Pork floss buns for the home sick

*Update: Metric Measurements are now included for the pork floss buns. Enjoy!*

I think I am sick. Ever since I came back from Asia, I have been dreaming about my friends and family every night. Last night, my dream was about me eating packed lunch in my secondary school canteen when some guys came in for extermination. I stood up and told the guys that they should do that after our lunch. But the rest of my friends just continued to eat their food and couldn't seem to care less.

I find it weird that most of the time, my dreams are so absurd and mean absolutely nothing. OCT on the other hand, says he always see whoever he misses in his dream. But his dreams are always filled with wars or other natural disaters he is trying to run away.

So why am I talking about dreams? Oh, I remember. I am telling you about my sickness. One that I call home sick. I can hardly believe that it will be another 11 months (or longer) before we can head home again. What more with the imminent move to a new city in April, I can't be all optimistic for a longer than 2 weeks stay in Asia next year.

Whenever I am in Singapore, I like to check out one of the 25 outlets of Breadtalk, and get one of their signature pork floss buns. It is nothing fancy but a sweet bun filled with a secret mayo-like cream and pork floss topping. Upon its induction, many of the local bakeries try to imitate the famous bun and introduce a similar version of their own. All of a sudden, pork floss buns seem to take over the whole island, and became a must have item in all the bakeries. The hype when the pork floss buns were first introduced was only like yesterday. I remember myself joining the beeline of people queuing for the freshly made pork floss buns, choosing one with the most floss on top of the bun, and wouldn't mind eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, oblivious to the amount of calories one pork floss bun actually packs. Those were the days. I miss the convenience of having a breadtalk (or other equally good bakeries, for that matter) at every corner I turn.

This is my version of the pork floss bun. It is by no means comparable to the real deal. But they will work for my craving and oh, the home sick for now.

Hungry for more bread?

French Bread
Chocolate Babka
Onion Mustard Monkey Bread
Tender Potato Bread

Pork Floss Bun

basic sweet bun dough:(In cups measurement)
3 cups bread flour
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 pack rapid rise yeast
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons dry milk powder
300ml warm water (about 105F)
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature

in metric measurement:
480g bread flour
120g all purpose flour
1 pack rapid rise yeast
110g caster sugar
20g dry milk powder
300ml warm water (about 105F)
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature

pork floss
mayonaise

Add yeast to warm water in a medium bowl, and set aside for 10 minutes.

Next, add the bread flour, all purpose flour, granulated sugar and dry milk powder into a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the water + yeast mixture with the help of a scraper.

Add in egg and softened butter. Mix well and knead to form a smooth and elastic dough. Because I know it will be easier to show you how to knead in a video, so I asked my boy friend to do just that. Enjoy!

(Ok,so you know he really can't be my boyfriend. But isn't he cute?)

After kneading, leave the dough to prove for 1 hour, or till it doubles in size.

Try pressing a finger into the dough, it should leave a clear mark when it's ready. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

For pork floss bun,
Divide the dough into 60g portion, shape into balls and leave them to rest for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into oblong shape and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Or you can grease the baking sheet without using parchment. Leave the dough to prove for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Brush with egg wash and bake on the middle of the oven at 375F for 12-15 minutes.

When the buns are cooled, spread a thin layer of mayonaise on top of the buns and coat generously with pork floss.