Saturday 6 October 2012

Roti Paung (Terengganu Butter Buns - Old School Method)


Anyone from Terengganu? If you are, you will be familiar with Roti Paung (I spell it with a "g" instead of Roti Paun). It is a yeasty buttery sweet bun with a wonderful aroma. Some Roti Paung have sweet coconut filling but I am not a fan of those. 

I noticed that the Roti Paung available now does not taste the same as those from my childhood. There came a point when I requested my mother not to buy anymore Roti Paung for me when she comes to visit. Mum agrees that the ingredients and methodology have been compromised in the name of commercialization.



The ingredients are very simple - flour, sugar, eggs, water and yeast. I use fresh yeast to make Roti Paung because the aroma is much more intense compared to the quick method using instant yeast. However, I must warn you that this old fashioned method used by my grandaunts is a slow rise method. It takes approximately 8 hours for the first rise and another 6 to 7 hours for the second rise. For me, it is worth the wait as I get the Roti Paung of my childhood.

Making the Roti Paung is quiet simple really, unlike the more sophisticated bun or bread making techniques that are used these days. It is basically a dump and mix method, nothing much to it. The only tricky part is adding water, too much would make the dough wet and sticky.

This is my 20th and third successful attempt so far.  I had thrown away Roti Paung that came out hard like rocks or dough which wouldn't rise. My downfall at the beginning was the kneading of the dough. I couldn't get it right until I saw Chef John's method here.


This recipe and method below is adapted from my Aunt.

Roti Paung

Ingredients :
300g plain flour
2 eggs 
70g sugar 
50g butter at room temperature
Some warm water
1 soup spoon fresh yeast (recipe here)

Method :
1. Mix sugar, eggs, butter and yeast.
2. Add flour, 1/3 at a time and use a spatula to stir.
3. If the mixture is too dry, add water a little at a time.
4. When dough is formed (sticky but firm enough) transfer to a well floured surface.
5. Knead until dough becomes elastic.
6. Oil a container and put dough in. Cover and let rise to double its volume.
7. Remove dough onto a well floured surface.
8. Divide dough into 12 portions (or 24 if you want daintier buns)
9. Put a small piece of butter into the center of the dough and roll into a ball.
10. Arrange the dough onto well oiled/buttered baking trays and cover.
11. When dough has doubles in size, bake in preheated oven at 160C (or 180C depending on your oven) for 10 to 15 minutes.

For quick method using instant yeast :
1/2 packet instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons flour
Some warm water

Method :
- Mix all the above to form a paste
- Leave to rise until double in volume.
- Use this in place of fresh yeast.

I made this Roti Paung as shown below with the cultivated yeast which was frozen for almost 2 months. Hence, the proofing time was much longer, about 12 hours.


All the ingredients, clockwise from top eggs, fresh yeast (defrosted and left to stand overnight), butter, sugar and flour.
Mix sugar, eggs, butter and yeast.
This is how the mixture looks like. Then gradually add flour.

Dough is firm enough to be transferred to floured surface.


Dough after kneading.

Put into a well oiled container. This is at 8.30am.

I covered using another container. This is my Aunt's method and I think it's ingenious.

Dough doubled in volume. This is at 7.20pm.

Place dough onto well floured surface and divide into 12 or 24 portions. Form into balls and place some butter in the middle and roll.
Place the dough balls onto well buttered trays.

Same method, cover with another tray. Leave to rise overnight.

Doubled in volume. This is at 7:00 am the next day.

Freshly baked.

You can make smaller ones. Dainty is not in my vocabulary, hence big sized buns.

The inside looks like this.
Quite nice and fluffy.

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Terengganu Month hosted by Lena of frozen wings.


43 comments:

  1. Paung or paun probably comes from the Englsih word pound. I wonder why the name. Did they use to be one-pound loaves? Not so much into bread but I don't mind once in a while.

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  2. Perhaps, perhaps, I never really questioned why it is called paun or paung. Just took it for granted :) These are baked in round trays and I have seen bigger ones called "Roti Tempayan". Maybe those weigh a pound :D

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  3. Hi Phong Hong
    I never understand too why it is being name Roti Paun. But whatever it is called, it taste great. I have made Roti Paun once with butter filling inside. You made yours beautiful with a tray of 6 buns each. Sweet and cute. Have a wonderful weekend ahead with your love ones.

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    1. Hi Mel, glad to know you like Roti Paung! You should make yours too and post it. Have a wonderful weekend with your family too!

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  4. What a mouth-watering recipe.

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  5. Hi Phong Hong, so good to see you are baking more now. These buns look so buttery, soft and fluffy. I can imagine the nice aroma of freshly bake buns in your kitchen [you can only smell that aroma outside your kitchen, hahaha].

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    1. Hi Kimmy, I am practising so that I can try out more buns and bread recipes and I have a whole lot of resources from your blog! You are right, only other people can smell it, I couldn't smell while it was baking hah! hah! hah!

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  6. really glad to learn the old method of making these roti pauns and i now know that they have also big and small ones. I actually like the visible melted butter inside the buns, i dont know why i was not able to see them in mine..but i didnt really chk every buns inside..haha! anyway they look wonderful and thnks again for sharing your method of cultivating yeast, appreciate that!

