
   

For the crust:

• 3 g instant coffee powder.
   
• 1/2 a beaten egg.
   
• 35 g sugar.
   
• 40 g unsalted butter.
   
• You may choose to add extra flavouring such as vanilla at this stage (optional).
   

For the bun filling (butter/flour paste):

• 19 g unsalted butter.
   
• 19 g sugar.
   
• 22 g plain flour.
  
  Rotiboy buns supposedly only have butter knobs added as filling. However, due several reports from other bakers that the butter often melts and runs out of the bun during baking, I decided to make the butter into a paste with flour. This filling is like that used in the famous Kuching butter buns (Goo Eu Pao) found at a bakery in Poh Kwong Park.
   

METHOD
 

• Mix (by hand, or in a mixer with a dough hook), the flour, milk, beaten egg, sugar and yeast powder.
   
• When all the ingredients are well incorporated, add the butter in pieces.
   
• Continue kneading/mixing until the dough has become just sticky enough to want to cling to your hands or the walls of the bowl and yet will release relatively easily.
   
• Roll the dough together into one mass, cover with plastic wrap in a bowl and let the yeast do its work in producing carbon dioxide from the added sugar. Be sure that the dough is sitting at an ambient temperature of at least 30 degrees centigrade so that the yeast are active.
  It is also at this time that the gluten in the flour hydrates properly and begins to form a network structure, thus giving the dough elasticity. It is this network structure and elastic character which traps the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast to give the dough its airiness and bounce (air pockets in the dough get sealed in when it is cooked).
  
  This stage of dough handling is called proofing and it takes time for gas to be evolved and the gluten network to form. This is why the dough is set aside a few times during bun-making (and of other bakery products which are leavened).
  
  Set the dough aside and let it proof in a warm spot.
   
• At this point move to two other parts of the method:
   
  • Make the bun filling -
    Mix the flour, sugar and butter together until well blended.
    Divide the filling into 6 portions.
    Set aside.
     
  • Make the bun crusting -
    Add 5 mL of hot water to the 3 g of instant coffee powder. Make sure that it is all dissolved (hard to dissolve while in the crust mix later).
    Add the sugar.
    Add the butter.
    Add the beaten egg.
    Mix well and set aside.
     
• After one hour of proofing the dough, confirm that the dough has increased in size (at least doubled), and then knead it again for a minute or two to release most of the large pockets of gas.
   
• Divide the dough into 6 portions.
   
• Knead and roll into balls.
   
• Make an indentation in each dough ball and place a portion of bun filling  in it.
   
• Gather the dough around the filling and seal it in.
  Roll the ball, flatten it a bit and place on a baking tray.
   
• When all six balls are done, pipe the crusting on top of each dough ball.
  The crusting will melt and run down the sides of each dough ball during baking.
  So deposit as much crusting as you think will cover the dough ball sufficiently after baking.
  The thickness of the crusting and its spread depends on the formulation and baking received and so a few bakes may be necessary to make adjustments until the crust of your liking is developed.

Rotiboy dough balls piped with crusting, final-proofed and oven-ready

 

• Place the tray of piped dough balls into a pre-heated, 180°C oven.
   
• Bake for some 20 minutes with checking a few times to monitor progress.
  The desired baking temperature and time is that which results in a moist fluffy bun with a crunchy crust.
   
• Aim to consume Rotiboys quickly as they do not store well - moisture in the air quickly dissipates the crunchiness first obtained when fresh out of the oven.

Rotiboy buns fresh out of the oven

 

Enjoy!

02 June 2024

www.clemkuek.com
 

Created by Clem Kuek