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If you can‘t get enough of my other bun recipes, try my Cantonese egg custard bun or nai wong bao. This is a sweet, creamy, and luscious soft bun loaded with rich egg custard.
Effortlessly make this classic dim sum food at home with my easy-to-follow recipe. Simply make the custard filling, form the dough, and combine them for steaming!
What Is A Cantonese Egg Custard Bun?
Egg custard bun or egg yolk bun is a Chinese food staple commonly served at dim sum restaurants. Making an egg custard bun is just like any traditional Chinese bun using dough and filling.
Keep in mind that the Egg Custard Bun (Nai Wong Bao) is entirely different from another salted egg yolk bun, liu sha bao. For Liu Sha Bao, the filling is a mix of salted egg yolks, cornstarch, milk powder, gelatin, lard, butter, and white sugar.
Instead of a savory filling like beef bao bun, char siu bao bun, or chicken bao bun, we use a creamy and rich filling made of egg yolk, sugar, milk, milk powder, flour, cornstarch, and butter.
If you noticed, most Chinese buns are made by kneading, shaping, and proofing the dough before wrapping the filling.
Then, the shaped buns are cooked by steaming in a steamer or bamboo steamer basket. This type of bun is best served as a snack, sweet dessert, or breakfast meal with coffee or tea.
Get the most of the flavor and texture by eating it while warm and moist. However, you can always store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.
If you liked this recipe, try my other sweet bun recipes such as sugar bun, steamed taro bun, and purple sweet potato bun.
Ingredients For Cantonese Egg Custard Bun
You will need the basic ingredients to make the dough and the filling. I share below my best tips when it comes to changing the ingredients to their alternatives, as well as critical reminders when using them. Here’s everything you need to know about each ingredient:
For The Dough
- All-Purpose Flour: By adding all-purpose flour to the mixture, the buns will become white, soft, and fluffy. Avoid special flour types like whole wheat flour, rice flour, or glutinous rice flour. Using these flours will result in a different texture for the Chinese buns. For instance, rice flour will produce a chewy texture, while glutinous rice flour will produce a sticky and chewy texture.
- Yeast: This is the most important ingredient in making the buns rise. Without yeast, the buns will remain flat and dense. You can use instant yeast or active dry yeast. If you are using instant or fast-rising yeast, you can mix it directly with the flour and warm water mixture. For active dry yeast, you have to mix it with warm water first before adding it to the flour mixture.
- Warm Water: A crucial aspect of activating the yeast is using warm water. DO NOT use hot water with a temperature between 120°F and 140°F or higher. Hot water will kill the yeast! Once the yeast is killed, the activation process will not start. Thus, the buns will not rise and remain flat. Avoid this unfortunate scenario by making sure you are using warm or lukewarm water by measuring the temperature with a thermometer.
For The Filling
- Egg yolks: Use medium to large chicken eggs.
- White sugar: I use granulated white sugar. This adds sweetness and balances out the salty and sharp flavors of the egg yolk. You can use any type of sugar, including brown sugar or coconut sugar. However, brown-colored sugars may affect the color of the bright yellow egg custard.
- Milk: Milk will make the filling smoother and creamier. Any type of milk will do, such as soy, oat, or almond milk. You can use regular, low-fat, or whole milk.
- Milk powder: For an added milky taste, use milk powder or coconut milk powder. As a substitute, you can swap it with custard powder.
- All-purpose flour: Flour helps in making the filling thick and not runny. Without flour, the filling may spill out when you open the buns.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is also a thickening agent for the filling. You can replace cornstarch with tapioca starch, potato starch, or more all-purpose flour.
- Butter: Butter adds moisture, enhances the flavor, and improves the texture. It makes the filling softer and creamier. You can also use margarine, vegetable shortening, vegan butter, coconut oil, cream cheese, yogurt, or nut butter. I suggest using unsalted butter instead of salted butter for a neutral taste.
Dough Making 101: Tips For A Successful Bun Texture
Are you a newbie in making buns? If yes, read this part first. I share helpful tips and tricks when making the dough, from kneading to proofing and steaming. This helps you create the perfect bun on your first try.
- Use a kitchen weighing scale and thermometer for accurate measurements: It is possible for inaccuracies to affect the consistency of the dough. To ensure that you have the right amount of ingredients, I recommend using a kitchen weighing scale to help you. If the measurements are inaccurate, the dough may become too runny or stiff. In addition to the kitchen weighing scale, using a kitchen thermometer is also recommended since you want to avoid killing the yeast. By using a kitchen thermometer, you can ensure that the water’s temperature is safe for the yeast.
- Adjust the dough‘s consistency by adding flour or water: Even if you measure the ingredients with a kitchen weighing scale, the type of flour and brand used may affect the consistency of the dough. If this happens, add flour or water to adjust the consistency. Do not overdo it and add small amounts only. Add more flour if you have a runny dough and more water if you have a stiff dough.
- Knead more for a smoother dough: A smoother dough depends on how well it is kneaded. You can make a smoother dough by kneading it once more after dividing it into 12 pieces before flattening it into a wrapper. To help you with the kneading process, I suggest dusting your workspace with a bit of flour. Dusting is helpful in holding a sticky dough and preventing the dough from sticking to the surface. If it will take a while for you to use your rolled-out wrappers, I suggest covering it to prevent it from drying out.
- Proof the buns at the right duration and environment:
- Generally, proofing buns should be done until they become larger in size, about 1.5 to 2 times larger than the original size. It may take 30 minutes to an hour or more for the size to become larger.