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    1. Hi Lena, mine also don't have visible butter inside. Perhaps the butter dispersed inside after it melted. Glad you like the yeast post :)

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  7. I can see your 'babies' are very soft and fluffy. It tooks really a lot of time to make this bread with cultivated yeast. You did very well!

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    1. Thanks, Vivian! I am still very new when it comes to baking especially buns :)

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  8. I learned something new from you :) I've only tried to make dinner roll before but with the help of my bread maker. Next time I want to try your method. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Hi Ann! I am only too happy to share all good things!

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  9. PH, this reminds me of those soft plain buns that i had as a kid in those really old coffee shops, where they serve it with your kopi-o :) would like to try this, can i use my bread machine?

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    1. Hi Esther, you can use your bread machine. The first time my Aunt showed me how to do this, she used my cake mixer with the dough hooks. She do until my machine overheated. Some more, the dough tak jadi hah! hah! hah!. After that we did by hand :)

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  10. Lovely roti paung! Looks so soft with nice texture. This would be lovely with a cup of hot coffee. Thanks for sharing the step by step method of preparing the yeast, you are really cool! Pass-down recipes like this are a treasure, that no money can buy!

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    1. Hi Joyce! There's loads to learn from the old folks (I'm one of these old folks on the making) and I want to share and pass on these little little gems :)

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  11. Phong Hong, is this the 1st time you posted a bread recipe? Love your roti paung, very soft ah! So Roti Paung & roti paun the same? Lena's version is roti paun?

    Anyway, please share some of these yummy bread rolls with me, hahaha! And you know what, the plates that you used in placing the dough & final bread rolls is back to trend again, I saw some in oval size selling in our shopping centres, not cheap, I think the cost for 1 small plate here is equivalent to few plates back to M'sia in large size.

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    1. Jessie, ya lah, my fist time posting buns! Roti Paun and Roti Paung is the same, just the way we pronounce the name. In TGG we usually add "g" to words ending with "n". Eg "makan" we say "makang". Yes, I will share my buns with you, one plate for you and one plate for me :) Those plates were given to me by my Aunt when she was doing spring cleaning. Didn't know they are so expensive there.

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  12. Hi Phong Hong, your roti paung look so good,so soft and fluffy. Thanks fro sharing the recipes.

    Have a nice week ahead, regards.

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    1. Hi Amelia! Glad you like the buns. You have a noce week too!

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  13. 12 hrs of proving!

    Hi Phong Hong, I reckon I have to be very patient to eat these delicious buns. I really seeing you baking these buns using your aunt's recipe. Will she get angry if she knows that you are showing everyone her secrets of baking these beauties? :p

    Zoe

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    1. sorry... forget the work "enjoy"... I mean "I really enjoy seeing you..." :p

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    2. Hi Zoe! I am sure my Aunt will approve :) She is one of those people who are generous when it comes to sharing recipes. Oh, the proving time is so long but worth the wait :)

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  14. They remind me of Brioche but with a coconut twist. Yummy! I am pinning your recipe so I can give it a try soon. They would be perfect for breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee. Thanks for sharing:)

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    1. Hi Nancy, these buns are nice and simple. Nothing fancy but really good to eat. Thanks for coming by!

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  15. I think is not a matter it taste nice or not nice, the important thing is bring back your childhood sweet memory. Look like your hard work is pay off, your roti paun look authentic and good!

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    1. Thanks, Sonia! I still prefer to old taste :)

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  16. Hi Phong Hong, i am so happy to have found your website because i am from TGG and have been experimenting with different sweet bun recipes from the web for Roti Paung, none taste the same as those i had back home. I will try out your recipe soon :) This is my husband's favourite too, since he is also from the same kampung. I am so glad you are willing to share the recipe, it helps to curb the 'needs' when we are away from home, i am sure you know what i mean. Ha ha! :) By the way, does the bun gets harden after being left in room temperature over the night?
    I will be checking out your others TGG recipes soon, so excited! :) Thanks so much for sharing! Love, Chloe's mommy

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    1. Hi there, Chloe's mommy! This recipe is an age old recipe passed down from my grandaunts. And if you are accustomed to the roti paung of the old days, then this recipe is for you. The secret in my opinion is in the yeast. The buns do harden a little bit when left overnight, it is best to consume fresh. But you can warm it in the oven the next day. It can also be frozen. Hope your paung turns out. Took me many attempts :)Thanks for coming by!

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  17. Can smell it from here hehe

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  18. Salam perkenalan Phong, baru jupe deme.......kes nok wat roti paung! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORKS!!!!!!

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    1. Hi salam perkenalan! Name' gapo? Selamat mencuba, ni resepi pesen lame tapi hasilnya best!

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  19. Hi I made these buns recently too using a recipe quite similar to yours . You can check it out.

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    1. Hi Lily! You have certainly done very well with the roti paung!

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  20. Hi there, so glad i found this recipe! Gonna try this soon! Used to have this a lot when I was a kid.

    Btw just a quick check, when you say 1/2 packet of instant yeast (i don't think i have the patience to make fresh yeast for now - haha), how much would that be? I bought a big packet of instant yeast so i think what you meant was for the smaller packet right? Can you estimate in teaspoon pls?

    Thanks so much!

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    1. Hi Edahani! The instant yeast is the small packet, you know the one that they sell at the supermarket. In fact this morning I was trying to find my yeast to tell you how many gram but my yeast entah hilang kat mana! hee..hee...Happy trying! Hope your Roti Paung turns out great :)

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