Golden Steamed Pumpkin Buns filled with luscious custard are slightly sweet, fluffy and so delicious. These little buns bring you the best taste of the season and are made perfectly for breakfast, snacks, or after-dinner desserts.
What Are Steamed Pumpkin Buns?
Steamed pumpkin buns filled with custard are a delectable and popular East Asian dessert or snack. These buns typically consist of a soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet pumpkin-flavored dough that’s steamed until it’s light and airy. The unique twist to these buns is the creamy custard filling, which adds a rich, sweet, and velvety contrast to the pumpkin-flavored exterior.
The preparation usually involves making a dough using pumpkin puree, all-purpose flour, and other ingredients. The dough is divided into smaller portions, filled with a spoonful of custard, and then sealed before steaming. The custard filling is made from ingredients like eggs, milk, sugar, and sometimes additional flavorings like vanilla.
These buns are not only delicious but also visually appealing. They often feature a distinct pumpkin shape, and some variations include decorative touches to resemble a real pumpkin, such as scored markings and small green leaves for a stem. Steamed pumpkin buns with custard are enjoyed as a sweet treat or dessert and are a delightful fusion of flavors and textures, making them a favorite in many Asian cuisines.
Ingredients For Steamed Pumpkin Buns
Steamed pumpkin buns are created with two parts, the pumpkin-infused dough and custard filling.
Custard Filling:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Caster sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Milk powder
- Unsalted butter
Pumpkin Buns Dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Pumpkin puree- made from fresh pumpkin. You may also use the canned pumpkin puree.
- Active dry yeast
- Baking powder
- Caster sugar
- Matcha powder
How To Make Steamed Pumpkin Buns?
Custard Filling:
- Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and milk powder in a bowl. Sift the mixture through a fine strainer to remove lumps. Then, transfer the mixture to a saucepan.
- Heat the saucepan over medium heat, add butter. Stir consistently while cooking until the mixture thickens and turns solid.
- Turn off the heat. Transfer the custard to a clean container and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it before using.
Pumpkin Buns Dough:
- Prepare the pumpkin puree. Microwave or steam the peeled and seeded pumpkin until tender. Then, mash it with a fork.
- Combine all-purpose flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and 90g of pumpkin puree in a bowl and knead until a dough forms. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- After resting, knead it for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes nice and smooth. Divide the dough into 13 equal pieces. Round them into balls and cover them with plastic wrap while shaping them.
- Take one small piece of the dough and add match powder. Knead it until the green color blends in.
Assemble The Buns:
- Divide the custard filling into 20 g for each. Round each piece into a ball and place it on a plate.
- Take one bun dough on the floured surface, and flatten it into a disk with a rolling pin. Place the custard filling in the center, close it, and pinch it tightly to seal. Score the bun with a butter knife to create light strips like the real pumpkin. Place them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper with the sealed side facing down.
- Roll out the green dough with a rolling pin, and cut it with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter to make 12 small leaves. Use the remaining dough to make steams.
- Prick the top of each bun with the tip of a stick, and attach the steam and leaf onto each of them.
- Place the buns in a warm place, such as the microwave or oven, and place a cup of boiling water inside to create a warm and moist environment. Let the buns rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size and become puffy.
- Steam the buns for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave the lid covered for 5 minutes before taking them out.
- Serve them hot.
Tips:
- When making custard, sift the mixture through a fine strainer for a smooth texture.
- While cooking the custard, keep it over medium heat and stir consistently to prevent sticking.
- Do Not overcrowd the pan when proofing the buns. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between them.
- Steam the buns for 10 minutes, and after turning off the heat, leave the lid closed for another 5 minutes to avoid the buns shrinking due to a sudden temperature drop.
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Steamed Pumpkin Buns
Golden Steamed Pumpkin Buns filled with luscious custard are slightly sweet, fluffy and so delicious. These little buns bring you the best taste of the season and are made perfectly for breakfast, snacks, or after-dinner desserts.
Ingredients
Custard Filling
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) Milk
- 6 tablespoons (60g) Caster Sugar
- 3 tablespoons (35g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (20g) Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (10g) Milk Powder
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (35g) Unsalted Butter
Steamed Pumpkin Buns
- 90g Pumpkin Puree
- 1 cup 4 tablespoons (150g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (2g) Active Dry Yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Baking Powder
- 1/2 tablespoon (5g) Caster Sugar
- 1 tablespoon (5g) Matcha Powder
Instructions
Custard Filling:
- Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl, and whisk in milk. Add sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and milk powder. Whisk until well combined. Sift the mixture through a fine strainer to remove lumps. Then, transfer the mixture to a saucepan.
- Heat the saucepan over medium heat, add butter. Stir consistently while cooking until the mixture thickens and turns solid. This step takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once the custard forms, turn off the heat. Transfer the custard to a clean container and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it before using.
Pumpkin Buns Dough:
- Prepare the pumpkin puree. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into small pieces. Place the pumpkin pieces in a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap. Microwave it for 8 minutes until the pumpkin becomes tender.
- Remove the pumpkin from the microwave, and mash it with a fork. Set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and 90g of pumpkin puree. Combine all ingredients with a spatula and knead it into a rough dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- After resting, place the dough on a floured surface. Knead it for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes nice and smooth. Divide the dough into 13 equal pieces. Round them into balls and cover them with plastic wrap while shaping them.
- Take one small piece of the dough and add match powder. Knead it until the green color blends in. Set aside.
Assemble The Buns:
- Remove the custard filling from the refrigerator, and divide it into 20 g each. Round each piece into a ball and place it on a plate.
- Take one bun dough on the floured surface, and flatten it into a disk with a rolling pin. Place the custard filling in the center, close it, and pinch it tightly to seal. Score the bun with a butter knife to create light strips like the real pumpkin. (repeat the same until all ingredients are used).
- Place them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper with the sealed side facing down.
- Roll out the green dough with a rolling pin, and cut it with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter to make 12 small leaves. Use the remaining dough to make steams.
- Prick the top of each bun with the tip of a stick, and attach the steam and leaf onto each of them.
- Place the buns in a warm place, such as the microwave or oven, and place a cup of boiling water inside to create a warm and moist environment. Let the buns rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size and become puffy.
- Steam the buns for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave the lid covered for 5 minutes before taking them out.
- Serve them hot.
Notes
Tips:
- When making custard, sift the mixture through a fine strainer for a smooth texture.
- While cooking the custard, keep it over medium heat and stir consistently to prevent sticking.
- Do Not overcrowd the pan when proofing the buns. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between them.
- Steam the buns for 10 minutes, and after turning off the heat, leave the lid closed for another 5 minutes to avoid the buns shrinking due to a sudden temperature drop.