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Hong Kong pineapple buns · bo lo bao

Name: Hong Kong pineapple buns · bo lo bao
Yield: 12 buns
Cuisine: Hong Kong
Ingredients: 160 mL Heavy cream Room-temperature; 235 mL Milk Room-temperature; 1 Large egg Room-temperature; 75 g Sugar; 70 g Cake flour; 500 g Bread flour; 11 g Active dry yeast; 7 g Salt; 30 g Milk powder Crush lumps; 175 g All-purpose flour; 2.46 mL Baking soda; 1.23 mL Baking powder; 150 g Superfine sugar; 50 g Vegetable shortening; 30 mL Milk; 1 Egg yolk; 0.62 mL Alcohol-free vanilla Use 1:1-strength flavouring; 1 Egg yolk Beaten

Makes: 12 buns
Heat: 175°C
Baking time: 12–13 min

Hong Kong World collection

Hong Kong pineapple buns · bo lo bao

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Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
A	Heavy cream	160 mL	Room-temperature
A	Milk	235 mL	Room-temperature
A	Large egg	1	Room-temperature
A	Sugar	75 g
A	Cake flour	70 g
A	Bread flour	500 g
A	Active dry yeast	11 g
A	Salt	7 g
B	Milk powder	30 g	Crush lumps
B	All-purpose flour	175 g
B	Baking soda	2.46 mL
B	Baking powder	1.23 mL
B	Superfine sugar	150 g
C	Vegetable shortening	50 g
C	Milk	30 mL
C	Egg yolk	1
C	Alcohol-free vanilla	0.62 mL	Use 1:1-strength flavouring
Finish	Egg yolk	1	Beaten

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Stand mixer with dough hook	Use a large bowl, sturdy spoon and hand kneading. Follow the dough’s smoothness and stretch cues; it may take longer.
Lined trays	Use a reusable baking liner rated for this heat, or grease the tray only if the method allows it. For sticky dough or meringue, keep a proper nonstick liner.
Rolling pin	Use a clean, smooth, sturdy bottle with its cap secured. Roll gently; for pastry, keep the bottle cool and dry.

Timing & recipe details

Time & temperature

Baking temperature: 175°C
Baking time: 12–13 min

Yield: 12 buns
Heat: 175°C
Plan for: 2 hours 42 minutes

Method

01 · Knead
15 min
Use: A
Add in listed order; knead on lowest setting.
Ready when: Cohesive dough.
01 Make the doughKnead the enriched dough until it holds together.
02 · Rise
1 hour
Use: Dough
Cover warmly.
Ready when: 1½ times larger.
02 Let it riseKeep the dough covered until about one and a half times its starting size.
03 · Shape
Rise 1 hour
Use: Dough
Knead 5 minutes; divide into 12 balls. Cover on trays.
Ready when: Expanded.
03 Shape twelve bunsDivide into twelve smooth balls and leave them covered to rise.
04 · Topping
During rise
Use: B+C
Combine B, then C; mix into dough. Cover.
Ready when: Cohesive.
04 Mix the toppingMix the dry topping ingredients, then add the shortening, milk, yolk and vanilla.
05 · Assemble
Use: Topping+ buns
Preheat. Divide topping into 12; roll discs covering only bun tops. Brush with yolk.
Ready when: Edges uncovered.
05 Cover the bun topsFit topping discs over the tops, leaving the sides uncovered, and brush with yolk.
06 · Bake
12–13 min
Use: Buns
Bake; cool on rack.
Ready when: Cracked topping.
06 Bake and coolBake until the topping cracks, then cool the buns on a rack.

What to look for

Stage	Look / feel for	Needs attention
Kneading	Dough releases bowl sides.	Dry, flour-heavy dough.

Troubleshooting

If you see this	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Sticky bowl sides	Excess moisture.	Add flour in 15 mL increments.	Allow kneading first.
Topping will not bind	Mixture too dry.	Add milk 4.93 mL at a time.	Stop once cohesive.

Show ingredient flow

Source and measurement notes

Alcohol-free vanilla replaces the published vanilla; use a flavouring labelled for a 1:1 substitution. Uses vegetable shortening.

