Cocktail Buns
A classic Hong Kong bakery bun with a sweet coconut filling and signature cracked topping.
Cocktail buns, also known as gai mei bao, are a beloved Hong Kong bakery classic. Soft, fluffy bread is filled with a rich coconut filling and topped with a lightly sweet crust that cracks beautifully as it bakes.
Despite the name, cocktail buns contain no alcohol. The name comes from their origin story, where leftover buns were transformed into a sweet coconut filling, creating a clever mix of ingredients much like a cocktail.
Today, cocktail buns are enjoyed around the world. They are perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or paired with coffee or tea.
Coconut Filling
- 180 g unsalted butter
- 120 g icing sugar
- 50 g egg (1 egg)
- 80 g almond flour
- 120 g desiccated coconut
- 50 g milk
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g salt
Bread Dough
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g instant yeast
- 30 g sugar
- 6 g salt
- 50 g egg (1 egg)
- 250 g milk
- 30 g vegetable oil
Topping
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g icing sugar
- Black sesame seeds
Instructions
This recipe is best followed by watching the full video tutorial. The shaping, filling, and topping techniques are much easier to understand visually.
