Learn how to make tangzhong (water roux) pandan flavored milk buns filled with sweet coconut inti filling. This is one of our family’s favorites. All with natural color and ingredients.
I can tell you that I could never get tired of making bread and buns, especially using tangzhong method. I always use my basic tangzhong milk bread recipe for the dough and make many different buns and rolls with different flavors and fillings. They are so soft and pillowy that it’s hard to resist!
I also like the sweetened coconut inti filling that is popular in Southeast Asia. I used it to make these steamed buns with coconut filling and they were so good.
HOW TO MAKE TANGZHONG PANDAN MILK BUNS WITH COCONUT INTI FILLING
1. Prepare the inti filling
Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat. The sugar will start to dissolve (if you use coconut sugar) and the mixture will be “wetter”
Stir fry again until the mixture is dry. Sprinkle in 1 Tbsp of all-purpose flour and stir to mix. The filling will be more “sticky” and easier to roll into balls for wrapping later on
Remove from heat and let it cool down completely before wrapping
2. Prepare the dough and first proofing
You can see the step-by-step photos of how to make the dough until the first proofing or simply watch the video
3. Shape and fill the dough
After first proofing, deflate the dough and knead a few times and then divide into 9 equal smaller doughs. Let them rest for 15 minutes. Please don’t skip the resting part
Roll each ball out into a rectangle shape (don’t have to be exact)
Spread with about a tablespoon or so of the inti filling
Fold the two long sides up and then roll it from the bottom to top.
Place the seam side down in the pan. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling. Place them next to each other. Cover with a plastic wrap
3. 2nd proofing
Let the shaped dough proof again for another 40 minutes or until they fill up the pan
Brush the top of the dough with egg wash
Sprinkle with some white sesame seeds or other seeds of your choice if you like
4. Baking
Preheat oven to 375 F and pop it into the oven (3rd rack from the top) and let it bake for the next 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on the top
Remove from the oven and let them cool down in the pan for about 5 minutes and then lift the rolls out by grabbing on the parchment paper and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy and once it’s cooled down completely, wrap it up with plastic wrap and it’s good for about 3 days or so (it didn’t last that long in our house)
The smell of the pandan flavor, as it was baking, was insanely good! It reminds me of why I love to bake bread so much 🙂 and of course the husband has to pull apart the buns. I would have done it myself but it’s easier when somebody else does it and I take the photo 🙂
VARIATIONS
1. 9 x 5 inch bread loaf with inti swirl inside: Instead of dividing the dough into 9, leave it as one big dough. Roll it out into a rectangle, the short end should be about the same length of your loaf pan, which is 9 inch and then spread the filling on top, living about 1 inch from the edge. Roll it up from the short end as tight as possible as you roll up. Pinch the two sides close and place into the loaf pan. Cover and let it proof for the second time until it rises about 1 inch above the pan. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown
2. Round buns: Divide the dough into 9 and then flatten the dough into about 4-inch circle. Put about 1-2 Tbsp of the filling, gather the sides and pinch to seal. Roll it into a round ball and slightly flattened with your palm and place on a large baking sheet lined with a parchment paper, about 2-inch apart from the other buns. Bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes
DID YOU MAKE THIS TANGZHONG PANDAN MILK BUNS WITH INTI FILLING RECIPE?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Tangzhong Pandan Milk Buns (with Inti Filling)
Ingredients
Tangzhong:
- 15 gr bread flour 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp
- 90 ml pandan juice 6 Tbsp
Dry ingredients:
- 300 gr bread flour 2 cups + 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp
- 5 gr instant yeast 1 1/2 tsp
- 5 gr milk powder 1 1/2 tsp
Wet ingredients:
- 120 ml pandan juice 1/2 cup
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Ingredient to add last to the dough:
- 40 gr butter 3 Tbsp, softened
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- Egg wash:
- 1 egg - beaten
Topping:
- Sesame seeds - for sprinkling optional
Coconut Inti Filling:
- 125 gr grated unsweetened coconut
- 75 gr gula Jawa/gula Melaka you can also use 1/2 granulated sugar and 1/2 gula Jawa
- 62 ml water
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
Prepare the inti filling (can be prepared few days before and keep in the fridge):
- If you use gula Jawa/gula Melaka, place the sugar and water in the saucepan and melt over low heat and then strain. Sometimes there are some impurities in the gula Jawa. You don't have to do this if you use coconut sugar
- Mix all the ingredients for the filling. Place this over a medium-size skillet and stir-fry for over medium heat for about 2 minutes or so. The sugar will start to dissolve (if you use coconut sugar) and the mixture will be "wetter". Stir fry again until the mixture is dry. Sprinkle in 1 Tbsp of all-purpose flour and stir to mix. The filling will be more "sticky" and easier to roll into balls for wrapping later on. Remove from heat and let it cool down completely before wrapping
