Matcha Buns with Cream Cheese & Red Bean Paste

I have been much too engrossed with other stuff around my life and kind of neglecting my blog for the past week. Although I am still actively baking every other day (if not everyday), I just can't find time to just seat down and post it up. I didn't even go blog hopping lately. Worst would be not answering the valuable comments you folks left for me! *sorry* So my dear fellow blogger and readers, if you don't see me responding or dropping by with comments, hope you'll understand. :P Life's a rat race! Maybe I'm slowly loosing it? Interest I mean. Seriously hope not, lol! Anyway, I tell myself I have better post up something today before I get diverted again. Furthermore, I still have like 8 to 10 backlogs yet to be posted up...arrggghh!:P

Today's bake to share is Matcha Buns with Cream Cheese & Red Bean Paste. :) I know, so unusual isn't it, lol! The bread dough is actually using the 17hr pre-fermented dough method. But as for the filling, it is so impromptu, lol! But guess what, it actually works and taste pretty good. :))

I have originally wanted to use just plain red bean paste as the filling. But I wanted something to offset the sweetness of the red bean paste. And I didn't want to use the same recipe as my Matcha Buns with Mochi & Red Bean Paste post. Suddenly the word "Cheese" from this month's Aspiring Baker's theme pop in my mind! Of course, cream cheese! The slightly salty, tangy taste of the cheese will offset the sweetness from the red bean nicely, right?

I know, some of you folks must be going like "Ai ye, red bean is so Chinese and cream cheese is so western...how to mix together? Something wrong!" Well, you won't really know until you tried it yourself isn't it? *tee tee hee* Okay, even if you are not too keen on the filling, the bread is still a good recipe to try out. It's from "Natural Breads Made Easy" (Chinese is "天然麵面包"). Here it is with slight adjustment from the book:

Ingredients for Matcha Buns with Cream Cheese & Red bean Paste
Pre-ferment Dough:
243g bread flour
139ml water
7g instant active yeast
3.5g sea salt
7g skim milk powder

• Mix everything together until it comes together to form a pliable dough. Place in zip log and let it chill in the fridge up to 17hrs before use.

Main Dough:
104g bread flour
32ml fresh heavy cream
10g matcha powder
3.5g sea salt
52g soft brown sugar
40ml water
36g beaten whole egg
3.5g active instant yeast
18g unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling:
Red Bean Paste
Cream Cheese (beaten till smooth)

Method:

• Knead all ingredients of the main dough together, except the butter. Add pre-ferment dough piece by piece. Knead after each addition until soft and smooth. Add butter. Knead until stretchable consistency.
  
• Put the dough into a big bowl. Cover with cling wrap and let it prove for 30 to 45 minutes till double.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Flatten each portion with your hands to drive the air out. Roll it into square shape, cover and let rest for 20 minutes before shaping.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out a portion of the dough flat (thinner on the side) and place 1 tbsp of red bean paste in the center. Then cut about 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese and place it on top of the sweet paste. Seal the dough up nicely and place it on a greased baking tray or small round mould like what I used. Repeat till all the dough are filled and sealed nicely. Sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top of those buns. Cover and let proof for another 15 to 20 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 180C .
  
• Brush the mini buns with egg wash and bake in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes till golden brown on the surface.

Personally I loved the outcome of this buns. *thick skin* It was very satisfying and delicious. The bread was still soft the next couple days, like any other 17hr pre-fermented dough method recipe. :)

A look at the fluffy soft inside with the creamy sweet filling....yum yum! :D Since I still have a portion of the pre-fermented dough in the fridge, I think I'll be making another set of buns again later...maybe with black sesame paste this time. :) Hope you all will be tempted too.
I will submit this post to Aspiring Bakers #6: Say Cheese! (April 2011) hosted by Jean from Noms I Must. Thanks for hosting Jean!

Will be away for a week. Hopefully when I get back I will post up all my backlogs! *unlikely, lol!* Have a good one all!