This recipe incorporates a chocolate twist to a traditionally Asian-style bun with a decadent chocolatey-filled center. The bolo bun or Hong Kong Style Pineapple Bun, known for its crusty "pineapple look" exterior, lends a slight sweetness to the bun. In this version, a craquelin sugar cookie encrusts a softer lighter brioche bun with a thick creamy ganache-filled center.
Place warm milk (100F) into KitchenAid mixing bowl and add yeast to the milk to hydrate.
Scale the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) and eggs into bowl except the butter.
Mix with dough hook(may need to paddle initially? on medium speed for 6 min. Then increase to a higher speed with a dough hook until the dough forms a window pane test (10-12 min) scraping down the dough repeatedly.
Add cold butter in thirds at low speed until each amount incorporates evenly throughout the dough.
Place the dough on an oiled tray and wrap in plastic touching dough. Leave the dough overnight in the fridge or chill for a minimum of 6-8 hrs.
Make Craqueline Crust
Combine light brown sugar, butter, and salt in KitchenAid bowl and cream it on medium speed until homogenous in texture
Scale the flour and cocoa powder before adding them to the KitchenAid bowl. Mix ingredients until they are incorporated evenly.
Lay the dough in between 2 parchment sheets and roll it out to the edges evenly with a rolling pin (about 2mm thickness). Place on half sheet pan (12"x16") and freeze until it firms up. Once frozen remove parchment sheet from the dough quickly in one motion to loosen it. Do this on both sides. Replace parchment sheet back on dough and refreeze.
Take out frozen crust and working very quickly using a 4" circular cookie cutter, punch out 12 circles. Place the dough back in the freezer until frozen.
DAY 2 Make Chocolate Ganache
Scale 55% chocolate into metal/glass bowl.
Combine milk, cream, and corn syrup into a small pot and bring to a simmer then remove from heat.
Add cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until a smooth shiny ganache forms.
Set aside and let it cool for a couple hours until it can be piped into finished buns.
Continue with Shaping Buns
Remove brioche buns from refrigerator and scale dough into 40 g balls and pre shape them into rounds. Let all of them rest 10 min before final shaping into tighter rounds.
Make egg wash by whisking one egg.
Place buns onto trays (12 pieces per tray) and egg wash all around. Lay a piece of plastic to cover tray lightly until they double in size (Also can be placed into a large muffin tin).
Preheat oven to 375F and when the buns are ready to bake place the frozen craquelin circle cutouts on top of the dough and bake them until golden brown, about 14-16 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool.
When the buns have cooled, pipe the ganache into centers of bun using a piping bag. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
