There is a large group of stunning variety of breads named as Guokui in the Chinese northwest, usually filled with savory meats including this famous Shanxi báijímó. But the whole group is quite less famous outside of the area. However, there is an exception found in Chengdu, a tinny sweet guokui. It is quite popular in Chengdu but also unknown outside of the area.
I have developed this recipe and made twice before posting the recipe. All of the two batches are great success. My daughter loves those slightly stiff but chewy bread with a running sugar filling.
This is a semi-fermented Chinese bread. The more water you use and the longer the resting time is, the softer the bread will be. On the contrary， the less water and the shorter the resting time is, the stiffer and chewier the bread will be. So basically you just adjust the softness of the bread by controlling the water amount or resting time. The recipe creates a chewy bread since my fermentation time only lasts 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 300g (2 +⅓ cups ) all-purpose flour, more for dusting
- 150g (150ml) water
- 2g (½ tsp.) salt
- 1 tsp. yeast
- oil for brushing
Filling
- 16g （2 tbsp.）all purpose flour
- 55g (¼ cup) powdered brown sugar
- a tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
Mix brown sugar with flour and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, add flour, salt, instant yeast and water, then mix at low speed for 8-9 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover with a wet cloth or plastic wrap to rest for around 30 minutes (in summer) or 45 minutes (in winter ) depending on your temperature until the dough is ⅓ bigger than the previous one. (The surface is completely smooth but there is no Honeycomb texture inside).
Knead the dough again to pinch the air out. Then roll the dough into a uniform long log around 4cm in diameter. Cut the long log into 14 equal portions.
Wrap the powdered filling in.
Brush a thin layer of oil in a casting iron pan，place the bread in one by one, cover the lid and then fry each side for 6-8 minutes over slow fired.
🧾Recipe
Chinese Brown Sugar Bread (Guo Kui)
Ingredients
- 300 g all-purpose flour ,more for dusting
- 150 ml water
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. yeast
- oil for brushing
Filling
- 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- ¼ cup powdered brown sugar
- a tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar with flour and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, add flour, salt, instant yeast and water, then mix at low speed for 8-9 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Cover with a wet cloth or plastic wrap to rest for around 30 minutes to 45 minutes depending on your temperature until the dough is ⅓ bigger than the previous one. (The surface is completely smooth but there is no Honeycomb texture inside).
- Knead the dough again to pinch the air out. Then roll the dough into a uniform long log around 4cm in diameter. Cut the long log into 14 equal portions.
- Wrap the powdered filling in.
- Brush a thin layer of oil in a casting iron pan，place the bread in one by one, cover the lid and then fry each side for 6-8 minutes over slow fired.
Notes
Nutrition
Lindsey
Hey there! Just wanted to say I love your recipes. My husband is from Chengdu, and I am from the States. Before we married I did not like Chinese food because I had only eaten American Chinese food.
Things have changed, I now cook a lot of Sichuan Chinese food, probably more than any other type of food.
It is nice to be able to finally find some authentic recipes in English. I don't have to fiddle with Google translate, or ask my husband to translate them to English.
Thanks so much!
Elaine
You are the most welcome, Lindsey. Happy cooking!
John
Great recipe! We have something similar in our culture (romanian) but the filling is plum jam. Nevertheless i bet they are both equally delicious 😀
Elaine
This is quite interesting! It is almost unknown outside Chengdu but we have similar food on another corner of the earth. Foodies really think similar.
John
Hehe that;s true, our recipe is quite regional aswell, only popular in a small part of the country where i was born. Anyway i will definitely try to do this recipe myself, i love the brown sugar in sweets! Thanks for the idea 🙂
Cheryl
These look delicious and I hope to make them this weekend. However, one question - your ingredients list calls for water, yet the instructions say to add milk. Which should it be?
Elaine
Hi Cheryl,
It is a typo. I only use water in this recipe.
MN
The recipe and images look so yummy. However, you write "In a stand mixer, add flour, salt, instant yeast, water and sugar and then mix at low speed for 8-9 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth." However there is no mention of sugar in the recipe for the dough. Should there be?
Elaine
Nice catch. The sugar should be used in the filling. There is no need to use sugar in the dough.
LY
Hi! I need to make an authentic chinese recipe for a school project and these look delicious! I was wondering if you could tell me if these keep well overnight, and if so, how to store them? Thank you so much!
Elaine
Hi Ly,
If you want to prepare this ahead, I would suggest you assemble the buns and fridge until cooking. But the uncooked buns can only be kept overnight.
Liz
I am part of a cooking group and we are doing an Asian inspired pot luck but I will need to make them a day in advance - Are they meant to be eaten warm right after cooking or can they be fried the day before? Thanks!
Elaine
Liz,
This should be served just after pan-fried.
Laisze Poon
Can you please explain how you pinch the dough together after you add the filling?
Elaine
Like folding a baozi.