Description

This Strawberry Cream Cheese Pineapple Bun recipe features a soft, fluffy bun topped with a crisp, sweet cookie crust infused with freeze-dried strawberry powder. Filled with a luscious strawberry cream cheese mixture, this delightful Asian-inspired pastry combines the classic pineapple bun texture with the freshness of strawberry in both the filling and topping. Perfect for a sweet breakfast treat or afternoon snack, these buns are baked to golden perfection with a tender crumb and a fruity, creamy center.

Ingredients

Scale

Tangzhong Paste

25 g bread flour (2½ tbsp)
30 g boiling water (2 tbsp)

Cream Cheese Filling

170 g cream cheese (6 oz, softened)
70 g strawberry jam (¼ cup)
20 g sugar (1½ tbsp, or to taste)
1⅓ tbsp freeze dried strawberries (pulverized into powder)

Bun Dough

250 g bread flour (2 cups)
30 g cake flour (¼ cup)
30 g sugar (2 tbsp + 1 tsp)
15 g honey (just under 1 tbsp)
1 tsp instant yeast
25 g beaten egg (½ large egg, ⅛ cup, save the rest for cookie top)
80 g milk (⅓ cup)
60 g water (¼ cup)
All Tangzhong Paste (prepared as above)
4 g sea salt (½ tsp)
30 g cold unsalted butter (2 tbsp, cut into 6 pieces)

Cookie Top

70 g butter (5 tbsp, softened)
60 g powdered sugar (¼ cup + 2 tbsp)
25 g beaten egg (from remaining beaten egg of dough)
20 g condensed milk (1 tbsp)
120 g bread flour (1 cup, plus more for dusting)
2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries (pulverized into powder)

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Instructions

Make Tangzhong Paste: Measure 25 grams of bread flour into a bowl, then zero your kitchen scale and add 30 grams of boiling water. Stir vigorously until combined into a sticky paste. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In a mixing bowl, blend softened cream cheese and strawberry jam until smooth. Taste and add sugar accordingly, depending on the sweetness of your jam. Next, mix in pulverized freeze dried strawberries until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make Bun Dough: Combine all bun dough ingredients except sea salt and butter in a stand mixer bowl. Knead on low speed until the dough forms. Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes.
Add Salt and Knead: Sprinkle in the sea salt and continue kneading until the dough can be stretched to a 2-inch windowpane without tearing.
Incorporate Butter: Add cold butter pieces one at a time, kneading thoroughly after each addition. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and passes the windowpane test, approximately 6–7 minutes (5 minutes low speed, 1–2 minutes medium speed).
First Proof: Shape the dough into a sticky ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place (82°F-90°F) for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
Make Cookie Top: Cream together softened butter and powdered sugar. Gradually add beaten egg in four portions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in condensed milk until smooth. Fold in bread flour and pulverized freeze dried strawberries until the mixture is just combined. Transfer onto a work surface and knead gently to fully integrate the flour. Form the dough into a log shape, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Divide Dough and Rest: Transfer risen bun dough to a work surface and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a smooth ball, tucking edges underneath. Cover with greased plastic wrap and rest for 5 minutes.
Fill Buns: Flatten each dough ball with your finger into a disk about 3½ inches in diameter, thinner at the edges. Place a scoop of cream cheese filling in the center, then gather and pinch edges to seal the filling inside. Repeat for all pieces.
Prepare Cookie Dough Circles: Remove cookie dough log from the fridge and slice into 8 equal pieces. Lightly dust the work surface and the top of each cookie dough piece with flour. Roll each piece out until large enough to cover the top surface of each bun (bottom of buns do not need coverage).
Apply Cookie Tops: Place each rolled cookie dough on top of each filled bun with the less floured side facing the bun, carefully wrapping and adhering the cookie dough over the bun’s top surface without gaps. Arrange buns spaced about 2½ inches apart on a lined baking tray. If cookie dough softens too quickly, refrigerate unused portions until needed.
Create Classic Pattern: Optionally, use a bench knife to score classic crisscross lines on the cookie tops or leave them to split naturally during proofing, depending on preference.
Second Proof: Cover buns loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 50 minutes, or until the dough expands and crack lines appear on the cookie tops.
Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) near the end of the proofing time. Adjust oven racks so one is in the middle and another 2-3 levels above. Place baking tray with buns on the middle rack and an empty tray on the upper rack to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 16 minutes until the cookie tops are crisp and golden.
Cool: Transfer baked buns to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set and the crust to firm up.

Notes

Tangzhong paste can be made the night before or at least 4 hours ahead to improve dough texture and softness.
Adjust sugar in the cream cheese filling based on the sweetness of your strawberry jam.
Cold butter is essential for the dough to properly incorporate and create a tender crumb.
If cookie dough softens too quickly while rolling or applying, refrigerate it to maintain consistency.
Ensure buns are spaced adequately on the baking tray for even proofing and baking.
Optional: scoring the cookie tops gives the characteristic pineapple bun appearance, but buns may also crack naturally during proofing.
Use room temperature ingredients where noted for best dough consistency.

Prep Time: 45 minutes (excluding tangzhong resting time)
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Category: Bakery/Pastry
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Asian Fusion