Directions

To Make Kaya Filling

1. In a large heat-proof mixing bowl add eggs and sugar, and stir with a balloon whisk till well combined.
2. Prepare a pot of boiling water and place mixing bowl on the pot to double boil. Continue to whisk.
3. Toss pandan leaf tied into a bundle into the egg mixture, stir under medium heat till sugar dissolved.
4. Add in coconut cream and keep stirring to avoid overcooking on the sides of the bowl.
5. When the mixture starts to curdle, add in cornflour slurry and mix well.
6. In a separate saucepan, heat up sugar till it caramelises.
7. Pour in caramelised sugar into the mixture and mix till all well combined.
8. When the mixture turned into a thick paste, remove from heat and set aside to cool. Discard pandan leaf.

To Make Pandan Juice

1. Cut pandan leaf into small sections.
2. Blend leaf with water and filter using a fine sieve. Squeeze as much of the juice out.

To Make the Dough (Using a Breadmaker)

1. Add all ingredients except salt into bread machine bowl.
2. Set bread machine to dough mode.
3. Once dough is formed, add in salt and let it continue to work in the bread machine.

To Make the Dough (Without Breadmaker)

1. Mix all ingredients except salt into a big bowl and knead for about 10 mins, add in salt and knead till dough is smooth.

To Shape the Pandan Baos

1. Once dough is ready, remove from bread bowl and pinch 30g of dough for the crosses and divide the balanced dough into 15 equal portions.
2. Roll dough into balls and cover with a damp towel as you work.
3. With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into 1cm thick but thinner on the edge before filling with a big tablespoon of kaya paste.
4. Holding the flatten dough on your palm with kaya in the centre of the flatten dough, start to pleat the edges of the dough together to seal.
5. Place completed bao onto cut out baking paper.
6. Divide the 30g of dough into 30 portions to roll out into strips for the crosses.
7. Let bao proof for 20 mins or until double the original size.
8. Arrange completed bao into a bamboo steamer. Leave enough room around each bao as it will expand when steaming.
9. Steam bao on medium heat for 15 mins.