Pork Floss Scallions Buns

In Taiwan, pork floss spring onion buns (肉鬆蔥花麵包) are a beloved bakery staple, blending savory and mildly sweet flavors that appeal to both locals and visitors. You'll find these buns in nearly every bakery, from small neighborhood shops to big chains. They’re made from soft, fluffy bread dough and feature a unique filling or topping of pork floss (肉鬆), a light, cottony shredded pork with a subtly sweet and savory flavor, paired with finely chopped spring onions that add a fresh, aromatic bite.

These buns are popular as breakfast items or afternoon snacks. 

In the past, I absolutely hated pork floss, but over time I got used to it. Although I don’t choose to eat it on its own, I don’t mind it if it’s in a dish. I know my husband and son both like it, so I decided to make these buns, and they were a huge hit! I actually enjoyed the taste too. The only thing I would change next time is to add more pork floss and spring onions, as it felt like there wasn’t quite enough.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

- 250 g all-purpose flour

- 4 g active dry yeast

- 120 ml warm milk or water

- 15 g granulated sugar

- ¼ teaspoon sea salt

- 1/2 large egg, beaten (reserve some for egg wash)

- 30 ml avocado oil or neutral vegetable oil

For the Topping:

- ⅜ cup dried pork floss 20g 

- ½ cup chopped green onions (about 2-3 green onions)

- Black and white sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Mixing the Dough:

   - In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Gradually add the warm water.

   - Knead the dough using a mixer with a dough hook or by hand for about 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.

2. First Proofing:

   - Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with kitchen towel, and place it in a warm location. 

   -  Allow it to double in size, which usually takes about 1-1.5 hour.

3. Shape the Buns:

   - After the dough has risen, divide it into 6 equal portions.

   - Roll each portion into a rectangle or oval shape.

   - Brush the surface with a little beaten egg.

   - Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of pork floss and 1 tablespoon of chopped green onions over the dough.

4. Roll and Braid the Dough:

   - Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log (like a cigar). Pinch the seams to seal.

   - With the dough positioned vertically like the letter "I," use a sharp knife to make a slit down the middle, leaving about 2cm uncut at the top.

   - You will now have two strands, still connected at the top. Carefully braid these two strands over each other.

   - Twist the dough, pinching and tucking the ends underneath to form a bun shape.

5. Second Proofing:

   - Place the shaped buns onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If any filling has fallen out during the braiding, gather it up and place it back on the buns.

   - Loosely cover the buns and let them rise for about 20 minutes until slightly puffy.

6. Bake the Buns:

   - Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).

   - Brush the tops of the buns with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds if desired.

   - Bake the buns for 20-22 minutes until they turn golden brown.

7. Serve:

   - Let the buns cool slightly, then serve them warm or at room temperature. Enjoy their soft, savory flavor!

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Chocolate Oat Flour Cake

I wanted to make a healthier dessert, so I swapped out wheat flour for oats instead. I ground the oats into flour and added it to the batter. The first time, I made a big mistake by adding water to the oat flour right away—it soaked up the water immediately, and once I added the other ingredients, it became tough to mix smoothly. After baking, there were visible white spots from the oats, which didn’t affect the taste but did impact the appearance.

On my second attempt, I mixed the water in at the very end, after combining all the other ingredients, which resulted in a smooth batter with no spots in the baked cake—making it look much better. While the texture was more crumbly than with regular flour, and it might not work well for something like a birthday cake, it tasted great. No one even guessed it was made with oat flour!

If you're using oat flour in this recipe, keep the 100ml of hot water as it's necessary to help hydrate the oat flour since it absorbs more liquid compared to regular wheat flour. Oat flour lacks gluten, so the cake will have a more tender , crumbly texture. You can expect the cake to be softer and slightly denser.

If you want to replace the oat flour with cake flour, reduce the amount of liquid (hot water) to about 60-70ml since cake flour contains gluten and doesn’t absorb as much water.

The presence of gluten in cake flour helps hold the cake together, so the texture will be less crumbly and more structured than with oat flour.

Ingredients

- 140g oat flour

- 50g cocoa powder

- 8g baking powder

- 100ml hot water

- 100g brown sugar

- 80g vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)

- 2 large eggs

- 30g almonds (sliced ​​or chopped)

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan:

- Line a 6-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray or a little oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.

2. Mix dry ingredients:

- In a large bowl, combine oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and brown sugar. Mix them together evenly with a whisk, breaking up any lumps.

3. Add wet ingredients:

- Add oil and eggs to dry ingredients. Begin stirring the mixture gently to combine. The batter will thicken at this point.

4. Add hot water:

- While stirring the batter, slowly pour in hot water. Continue stirring until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. Hot water helps dissolve the sugar and creates a more even texture.

5. Prepare to bake:

- Pour the batter into the prepared 6-inch pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle chopped or sliced ​​almonds over the top of the batter.

6. Bake the cake:

- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Once preheated, bake the cake for 40-45 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the cake - if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.

7. Cool and serve:

- Allow cake to cool completely in pan on wire rack before slicing. Once cooled, you may choose to drizzle melted chocolate on top for an extra touch. Slice and serve.

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Beef Mince Baked Buns

Based on the recipe for Hujiaobing (Pepper Buns) that I made in the past, I prepared beef mince-filled buns, which turned out super tasty. The juicy beef filling, seasoned with spices and wrapped in a crispy, golden bun, was a delicious twist on the traditional pepper buns.

