Beehive Sweet Bun

It's Polling Day here in Singapore & counting of votes is now taking place.... I thought I'd just complete this post while waiting for the results  to be released. Well, I'm pretty sure which party will win for my constituency but, like many Singaporeans, I'm more interested with the results of the hot areas... So it's going to be a long night for us..

This is the honeycomb bun that I made two days ago. Had wanted to bake it long time ago when I saw many Malaysian bloggers showcased theirs. Isn't it gorgeous...? It also tastes finger-licking good! This is one awesome bun which I highly recommend you to bake. Just take a look at the following pictures & see if you are inspired to bake one.

Beehive Sweet Bun

DOUGH
Ingredients:
300g bread flour (high protein flour) - I added about 1 tbsp of flour as my dough was too sticky.
200g plain flour
2 tbsp milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp honey
1 egg
250ml fresh milk
2 tbsp plain yogurt
6g dry yeast
40g sugar
40g butter (softened)
1 tsp salt (I added.)
1 egg + 1 tbsp fresh milk - lightly beaten (for egg wash)
sunflower, pumpkin & black sesame seeds for topping (optional) - You may also use other nuts like almond or walnuts.

USING A BREAD MAKER
      Combine all the ingredients in a bread maker & start mixing using the 'dough' setting. This will take about 1 & 1/2 hour, including proofing time. Then proceed with step 3 below.

USING CAKE MIXER FITTED WITH A DOUGH HOOK (My method.)

      Combine bread flour, plain flour, milk powder, baking powder, honey, egg, milk, yogurt, yeast & sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed (I used speed 3.) until well combined. Add butter & continue beating until a dough is formed. Add salt & continue beating until a soft & elastic dough is formed. (I beat for about 15 minutes.) Then proceed with step 3 below.

USING HAND

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl & mix until the dough doesn't stick to your hand. Then transfer the dough into a clean plastic bag. Squeeze the bag for about 8-10 minutes. Remove the dough from the bag & place it in the mixing bowl again. Continue kneading the dough until it becomes soft & elastic.
2. Leave the dough in the bowl & cover it with a plastic wrap or clean cloth. Leave the dough to rise to twice the volume for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Leave it in a warm place like in a cabinet or an oven (without switching it on) for best results.
3. Gently punch down the dough to remove some gas bubbles. Then divide the dough into small balls (about 40g each). Knead & form into smooth balls. Arrange the balls in a baking pan that has been greased with some butter. Cover the pan with a clean cloth & leave to proof for about 40 minutes.
4. Brush the top of the bun with egg wash. Sprinkle with sunflower, pumpkin & black sesame seeds. Brush with egg wash one more time to ensure the seeds stick to the bun.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 deg C for about 20 minutes. (I baked for about 35 minutes.)
6. Once the bun is cooked, remove the pan from the oven & immediately brush the top with some butter or margarine for a shiny look.
7. Remove the bun from the pan & place it onto a plate. Pour the caramel sauce before serving.

CARAMEL SAUCE
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream, thick cream or fresh cream
a dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup fresh milk (when necessary)

Method:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Add in brown sugar  & continue stirring & cooking until the sugar melts.
3. Add in cream, salt & vanilla. Mix well & continue cooking until the caramel thickens a little bit. Add fresh milk if the caramel becomes too thick.

Source: Azlita @ Masam Manis.

Notes & modifications:

1. Azlita used a breadmaker. She also included  the instruction for mixing with hand. I used my Kenwood Major cake mixer, fitted with a dough hook.
2. I arranged nineteen 40g-balls in an 8-inch round pan & baked the rest of the dough in paper cups.
3. The caramel tends to thicken up when it's cool.
4. The bun is best served on the day it's baked. You can also heat up the bun in the microwave oven for about 10 seconds.