Ham chim peng is an evil tasty Asian bread that’s usually deep-fried for optimal greasy deliciousness factor (like most Asian snackage). I’m too lazy to deep-fry so I thought I’d try a baked only variant, and I had no idea how to go about making it so I used a basic sweet bread recipe and put five spice in it. I know, this is probably such a half-arsed way of making it and I’ll look up real recipes for it tomorrow. But I made a bread product with yeast and let it rise and stuff so that’s an achievement in itself. A few notes: The bread mix was quite nice on its own, but for this snack it wasn’t quite salty enough so I might add a bit of salt to the dough next time.  It could also probably have done with a leetle bit more filling. It’s also the first time I’ve added extra gluten to flour for baking, but it really did give the dough a bit more spring.  For breads, the ratio is meant to be 1 tablespoon of gluten flour for every 1 cup of plain flour.  This works really well, IMO. For the rises, I usually have issues getting a nice bread rising climate. I was told to try heating the oven to low, switching it off (or alternatively, leaving it on) and putting the dough in. But that didn’t work for me. I heard somewhere else that if you put a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven, and put the bowl of dough (uncovered) on the rack just above and keep the door closed, it’ll keep the oven warm enough to help the dough rise and the humidity will stop it from drying out.  That worked an absolute treat. Anyway, on with the recipe. Ham Chim Peng Ingredients: 450g plain flour 50g gluten flour 2 tsp instant yeast 7 Tbs sugar 1 egg 1 cup warm water 40g soft butter Filling: 3 tsp five spice powder 1.5 tsp salt sesame seeds (usually white, I only have black) Method: Combine dry ingredients in a mixer bowl.  Combine the egg and the warm water in a separate bowl.  Add to the wet to the dry ingredients. Using the dough hook attachment, mix until the dough comes together.  Then knead the butter into the dough. Allow to rise until double (about 40 min - 1 hr) then punch down and knead for a couple more minutes. Roll roughly into a long rectangle. Combine the filling ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up into a long scroll and slice into approximately inch wide pieces. Flatten with the palm of your hand and top with more sesame seeds if desired. Place onto a lined baking sheet and allow to rise again for about 20-30 minutes before baking at 180C for 15 minutes.

Ham chim peng is an evil tasty Asian bread that’s usually deep-fried for optimal greasy deliciousness factor (like most Asian snackage).

I’m too lazy to deep-fry so I thought I’d try a baked only variant, and I had no idea how to go about making it so I used a basic sweet bread recipe and put five spice in it.

I know, this is probably such a half-arsed way of making it and I’ll look up real recipes for it tomorrow. But I made a bread product with yeast and let it rise and stuff so that’s an achievement in itself.

A few notes:

The bread mix was quite nice on its own, but for this snack it wasn’t quite salty enough so I might add a bit of salt to the dough next time.  It could also probably have done with a leetle bit more filling.

It’s also the first time I’ve added extra gluten to flour for baking, but it really did give the dough a bit more spring.  For breads, the ratio is meant to be 1 tablespoon of gluten flour for every 1 cup of plain flour.  This works really well, IMO.

For the rises, I usually have issues getting a nice bread rising climate. I was told to try heating the oven to low, switching it off (or alternatively, leaving it on) and putting the dough in. But that didn’t work for me.

I heard somewhere else that if you put a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven, and put the bowl of dough (uncovered) on the rack just above and keep the door closed, it’ll keep the oven warm enough to help the dough rise and the humidity will stop it from drying out.  That worked an absolute treat.

Anyway, on with the recipe.

Ham Chim Peng

Ingredients:

  • 450g plain flour
  • 50g gluten flour
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 7 Tbs sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 40g soft butter

Filling:

  • 3 tsp five spice powder
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • sesame seeds (usually white, I only have black)

Method:

Combine dry ingredients in a mixer bowl.  Combine the egg and the warm water in a separate bowl.  Add to the wet to the dry ingredients.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix until the dough comes together.  Then knead the butter into the dough.

Allow to rise until double (about 40 min - 1 hr) then punch down and knead for a couple more minutes.

Roll roughly into a long rectangle.

Combine the filling ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the dough.

Roll the dough up into a long scroll and slice into approximately inch wide pieces.

Flatten with the palm of your hand and top with more sesame seeds if desired.

Place onto a lined baking sheet and allow to rise again for about 20-30 minutes before baking at 180C for 15 minutes.