If you’re looking to elevate your baking game with an adorable twist, why not try your hand at making hedgehog buns filled with sweet red bean paste? These delightful treats are not only visually appealing but also incredibly soft and satisfyingly elastic.
With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of creativity, you can bring these charming hedgehog buns to life in your kitchen!
What to know about Hedgehog Buns
Creating Hedgehog Buns might seem like a daunting task at first glance, but I assure you, it’s simpler than you think. With just a pair of scissors, you can effortlessly bring these delightful buns to life in your own kitchen.
As someone who enjoys crafting cute and whimsical buns, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing various bun creations in the past, including beloved classics like Bunny Steamed Buns, Longevity Peach Buns, and Steamed Piggy Buns. These playful treats not only bring joy to those who enjoy them but also make for a fun experience.
Similar to my Red Bean Paste Buns, these Hedgehog Buns charm with their appearance and flavor, sure to delight both kids and adults.
Tips And Recommended Alternatives
- All-purpose flour: The base of the bun is made with all-purpose flour, which makes it white, soft, and fluffy. Generally, low-gluten or medium flour is usable for a bun, but there will be differences in texture. For instance, using low-gluten flour like cake flour will make it fluffy but not as chewy as all-purpose flour. Remember to avoid other special flours like glutinous rice flour since this is not intended for buns and will make it sticky and chewy.
- Yeast: This is the key ingredient in making the buns rise. It allows the buns to rise during resting and after steaming. If you want to mix the yeast directly with the rest of the dough ingredients, I suggest using instant yeast, quick rise, or fast rising yeast. Other types of yeast require mixing with warm water first before adding to the flour.
- Warm water: I emphasize using “warm” water to help activate the yeast. The temperature of the water should be between 100°F and 110°F to start the fermentation process. If the temperature is 120°F or more, it will start to kill the yeast. Once the temperature is 140°F or higher, the yeast is completely killed. A killed yeast will not start the activation process, which will cause the buns to remain flat and unrisen. So whether you are using milk or water, make sure the temperature is warm and not too hot. Don’t risk wasting a batch of dough by using a kitchen thermometer to ensure you are within the correct temperature.
For the filling: The filling I used is red bean paste.
- You can typically buy sweet bean paste like red bean paste in Asian grocery stores or online markets like Amazon, which is labeled as adzuki bean paste, red bean jam, or hong dou sha (红豆沙). The filling is made from mashed red beans, also known as adzuki beans. The beans are mixed with oil and sometimes with sugar for extra sweetness. If you have extra time, you can make it yourself from scratch by following my full recipe for red bean paste. I recommend making a large batch of red bean paste so you can make other red bean paste recipes, such as red bean paste buns, red bean mochi, red bean pancakes, and red bean bread.
Apart from red bean paste, you can change the flavors of the cake by using these fillings:
Ingredients:
- 90g lukewarm water
- 15g sugar
- 2g yeast
- 200g All-purpose flour
- 140g Red bean paste
- Black Sesame seeds (for decoration)
Instructions:
Prepare the Dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast. Mix well until the sugar and yeast are dissolved.
Next, place the flour on the work surface, and create a well in the center. Gradually add the mixture into the well of flour, stirring continuously until a dough begins to form.
Once the dough starts to come together, knead it vigorously for about 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic. This step is crucial for developing the gluten in the dough, resulting in a soft and stretchy texture.
Shape the Dough:
Divide the dough into 7 equal portions, each weighing approximately 40g.
Cover them with plastic wrap to prevent drying while preparing the red bean paste filling.
Prepare the red bean paste filling by rolling it into small balls, each weighing about 20g.
Take a portion of the dough and flatten it into a small circle.
Place a small ball of red bean paste (about 20g) in the center of the dough circle.
Carefully wrap the dough around the red bean paste, shaping it into a smooth ball with the paste enclosed inside.
Create the Hedgehog Shape:
Gently roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth, oval-shaped ball, resembling a droplet, similar to the body of a hedgehog.
Using a pair of scissors, make several cuts around the top of the dough ball to create the appearance of “spines.” Be sure to cut only halfway through the dough and avoid cutting into the filling.
Add Facial Features:
Use sesame seeds to create eyes for the hedgehog by gently pressing them into the dough.
With the tip of a knife or scissors, cut a small slit to form the mouth of the hedgehog.
Final Preparation and Steaming:
Place the shaped hedgehog buns on a steamer lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Cover the buns with a lid and let them rest in a warm, draft-free place for 30-40 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
Once the buns have risen, steam them over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Begin the steaming process with cold water, and once the water starts boiling, start counting the steaming time.
After steaming, turn off the heat and allow the buns to rest in the steamer for 2 minutes before carefully removing the lid.
Hedgehog Buns with Red Bean Paste
Ingredients
- 90 g lukewarm water
- 15 g sugar
- 2 g yeast
- 200 g All-purpose flour
- 140 g Red bean paste
- Black Sesame seeds for decoration
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast. Mix well until the sugar and yeast are dissolved.
- Next, place the flour on the work surface, and create a well in the center. Gradually add the mixture into the well of flour, stirring continuously until a dough begins to form.
- Once the dough starts to come together, knead it vigorously for about 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic. This step is crucial for developing the gluten in the dough, resulting in a soft and stretchy texture.
Shape the Dough:
- Divide the dough into 7 equal portions, each weighing approximately 40g.
- Cover them with plastic wrap to prevent drying while preparing the red bean paste filling.
- Prepare the red bean paste filling by rolling it into small balls, each weighing about 20g.
- Take a portion of the dough and flatten it into a small circle.
- Place a small ball of red bean paste (about 20g) in the center of the dough circle.
- Carefully wrap the dough around the red bean paste, shaping it into a smooth ball with the paste enclosed inside.
Create the Hedgehog Shape:
- Gently roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth, oval-shaped ball, resembling a droplet, similar to the body of a hedgehog.
- Using a pair of scissors, make several cuts around the top of the dough ball to create the appearance of "spines." Be sure to cut only halfway through the dough and avoid cutting into the filling.
Add Facial Features:
- Use sesame seeds to create eyes for the hedgehog by gently pressing them into the dough.
- With the tip of a knife or scissors, cut a small slit to form the mouth of the hedgehog.
Final Preparation and Steaming:
- Place the shaped hedgehog buns on a steamer lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cover the buns with a lid and let them rest in a warm, draft-free place for 30-40 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
- Once the buns have risen, steam them over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Begin the steaming process with cold water, and once the water starts boiling, start counting the steaming time.
- After steaming, turn off the heat and allow the buns to rest in the steamer for 2 minutes before carefully removing the lid.