Recipe

Hong Kong pineapple buns · bo lo bao

Soft buns with a crackled crust; no pineapple.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
A	Heavy cream	160 mL	Room-temperature
A	Milk	235 mL	Room-temperature
A	Large egg	1	Room-temperature
A	Sugar	75 g
A	Cake flour	70 g
A	Bread flour	500 g
A	Active dry yeast	11 g
A	Salt	7 g
B	Milk powder	30 g	Crush lumps
B	All-purpose flour	175 g
B	Baking soda	2.46 mL
B	Baking powder	1.23 mL
B	Superfine sugar	150 g
C	Vegetable shortening	50 g
C	Milk	30 mL
C	Egg yolk	1
C	Alcohol-free vanilla	0.62 mL	Use 1:1-strength flavouring
Finish	Egg yolk	1	Beaten

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
Stand mixer with dough hook	Use a large bowl, sturdy spoon and hand kneading. Follow the dough’s smoothness and stretch cues; it may take longer.
Lined trays	Use a reusable baking liner rated for this heat, or grease the tray only if the method allows it. For sticky dough or meringue, keep a proper nonstick liner.
Rolling pin	Use a clean, smooth, sturdy bottle with its cap secured. Roll gently; for pastry, keep the bottle cool and dry.

Timing & recipe details

Makes: 12 buns
Heat: 175°C
Allow: 2 hours 42 minutes

How do I make it?

Make the dough
15 min
Put the dough ingredients in group A into the mixer in their listed order. Knead on the lowest setting for 15 minutes, until the dough holds together.
Knead the enriched dough until it holds together.
Ready when: Cohesive dough.
Let it rise
1 hour
Cover the dough and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, until about 1½ times its starting size.
Keep the dough covered until about one and a half times its starting size.
Ready when: 1½ times larger.
Shape and rise again
Rise 1 hour
Knead for 5 minutes, then make 12 balls and place them on trays. Cover and leave for another 1 hour, until expanded.
Divide into twelve smooth balls and leave them covered to rise.
Ready when: Expanded.
Make the topping
During rise
While the buns rise, mix the dry topping ingredients in group B. Add the shortening, milk, egg yolk and vanilla in group C, then mix until the topping holds together. Cover it.
Mix the dry topping ingredients, then add the shortening, milk, yolk and vanilla.
Ready when: Cohesive.
Cover the bun tops
Heat the oven to 175°C. Divide the topping into 12 pieces and roll into discs just large enough to cover the bun tops, leaving the sides bare. Place on the buns and brush with the beaten finishing egg yolk.
Fit topping discs over the tops, leaving the sides uncovered, and brush with yolk.
Ready when: Edges uncovered.
Bake
12–13 min
Bake for 12–13 minutes, until the topping has cracked. Cool the buns on a rack.
Bake until the topping cracks, then cool the buns on a rack.
Ready when: Cracked topping.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you notice	Likely cause	What to do
Sticky bowl sides	Excess moisture.	Add flour in 15 mL increments. Allow kneading first.
Topping will not bind	Mixture too dry.	Add milk 4.93 mL at a time. Stop once cohesive.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Hong Kong pineapple buns · bo lo bao at a glance

Makes: 12 buns
Heat: 175°C
Baking time: 12–13 min
Leavening: Yeast

How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Percentages compare each listed weight with the combined flour weight (100%). These are ingredient ratios, not dough hydration; milk, eggs and fillings contain other ingredients as well as water.

Formula component	Grams	Flour = 100%
Sugar	75 g	10.1%
Cake flour	70 g	9.4%
Bread flour	500 g	67.1%
Active dry yeast	11 g	1.5%
Salt	7 g	0.9%
Milk powder	30 g	4%
All-purpose flour	175 g	23.5%
Superfine sugar	150 g	20.1%
Vegetable shortening	50 g	6.7%

Method

01 · Knead

02 · Rise

03 · Shape

04 · Topping

05 · Assemble

06 · Bake

What to look for

Troubleshooting

How do I make it?

Make the dough

Let it rise

Shape and rise again

Make the topping

Cover the bun tops

Bake

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

Hong Kong pineapple buns · bo lo bao at a glance