Homemade Char Siu Buns (BBQ Pork Buns)

I'm not sure if most of you felt the same, but I often feel "lazier" after a long weekend. @_@ I managed to travel up to a bigger city nearby for a weekend getaway and got some of my food cravings fixed. There were bubble tea, Korean BBQ and Dim Sum which quite replicate the authentic taste. And speaking of Dim Sum, it reminded me that I've this recipe that I need to share with everyone. ^_^ 

Homemade Char Siu Buns (BBQ Pork Buns)

What could be better than to combine a successful bread dough recipe with a homemade Char Siu recipe? You know you just can't keep anyone's hands off these homemade Char Siu Buns although they may still be very hot from the oven. *_*

I am sharing these Homemade Char Siu Buns (BBQ Pork Buns) with Tea Time Treats (May 2015: Sandwiches, Wraps & Rolls!) hosted by Janie of The Hedgecombers and Karen of Lavender and Lovage.

I am also sharing this recipe with Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello; CookBlogShare organised by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes and guest hosted by Angela of Patisserie Makes Perfect; and Family Bakes and Makes hosted by Jenny of Modern Family Baking.

     

Sausage (Hotdog) Buns

Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all mothers out there! ^_^

Being raised in a traditional Asian Chinese family, (my siblings and) I were never used to saying "I love you" to our parents or heartfelt words of gratification to them for their selfless love and care that they have showered upon us. Until I was older, I came to realise that certain things just have to be said out loud although deep down in our hearts, we are truly appreciative of what they have done for us over the years. As a little warm-up exercise, those heartfelt words made their way through text messages on such special occasions. While we ought to show our gratifications everyday and not just on this day, I see it as a day for a grand sum-up of everything a mother has done over the past year since everyone across the globe celebrates the wonder of all mothers on this very day together.

This is the second year I am missing out on mother's day celebration for being away from home. Although it may seem like every other day, the mark of Mother's Day somehow just makes me think of my mother more than any other day. Perhaps this is its significance. And I suppose this is how I decided to share this recipe.

Back in the past when I was still living with my parents, my siblings and I used to have different variety of buns and bread for breakfast before school, and even later when we started working. My mother would make a trip to the nearby bakery to pick up the buns for each of us, and she makes an effort to pick up different flavours and variety on different days. Having said that, sausage bun, or otherwise called hotdog bun is the most common one that she would pick up since there aren't much selections to our liking. This naturally became a staple and I have no problem eating the same up to 4 times a week.

So when my bread-making turned out to be a success, sausage buns or hotdog buns naturally came up to my mind. And for a twist, I am using Chipotle hotdogs instead of the usual hotdogs. Is this one of your favourite buns too?

Sausage (Hotdog) Buns

I am sharing these Sausage (Hotdog) Buns with Tea Time Treats (May 2015: Sandwiches, Wraps & Rolls!) hosted by Janie of The Hedgecombers and Karen of Lavender and Lovage. Buns or rolls, they all belong to the bread family, right? 

I am also sharing this recipe with Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello; CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes; and Family Bakes hosted by Jenny of Modern Family Baking.

          

Chicken Curry Buns

I have always been intimidated by bread making as most bread making calls for yeast - a "formidable" ingredient that could very much determine the success or failure of bread making. @_@ Although I have attempted bakes using yeast for my Rainbow Flower Buns and Cinnamon Rolls in my past baking experiments, I still wasn't confident in dealing with yeast until after a considerable amount of time spent on researching and understanding about yeast and how it works. After plucking up my courage to attempt these Chicken Curry Buns, I guess I'm not "scared" (of working with yeast) anymore. ^_^

Chicken Curry Buns

And I realised that the happiest moment in bread making isn't when I could finally sink my teeth into these buns, but it is when I know that the yeast is working and I see my dough rising well. Hahaha!

Lemon Cranberry Scones

The summer weather has been unbearably hot and I've been so reluctant to step out of the house lately. Since I've barely made any trips out, I was searching through my pantry cupboard to see what's left when I found a packet of dried cranberries which has been sitting in there for some time. I recalled buying these dried cranberries with the intentions to try out a cranberry chiffon cake recipe which I've been putting off. Yet, I just couldn't find any good timing for that since the hot weather has literally drained my energy for what I considered a "tedious" bake. Considering I wasn't in the mood for any outing and reckoning that I would be staying home during most of the days in the coming week, I thought I should bake something for my stay-home afternoon tea for the next couple of days.