Make tangzhong:
- Place pandan juice and the bread flour in a small saucepan. Whisk until there is no more lumps. Cook this mixture over low-medium heat until it reaches 65 C (149 F). Remove from the heat and cover with a plastic wrap, touching the tangzhong so the skin won't form. I highly suggest using this the next day instead of using it on the same day. Store this in the fridge
Make the dough:
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients and the tangzhong. Use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough until all the crumbly dough starts to come together into one mass, it may take about 2-3 minutes for this to happen. Don't try to add any liquid. You may need to stop halfway and scrape the dough off the hook and the sides of the bowl and knead again several times
- Once it comes into a dough, stop the machine. The dough will not be smooth, don't worry. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not skip this step
- After the rest, turn on and knead the dough again and knead for 1-2 minutes until it is a bit smoother. Then add the salt and sugar into the dough. Continue to knead until the dough is relatively smooth. You need to stop and scrape the dough off the hook and the bowl several times during this process
- Once you have a smooth dough, turn the machine back on again to knead and gradually add in the softened butter a bit by a bit. It is a REAL sticky mess again because of the butter, just keep kneading and stop halfway and scrape the dough off the hook and bowl again and continue to knead until the butter is absorbed by the dough. Don't add any flour. You will get a shiny smooth dough that is very elastic. It may take 10-15 minutes of kneading with a machine
1st proofing:
- Place this dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover it with a clean and damp tea cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise at a warm place for about 1 hour. The dough will really puff up, may be double in size may be closed to double.
Shape into rolls:
- Lightly oil your pan, I used a 9 x 9 inch square pan and line with a parchment paper. Deflate the dough and knead a few times to push out all air. Divide into 9 equal smaller size doughs. Cover these dough balls loosely with a plastic wrap and let them rest for 15 minutes. Make sure you don't skip this part of resting the dough before shaping
- Roll each ball out into a rectangle shape (don't have to be exact). Spread with about a tablespoon or so of the inti filling. Fold the two long sides up and then roll it from the bottom to top. Place the seam side down in the pan. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling. Place them next to each other. Cover with a plastic wrap
- If you don't like the way I roll and fill the buns, you can just roll the dough into a circle about 4-inch in diameter and put about 1 Tbsp of filling or more and gather the side and seal. This will give you a filling that is more towards the center. I goofed up thinking I was going to get a nice swirl of the filling inside the buns LOL!
2nd proofing:
- Let the shaped dough proof again for another 40 minutes or until they fill up the pan. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with some white sesame seeds or other seeds of your choice if you like
Baking:
- Preheat oven to 350 F and pop it into the oven (3rd rack from the top) and let it bake for the next 15-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool down in the pan for about 5 minutes and then lift the rolls out by grabbing on the parchment paper and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy and once it's cooled down completely, wrap it up with plastic wrap and it's good for about 3 days or so (it didn't last that long in our house)
8 comments
Could you use pandan extract instead or juice?
Hi Anika, yes, you can use about 1 tsp of pandan essence and replace pandan juice with milk or water
When you say 250g shredded coconut do you mean 1 cup or the actual weight is 250g. Because I did the actual weight and I have tonnes of coconut as a result 🙁
Hi Ellin, Sorry, I think I messed up. The recipe for the inti filling was a double recipe. I forgot to half the recipe when I posted (because I made double recipe). To answer the questions, yes, it’s the actual 250 grams and that amount is for double recipe for the dough. I have fixed it to reflect the amount suitable for this dough. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Made them … Super fluffy and soft buns!! A bit of clarification required : (a) in video, oven temp is 350F but in recipe 375F. I think 350F is the better temp and (b) in video, water was added in frying the inti but no mention of water in recipe. Please advice how much water to add into inti, as without water inti is a bit dry, not moist enough. Overall, a beautifully and tastefully made coconut bun. I will definitely repeat this recipe, perhaps without the pandan as my husband is not fussy on pandan. Well done, Marv!
Hi Molly, sorry for the confusion and for missing the water amount in the recipe. The baking temperature is 350 F and water is 150 ml (about 10 Tbsp). I hope it will turn out better for you next. Thank you for letting me know!!
What would I use instead of Pandan juice?
Hi Barbara, you can simply replace it with milk or other nut milk (if you prefer dairy-free). I hope this helps!