The buns were steamed over moderate heat. The filling inside the dough would burst out quickly when it was steamed over high heat. This was why using medium heat to steam was the best. Before that, she rested the buns for fifteen minutes before steaming.
The dough was made with yeast so the time was needed to allow for the fermentation process or proof several times at various preparation stages. When the dough had completed the fermentation steps, it’s ready to be shaped into buns.
Lu Xinyi didn’t wait for too long as the yeast would further expand the volume, and it would leave a gap between the dough and the filling. Eventually, the dough would rise too much and become out of shape after steaming.
Too much steam could cause wrinkly surfaces so while her brother was presenting his dishes, Lu Xinyi focused her attention at the cooking time of the buns.
Old Man Ji beamed with pride and happiness hearing the diners approving the steamed bun set made by Lu Xinyi. His eyes gleamed as he watched people enjoying and praising Oriental Bliss’s buns. True, it was Lu Xinyi who made it, but the foundation and techniques used by her were from the Ji family.
Too bad that a cooking prodigy like Lu Xinyi wasn’t born from the Ji family, or else she would bring fame and glory not only to their family but also to Oriental Bliss. His granddaughter, Ji Mingqian, had no talent in cooking at all.
He initially thought that there was nothing wrong with the recipe he’d been following for decades. He loved the flavors; seeing their customers enjoying it as they ate, he didn’t think it was possible to make it even tastier until he tried the improved buns made by Madam Shen.
Locals loved salted egg on savory dishes, but there’s something enthralling about a sweet-salty combination one could only find in salted egg custard buns. What made the Stygian Golden Lava Bun different from the rest was its jet black color contrast to the pristine white that people were used to.
Old Man Ji’s previous attempts to improve the taste of this black bun on his own didn’t make it pass Lu Xinyi’s palate because none of them produced this kind of ooze. Taste-wise, they were good enough; but without that lava pop, what would’ve been the point?
With Madam Shen and her friends’ help, Oriental Bliss was now offering the huge fluffy black buns filled with molten salted egg yolk that’s not too cloying.
The salted egg yolk was grainy, but the texture actually helped ease the richness of the filling. Most of all, the custard had the perfect taste combination—not too sweet, a hint of saltiness to balance off the sweetness, and finally that buttery and creamy aroma to make this dish complete.
“How did you do it? The buns didn’t collapse while waiting at the steamer,” Tian Lingyu inquired. He was curious about his sister’s progress in cooking.
When he was younger, he used to get tired of making steamed buns that come out wrinkly, collapse, or simply just not smooth. Tian Lingyu used to wonder why in the world perfectly proofed buns come out horrible after steaming.
“The dough for the Stygian Golden Lava Bun should have the right amount of water. If it is too dry, the seam will not properly close when you press and squeeze it. The filling oozes out during steaming. Meanwhile, the bun will be out of shape if it is too wet or flat instead of standing tall. The amount of water should be adjusted just enough to form the dough,” his sister explained.
The big bulk of the task of making soft fluffy and smooth steamed buns lie on kneading the dough—lots of kneading! If she hadn’t had those intensive training under Han Zhiling for the past weeks, Lu Xinyi would’ve cried from exhaustion for making hundreds of buns in a limited time.
Curious as to what it tasted like after seeing the reactions of the diners, Tian Lingyu took a piece of black bun left on their steamer. He bit into it and understood why the diners were raving after this bun.
Tian Lingyu admitted to himself that this Stygian Golden Lava Bun was probably the most delicious custard bun he had ever tasted in his life. It was sweet with a hint of saltiness, similar to the amazing salty-sweet combination of salted caramel and the custard oozing like lava out of the steamed bun at the first bite.
Biting into it, he got the super-rich custard oozing into his mouth. This was encased by the soft and fluffy bun.
Stygian Golden Lava Bun? He thought. No wonder his sister named it after the Styx. Anyone who would eat this black bun would be dragged away from reality, not realizing that a devil had tricked them.
Although not the norm, charcoal was added to the steamed bun. It didn’t really add much of a taste but gave it its pitch-black color. It had a classic flavor with a largely visual twist.
This steamed custard bun recipe turned out soft, tender, and just the right amount of sweet. A person with a sweet tooth would be undeniably satisfied after eating this soul-satisfying treat! It was so soft and fluffy. The salted egg flavor was rich and ample, and it didn’t taste greasy or oily at all. This was so much better than many restaurant-standard steamed buns.
This was why when la Reverie served their signature chocolate mousse cake, the diners lost their appetite upon seeing it. This slice of the cake looked bland and plain on their sight. To give la Reverie some face, some diners took a few bites but never finished it. Eating the whole set of buns from Oriental Bliss was enough to satisfy their hunger and appetite.
How could they eat such a sweet dessert when they were already enamored by the Seven Stars of Summer and the Stygian Golden Lava Bun? They absolutely fell in love with the salted egg yolk custard bun of Oriental Bliss!
As the competition came to its end, the diners cast their votes one by one. Lu Xinyi had a triumphant smile on her lips while Lei Peng broke into a cold sweat after seeing everyone’s impression favoring Oriental Bliss at the final leg of the competition.
This… how could he accept this defeat that he brought to himself? If he wasn’t so arrogant that night to provoke a demoness, he wouldn’t have to shoot his own foot in the process. Seeing the mocking smile that Lu Xinyi was throwing his way, panic surged through him. Lei Peng could already predict the outcome of this event.
He’d made a bet with a demoness; now, it was time to pay the price for his arrogance. He would lose not only face today but also a huge sum of money, costing him half a million dollars. His heart hammered in his chest. Just the thought of Shen Yi’s presence on the crowd made the hair stand up on the back of his neck. There was no way in hell Shen Yi would let him go.