Hong Kong pineapple buns

For the liquid yeast, add the shredded potato to the water, bring to a boil and reduce by half.

Once it is about 65 centigrade pour it slowly into the AP flour, mixing well and breaking up the potato.

At about 35 centigrade add the sugar and the beer, plus a packet of active dry yeast.

Set aside in a warm damp place four hours to ferment.

For the sponge, combine the liquid yeast, water, sugar and bread flour, then set aside in a warm damp place four hours, or thirteen hours in the fridge.

The sponge is ready once it is a stringy web.

Add the water to the sponge, mix and pour into the bread flour to get something shaggy and super sticky, then add the sugar and milk powder and drizzle in the beaten egg.

Grab one end of the dough and slap it continuously against the work surface for fifty minutes, until it stretches a bit before breaking.

Add the butter, mixing it in by hand, then cutting the dough with a bench scraper, squeezing and cutting again, about two minutes.

Slap for a final ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and a bit stretchy.

Cut into 60 gram pieces, flatten each with your palm and fold inward around the piece to make it bun-like, pinching at the top.

Fold the sides up to the centre twice around, pinch the sides to the seal, and with the pinched side down roll and twist about 30 seconds as if shaping bread.

Place on a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a dry towel and rise in a warm damp place one hour.

For the topping, mash the sugar and butter together with a spatula about two minutes, or cream it however you are used to.

Add the beaten egg and mix well.

Sift the cake flour, baking powder and chofun into the wet ingredients, mix about a minute until combined and set in the freezer one hour.

The buns are risen when a press into the dough slowly comes back.

Lightly oil the 10cm molds, press each bun flat, reshape it the same way and put it in the mold seam side down.

Proof at 38 centigrade and 70% humidity, using hot boiled water in a bowl in a covered wok, or in the oven, for 30 minutes.

Cut the chilled topping into 30 gram pieces, form each into a ball, fold saran wrap over it and press flat with a bench scraper.

Cut a small checkerboard pattern into each topping with a sharp knife, for the pineapple look.

Brush the proofed buns with a bit of beaten egg, lay the topping on and brush a bit more egg over it for colour.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 centigrade for 17 minutes.

Cut them out of their molds and rest on a rack a minute or two; serve split with a knob of butter.

Variation: instead of hand slapping, knead on speed one in a stand mixer about 30 minutes, then give the dough a few smacks on a smooth surface.