Ingredients

Buns:

- 270 g bread flour

- 5g instant yeast or active dry yeast

- ½ tsp salt

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 15 g oil

- 170 ml warm water

Filling:

- 280 g ground beef

- 1 tsp ground black pepper

- ½ tsp ground white pepper

- ½ tsp salt

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1 tsp sesame oil 

- 60 g green onion, finely chopped

- 60g grated carrot 

Glaze:

- 1 tsp honey + 1 tsp water

Garnish:

- white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Prepare the Filling:

- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the filling ingredients.

- Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Prepare the Dough:

  - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.

  - Add oil and warm water.

  - Use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment to knead the dough until smooth and not sticky or knead by hand

- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Wrapping

- Divide the filling into six equal portions.

- Preheat oven to 200°C.

- Flatten the risen dough to remove air and divide it into six equal pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered.

- Roll into an oval shape.

- Place one portion of filling in the center of the dough.

- Gather the edges of the dough to pinch and seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

- Place the wrapped buns seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

- Brush the tops of the buns with the honey-water mixture, then gently dip them or sprinkle them with sesame seeds.

4. Baking

- Place the baking sheet in preheated oven. 

- Bake for 20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and the meat filling is cooked through.

- Remove from the oven and transfer the buns to a cooling rack. Serve warm.

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Banana Chocolate Pancakes - Racuchy Czekoladowo-bananowe

Racuchy are traditional Polish pancakes similar to American pancakes but may have different variations in terms of ingredients and toppings.

The batter for racuchy typically includes flour, eggs, milk or water, and sometimes yeast or baking powder for leavening. It can also contain additional ingredients such as sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and sometimes grated apples or other fruits.

Once the batter is prepared, it's cooked on a skillet or griddle until golden brown on both sides. Racuchy can be served sweet or savory, and they are often enjoyed with toppings such as powdered sugar, maple syrup, jam, fruit compote, or sour cream.

This is a non-traditional version of racuchy (Polish pancakes) made with the addition of banana and cocoa powder, offering a rich and fruity twist. Unlike the classic version with cubed apples, these pancakes are chocolaty and sweet, with a soft, moist texture from the banana.

Ingredients

- 220 cake flour

- 30g cocoa powder 

- 4g dry yeast

- 180ml warm milk

- 40g sugar

- 2 bananas

- 1 egg 

Instructions

1. Activate the Yeast:

   - If using fresh yeast, crumble it into a small bowl. If using dry yeast, you can add it directly to the flour.

   - In a mixing bowl, combine the warm milk with the sugar and yeast. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes frothy.

2. Prepare the Dough:

   - Once the yeast mixture is frothy, add the flour and egg to the bowl. 

   - Mix everything together until a smooth batter forms. You can use a whisk or a spoon for this step.

3. Proof the Dough:

   - Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place. 

   - Allow the dough to rise for about 60 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

4. Cook the Pancakes:

   - Heat a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. 

   - Lightly grease the pan with butter or oil.

   - Using spoon scoop 1-2 spoonful of pancake batter onto the hot pan, spreading it out slightly with the back of the spoon.

   - Cook the pancake for 2-3 minutes on one side, or until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to set.

   - Flip the pancake and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the other side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

   - Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed.

5. Serve:

   - Serve the pancakes warm, either plain or with your favorite toppings such as maple syrup, honey, powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream. 

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Easy Artisan Yeast Bread

Artisan bread is handmade, using simple ingredients like flour, water, salt, and yeast or sourdough starter. It’s known for its crusty exterior and soft, airy interior. Unlike regular bread, artisan bread often rises slowly, with fermentation taking up to 3 days, which helps develop deep flavors and a chewy texture. This bread is crafted using traditional methods and baked in small batches, giving it a rustic look and rich taste.

You can bake the bread right after it rises, or keep the dough in the fridge for a day or two. I’ve tried both versions, and they both tasted great, so if you don’t want to wait, it’s perfectly fine to bake it after the first rise.

Ingredients

- 300g Bread Flour

- 8g sugar

- 4g instant yeast 

- 6g salt

- 185g lukewarm water 

Instructions

1. Mixing the Dough:

   - In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Gradually add the warm water.

   - Knead the dough using a mixer with a dough hook or by hand for about 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.

2. First Rise:

   - Once done kneading, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. 

   - Let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

3. Deflate and Shape:

   - After the dough has risen, gently punch it down to deflate.

   - Knead for 1-2 minutes, then shape it into a log or your preferred bread shape.

   - Dust a baking tray with flour, and place the shaped dough on the dusted surface. Dust the top of the bread lightly with flour and cover it with a kitchen towel.

4. Second Rise:

   - Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes, until slightly puffed.

5. Prepare to Bake:

   - Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).

   - Place a baking pan filled with hot water on the lowest rack of the oven to create steam.

   - Use a sharp knife to make 3-4 shallow slashes across the top of the bread.

6. Bake:

   - Place the bread on the rack above the water-filled pan and bake for 20 minutes.

   - The bread is ready when the crust is golden and crispy. You can tap the bottom of the bread - if it sounds hollow, it’s done.

7. Cool and Enjoy:

   - Let the bread cool on a wire rack before slicing. The crust should be crispy, with a soft, airy interior.

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