Purple sweet potato pao

This was my first pao or bakpao in Indonesia. For so long I though that it was difficult to make a bakpao. At least it required special flour (pao or tang mien flour) and white butter (shortening) that are not easy to find around. Then I saw this pao in mba Hesti's blog. She just used all purpose flour and oil. I was so happy and decided to give it a go.

The ingredients and methods were similar to those at bread making, only that at the final step we steam the pao rather than bake it. I form some pao into buns  and some others into the rose like what was described in wendy inkk's blog. I fill the bun with chocolate rice and the rose with Indonesian style red kidney bean paste. Unlike other red bean paste, Indonesian style used red kidney bean not red bean and coconut milk.

I think my pao was a bit over - fermented. The roses bloomed sooo big ... ha ha... but they were so soft. I packed some of them in Rachel's snack box and she shared them with her friends. All of them said this pao was so00 good. I felt like making pao again soon :) 

Ingredients:

for pao:
from mba Hesti's blog

125 gr steamed purple sweet potato
100 ml water
250 gr all purpse flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (I didn't use it)
50 gr sugar
25 gr shortening (I use oil)
1/8 tsp salt
6 gr instant yeast

for red kidney bean paste:
from Kue special dalam cup by sedap

100 gr dries red kidney bean, soak overnight
1 lt water
2 pandan leaves
1/8 tsp salt
125 gr sugar
75 ml thick coconut milk

Direction:

For red kidney bean paste:
Boil red kidney bean and pandan until tender. Set aside to cool.
When they are already cool, mash them in a food processor or blander.
Transfer them to a pan. Add in sugar, salt and coconut milk. Stir constantly over a low heat until it cook through and paste-like. Set aside to cool.

For the pao:
Dissolve yeast in half of the water.
Combine all except oil and mix to form a dough.
Put in oil and knead until the dough is smooth.
Cover and let the dough proof until double in size for about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and knead for 1 - 2 minutes.
Divide dough into 35 gr for chocolate and red kidney bean paste bun and 15 gr each for rose bun and form into a rose or as you wish.
Cover and let the formed dough proof for another 45 minutes.
Steam on high for 12 minutes.
Enjoy!

I am submitting this post to aspiring bakers # 31 Bao Ho Chiak 
hosted by Miss B of everybody eats well in Flanders