Sponge Dough
Bread flour: 180g
70 grams of milk 30 grams of whole egg liquid 25 grams of yeast 1 gram (can be omitted in summer) 3 grams of salt 3 grams of caster sugar
15 grams
Butter 15 grams Accessories 2 grams Dried Sichuan Pepper Leaf Crush 6 grams Spicy Dry Dipping Seasoning White Sesame SeedsModerate amount.
1️⃣ Dried Sichuan pepper leaf powder ≠ Sichuan pepper powder! Collect fresh Sichuan pepper leaves in spring and summer, wash them, air-dry naturally, then crush them. The leaves have a unique aromatic fragrance. I pick some every year and use them as a seasoning. If you absolutely cannot get Sichuan pepper leaves, substitute with Sichuan pepper powder, but preferably homemade pepper powder that is freshly fried and ground, which is more aromatic than store-bought ones. 2️⃣ Spicy dry dipping sauce is essential; do not use chili powder! The latter has too single a flavor profile and will not produce a fragrant result. Mix the sponge starter ingredients into a dough, refrigerate and ferment overnight until the volume expands. Knead the fermented sponge starter with the remaining dough ingredients using the late-oil method until a thin film forms; it is not necessary to knead to full gluten development. Divide into 9 portions, shape into rounds, and rest for 15 minutes. Take one portion and roll it out from the center outward. Flip it over, fold the left and right sides toward the center. Fold in half again and pinch the seam tightly to seal. Repeat to make 9 portions in sequence.Take three pieces as a group, roll them long, and taper both ends slightly. Arrange them as shown in the picture. First, braid from the middle downward. Turn it around and finish braiding the remaining part. Tighten both ends — pinch firmly, firmly, and firmly again; otherwise, they may burst during final proofing. Braid three strands one by one and place them on a baking sheet. Proof in a warm, humid place for 40 minutes until 1.5 times in size. Spray the surface with water and dot white sesame seeds on the raised parts of the dough for decoration. Place in a preheated oven at the middle rack, bake at 180°C (top and bottom heat) for 18 minutes. Watching the dough expand is truly healing~ In any case, everyone who has tried it says it tastes delicious.
Notes on the Overnight Sponge
The sponge starter does its best work over a full stretch of hours in the refrigerator, where the slow ferment builds the flavor these buns rely on. By morning it should look domed and bubbly. If it still seems flat and dense, an hour on the counter wakes it up before the main dough comes together.
Keeping the Braids Tidy
Even strand thickness matters more than tight braiding. Ropes rolled thin in the middle and plump at the ends proof unevenly, and the thick sections swallow the thin ones. Aim for equal width along the whole strand, braid with even tension, and give each finished braid two inches (5 cm) of clearance on the tray; they may touch gently as they reach one and a half times their size, and that is nothing to worry about.
Serving Suggestions
These are at their peak ten minutes out of the oven, while the pepper leaf fragrance is at its loudest. The scent quiets down as they cool, so a brief five-minute re-warm at 320°F (160°C) brings it back. They stand on their own as a snack, split and buttered, or alongside a bowl of soup at lunch.