- It is worth noting that you should not do this process too long or too short as well. Over-proofing will weaken the dough and make it crumble, whereas under-poofing will not complete the activation process and cause it to remain flat.
- Keep in mind that the temperature of the environment affects the speed of the proofing time. The warmer the environment, the faster the proofing process. If you are in a cold environment, you can speed up the proofing process by placing the buns in an oven or microwave with a boiled cup of water inside.
- Look for signs of a properly proofed dough:As proofing times can vary, you can tell if the buns are properly proofed by their appearance and texture. Take note of the following:
- Size: It should be at least or 2 times bigger.
- Scent: It has a natural wheat scent. It should not smell funny.
- Texture: It is springy or elastic when pressed. It should be smooth. After lightly pressing the dough, it should return to its original shape.
Kitchenware & Ingredients To Prepare Egg Custard Bun
The kitchen items you need are a non-stick pan for heating the custard filling and a steamer to steam the buns.
You will need a few more items to help you work on the dough, such as a rolling pin and dough cutter or knife.
Check out the list below of the kitchenware and ingredients needed to make egg custard buns.
Kitchenware
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Strainer
- Non-stick pan
- Spatula
- Dough cutter or knife
- Rolling pin
- Steamer lined with parchment paper
- If you don’t have a steamer, you can still steam buns without a steamer in 5 DIY methods: pan with steamer rack, microwave, pan with sieve, rice cooker, and instant pot.
Ingredients
For the custard filling:
- 4 egg yolks
- 50g white sugar
- 180g milk
- 30g milk powder
- 40g all-purpose flour
- 40g corn starch
- 30g butter
For the dough:
- 400g all-purpose flour
- 3g yeast
- 220g water (warm water)
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions For Egg Custard Bun
For a quick overview of the steps, I divided the recipe instructions into 3 parts: making the custard filling, making the dough, and assembling the filling and dough and steaming.
I have made all kinds of buns already, and I have to say that the most time-consuming part of making buns is kneading and proofing the dough.
The entire recipe may take an hour or more to complete. Watch how I made this recipe with my TikTok and Instagram tutorial videos.
Instructions For The Custard Filling:
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, white sugar, milk, milk powder, flour, cornstarch, and butter.
Whisk the mixture until smooth and free of lumps. Then, strain it with a strainer or sieve into a non-stick saucepan.
Heat the mixture on low heat and keep stirring continuously.
Continue heating the mixture until it becomes thick enough to form a ball. The custard should clump together and become paste-like. This should take about 10 minutes to form.
Divide the custard filling into 12 equal parts and shape them into round balls.
Instructions For The Dough:
In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, yeast, and water. Knead the mixture into a dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Roll the dough into a long strip and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 1 inch wide.
Assemble The Filling And Dough And Steam:
Take one piece of the dough and flatten it into a circular dough wrapper using a rolling pin. Make the center thicker than the edges. It is better to make the center thicker than the edges to make it sturdy enough to hold the filling,
Place one portion of the custard filling in the center of the dough wrapper and seal it by pinching the edges together and rolling it into a smooth ball.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough and custard filling.
Place the buns in a steamer lined with parchment paper and cover with a lid. Let them rest and rise for about 40 minutes.
Then, let them cook in cold water. Once the water in the steamer is boiling, steam the buns for approximately 12 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the buns sit in the steamer for an additional 3 minutes.
Enjoy these delectable Egg Custard Buns while they’re warm! For leftovers, keep it in a zip-lock bag and freeze it. Simply reheat it by steaming it whenever you crave it.
Cantonese Steamed Egg Custard Buns (Nai Wong Bao)
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Non-stick pan
- Dough cutter or knife
- Steamer lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
For the custard filling:
- 4 egg yolks
- 50 g white sugar
- 180 g milk
- 30 g milk powder
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g corn starch
- 30 g butter
For the dough:
- 400 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g yeast
- 220 g water warm water
Instructions
Instructions For The Custard Filling:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, white sugar, milk, milk powder, flour, cornstarch, and butter.
- Whisk the mixture until smooth and free of lumps.
- Then, strain it with a strainer or sieve into a non-stick saucepan.
- Heat the mixture on low heat and keep stirring continuously.
- Continue heating the mixture until it becomes thick enough to form a ball. The custard should clump together and become paste-like. This should take about 10 minutes to form.
- Divide the custard filling into 12 equal parts and shape them into round balls.
Instructions For The Dough:
- In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, yeast, and water.
- Knead the mixture into a dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Roll the dough into a long strip and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 1 inch wide.
Assemble The Filling And Dough And Steam:
- Take one piece of the dough and flatten it into a circular dough wrapper using a rolling pin. Make the center thicker than the edges. It is better to make the center thicker than the edges to make it sturdy enough to hold the filling,
- Place one portion of the custard filling in the center of the dough wrapper and seal it by pinching the edges together and rolling it into a smooth ball.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough and custard filling.
- Place the buns in a steamer lined with parchment paper and cover with a lid.
- Let them rest and rise for about 40 minutes.
- Then, let them cook in cold water. Once the water in the steamer is boiling, steam the buns for approximately 12 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the buns sit in the steamer for an additional 3 minutes.
- Enjoy these delectable Egg Custard Buns while they're warm! For leftovers, keep it in a zip-lock bag and freeze it. Simply reheat it by steaming it whenever you crave it.
