Sausage/Ham Buns

So my freedom and 閒-ness is coming to an end as most of my finals and hospital trainings are coming up. But who knows, I might just keep on updating/baking to get away from it all. Ahh crap... I don't want to go back to the school routine, i have adapted too well and made myself too comfortable to this unproductive month... It's gonna be hard fixing my chaotic biological clock. And even harder to shift back to the studying mode. Gahhh.... 1 more month of suffering... then 3 months of fun. I'll just have to suck it up.

Enough with the complaining, I'm here to post the recipe for the sausage buns that i made 2 weeks ago. These buns were quite the challenge. It took me 2 tries to make a some-what fluffier/softer bread...but it still didn't quite get there >:( Whatevers. I blame it on the crappy Eskulap (dorm) oven. Kneading it was also distressing... makes me want to buy a bread machine. Argh, how do tw bakeries keep their bread so soft?? I'm gonna find out this summer... But anyways, I figured out a super efficient, fool-proof way to raise dough though... If you have a empty cabinet/ big drawer, just put your dough in there along with a cup of hot boiling water (you'll have to re-heat the water once or twice). Quicker, better rising guaranteed!

Sausage/Ham Buns
should make 5 big buns
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1.5 tablespoons butter
• 5 sausages/hot dogs (or 5-6 slices of ham)
• bunch of chopped spring onions
• egg yolk for brushing

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine milk + sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved, then let it cool until it becomes warm (not too hot or else you'll kill the yeast).
2. Put flour, yeast, salt in a big bowl and mix until blended.
3. Add the milk, egg, and butter into the flour mixture and mix until it forms a rough ball.
4. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 10-15 minutes).
5. Place the dough in a air-tight container (or cover with plastic wrap) and let it rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
6. When the dough has risen, take it out and separate it into 5 even balls.
7. Roll out the dough enough to wrap your sausage (or slightly bigger than your slice of ham).
8. For Sausage: wrap your sausage up with the dough and use a knife to cut 5 small pieces (do not cut through). Twist the 5 pieces around to form a flower.
9. For Ham: cut the dough into 5 separate pieces and place them together forming a flower.
10. Let the dough rise again in an air-tight environment (about 1 hour).
11. Before putting it into the oven, brush the top with egg yolk and sprinkle spring onions and salt.
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes until bread is done or golden brown.

NOTE: If your bread turns out hard, steam it for a few minutes before serving!

Basic Steps:

Sausage/ Ham Buns