40-Minute Cartoon Character Printed Buns

I have been wanting to try this too-good-to-be-true recipe because it really takes very little time to make, especially when compared to my preferred method of making bread using the sponge dough method, which could take up to a few hours or overnight for the whole process. It's one of those days when I want to bake but prefer nothing too complicated or sweet for my family. So what better time than this to try this out! My kids chose some cartoon character cookie cutters from Isetan recently so I thought it would be good to use them to surprise my kids. Printed buns are so easy to make but can transform a plain bun into something that is attractive and entice the kids to eat.

The bread is indeed really soft!

I am amazed at the texture despite hardly kneading the dough at all and practically no waiting time in between as I printed the plain buns and egg washed the sausage buns while letting it proof for 10 minutes. Usually I would go off to do chores while my bread dough sat in the kitchen to proof.

I had some dough left after making 9 printed plain buns (to be eaten with jam/ butter/ kaya) so I made 2 sausage rolls.

Domestic goddess wannabe shared this awesome recipe with very detailed steps and FAQs so do refer to her page. I halved her recipe and used 190g bread flour, 12g wholemeal flour and 26g plain flour. I baked the buns at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Each plain bun is made from 48g of dough. The buns were proofed and baked in a 6 x 6" square tin.

I divided the remaining dough into 2 to make the sausage buns by rolling the dough into a long snake and winding it round the sausage. Be careful not to stretch the dough while winding it and keep the two ends facing down.

Prepare the "ink" for printing the buns by mixing one egg yolk with one tsp of cocoa powder in a plate. Smooth the paste into a thin layer on the plate. Drop the cookie cutter on the plate and check that the ink is spread in a thin layer on the markings on the cutter. If some parts are not covered with ink, use a small food brush or toothpick to apply. If there is too much ink on certain parts, use a toothpick to remove the excess. If there is too much ink on the cookie cutter, your printed designs will smudge like the chipmunk at the bottom left corner. Gently and carefully lift up the cutter to prevent the designs from smudging. Do not egg wash your buns or your designs will smudge too.

I egg washed the sausage rolls with the remaining half an egg (I used half an egg for the dough) to give it a shiny finish.

The buns still remained soft even after 2 days and has no yeasty flavor although the texture is slightly cakey, not like the usual bread that I am used to. Hubby personally prefer the complex flavor of breads that are made with longer rise times but the kids love it. This recipe is definitely a keeper for days when I am hard pressed for time!

With love,
Phay Shing