# Which is the best flour to use to make Chinese BBQ pork baked buns?



## ericdunn (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to make Chinese BBQ pork baked buns (see pictures in the follwing links) at home. The recipe
calls for high gluten flour (protein content 14% or higher). I have looked in local supermarkets (in Toronto, Canada),
besides all purpose flour, cake flour, pastry flour there isn't such thing called "high gluten flour". So I came to
this forum to ask for your advice which is the best flour (type and brand name) to use for Chinese BBQ pork baked buns. I'm looking for elasticity and fluffiness in the buns.

Also, if you have made dinner rolls and baked buns before, your input on other tips are also welcomed.

Your help is much appreciated!

Best regards,

Eric










  








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ericdunn


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Feb 11, 2013


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## berndy (Sep 18, 2010)

While  working for the US Army we made dinner rolls that had the same finish. We did use AP flour and the rolls were brushed with melted buttes right after baking to give it this shine


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## ericdunn (Feb 11, 2013)

Thanks! They used egg wash but I will try using some butter too.


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## berndy (Sep 18, 2010)

Egg wash before baking and butter after baking,right after they they come out of the oven


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## wubu (Oct 11, 2012)

Look up the tangzhong method, Alex Goh's Magic Bread is one example of books that use that method. Essentially you speed up the absorption of water by the flour (allowing it to autolyze, but it occurs anyway when you leave your dough to rest) by using hot water on a portion of the flour (essentially creating a roux). It makes some really fluffy and soft bread.

Also, can't you get bread flour (aka high-gluten flour aka hard-wheat aka strong flour) in Canada? AP flour normally works anyway though.


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## ericdunn (Feb 11, 2013)

Thanks Wubu! I just looked up the TangZhong Method and according to people have tried it seems to work. I will give it a try.

Yes, we do have bread flour, but I thought high gluten flour it better than bread flour, and that's why I wanted to get that.


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## wubu (Oct 11, 2012)

I personally just prefer to use starters (taking the original recipe and using a portion to make a biga/poolish), too lazy to use a stove (as my title says, "Can't boil water"), and it generally works just as well. Just prep the starter the night before, dump it in the fridge (or in the freezer if you want to use it in a few months instead), then mix in the other ingredients the next day.

Some bun recipes also use fat (like butter)/oil (I know they do this for some chinese steamed buns, gives the skin a slight translucent look)/milk (liquid or powdered) to soften the bread.

As for bread and high gluten flour, yeah, in most places it's the same thing. But as mentioned before, it's not really a must. You would notice a (negative) difference if you used cake flour though (probably).


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