Though I don't really remember having tried scones, let alone really tasty ones, I thought I would have a go at it after recalling the simple steps involved in the making process from an episode on the food channel. As usual, I did some online research and comparison before settling on this recipe. And the results of my experiment? Double thumbs up! ^_^ Feeling so happy with the discovery of another simple and easy recipe to share with all, especially beginner bakers. After the sampling session, one of my "taste judges" even remarked that I can forget about trying store-bought scones as I'll just be lowering my standards. *_*

Lemon Cranberry Scones

So what are you waiting for? Nothing beats experimenting and experiencing it yourself. Not a fan of cranberries? No worries, simply substitute with any other dried fruits, nuts or even chocolate chips!

I am sharing this post with the event, Little Thumbs Up (June 2014: Butter) organised by Bake For Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY hosted by Jozelyn of Spice Up My Kitchen.

I would also like to share this post with The Biscuit Barrel Challenge (June 2014: Summer) organised by Laura of I'd Much Rather Bake Than… because these lemon cranberry scones will be one of my good companions for my stay-home afternoon tea this summer.

I would also like to share this post with the summer event of Four Seasons Food (June 2014: The Colour Red) organised by Louisa of Eat Your Veg and Anneli of Delicieux hosted by Tina of The Spicy Pear.

Cinnamon Rolls

After pushing back this recipe for sometime, I finally attempted my first trial in making these Cinnamon Rolls. My sister pretty much loves cinnamon rolls and she was the one who gave me the idea of making them. Oh wait, did I mention before I have two sisters? Since my previous baking post on Lemon Glazed Vanilla Pound Cupcakes was inspired by the elder of my two younger sisters, I shall dedicate these Cinnamon Rolls to my youngest sister. *_*

Cinnamon Rolls

Many of the recipes online involves double-proofing of the dough. Thankfully my diligent research paid off and I found this easy recipe that required only one time proofing. Though I have not tried one made from a double-proofing method, the cinnamon rolls made from this one rise method were just as tasty and definitely a must-try recipe, especially suitable for first-time bakers. While these rolls were slightly over-baked by me, I consider my first attempt an above average pass with rooms for improvement in terms of the fluffy texture (keep in mind not to roll out the dough too thinly). Meanwhile, I have also discovered an interesting guide about kneading which is worth reading. Now, wait no longer and get your hands dirty by trying out these yummy cinnamon rolls at home today. ^_^

I am sharing this post with the event, Little Thumbs Up (May 2014: Milk) organised by Bake For Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY hosted by Tze of Awayofmind Bakery House.

I am also sharing this post with The Biscuit Barrel Challenge (May 2014: Favourites) organised by Laura of I'd Much Rather Bake Than… because this is my youngest sister's favourite!

Rainbow Flower Buns

The idea of shaping my bakes into a flower shape struck me during one of the sleepless nights I have somehow been experiencing lately, especially when I tend to wake up earlier in the day. @_@

I have not explored much bread-making recipe because I dread the kneading and proofing process. However, I was "seduced" by the appearance of the mini buns when I was browsing through the Aspiring Bakers #8: Bread Seduction theme event which was held in June 2011 (yes how time flies!), and thought how cute they looked before I decided to give it a shot. To my surprise, the buns turned out really soft and fluffy. This is really an easy recipe and a very friendly dough to work with as it is not sticky at all (with the correct measurements of the ingredients). Since then, I have comfortably settled with this bun recipe.

This is not the first time I am making these buns (actually I can't remember how many times I have used this recipe), but I'm extremely thrilled with how the coloured buns turned out in the shape of a flower.

Rainbow Flower Buns

I am submitting this Rainbow Flower Buns to the Aspiring Bakers #40: Rainbow and Ombre Party! (March 2014) hosted by Cynthia of The Baking Biatch.

And I am thankful when the hosts of various baking events allow past baking posts to be submitted to their events. Hence, I am pleasured to share these Rainbow Flower Buns that I'd made with AlphaBakes (July 2014: Letter "R") hosted by Ros of The More than Occasional Baker and Caroline of Caroline Makes.