Colorful Salted Egg Yolk Pastries Spiral Puff Pastries Multicolor Pastry
This recipe yields 16 colorful pastries, each weighing about 80 grams. The recipe is provided as a guideline and may be adjusted based on local temperature and humidity; if the dough feels dry, add some oil or water; if it's too oily or sticky, add some flour. Ensure the dough feels smooth, soft, and easy to handle without being sticky or hard. During summer, if the dough becomes too oily, refrigerate it for over ten minutes to cool it down. Take it out, check the surface texture, and then proceed. If it's still hard when taken out, it's prone to breaking during handling. The oil-based dough should be kneaded until smooth and stretchy; this ensures it contains the oil-based shortening neatly without breaking or mixing unevenly. Ideally, knead until the dough forms a thin film. 😊 Allow sufficient resting time each cycle to make the dough softer and easier to work with. Let it rest for about 15-20 minutes, and during summer, rest it in the fridge and bring to room temperature before continuing. Be gentle when rolling the dough. Start from the center and gradually roll towards the edges to prevent uneven stretching or breaking of the dough layer. Always keep the dough moist by preparing cling wrap and damp cloths beforehand. As you finish one pastry, wrap it in cling film and cover with a damp cloth. Otherwise, if the dough dries out, it will crack. For the fat, lard provides the best flakiness due to its high-fat content, followed by butter, and plant-based oils provide the least flaky results.
Ingredients
Steps
Combine the ingredients for the oil-based dough and knead it into a smooth, stretchy dough. I kneaded by hand for about 10 minutes, but it hasn't formed a thin film yet.
Continue kneading as if washing clothes, for about 10 more minutes, until the dough forms a thin film. At this point, the film tears easily, but that’s okay as long as the edges of the tear are smooth. Let rest for 30 minutes. The dough softens and becomes less prone to tearing after resting. During hot weather, rest it in the fridge.
Divide the rested oil-based dough into 8 equal portions, with each weighing about 35g; roll into balls. Always remember to keep the dough moist.
Divide the shortening dough evenly and roll into balls with your palms. Place in the fridge to rest for 15-20 minutes.
While the dough is resting, prepare the salted egg yolks. I used fresh shell-on salted duck eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl, wearing disposable gloves, and scoop out the yolks. Clean the yolks by removing the thin film covering them, as it’s the source of any fishy smell. (If time permits, soak the yolks in a container with vegetable oil for an hour; if short on time, ensure the yolks are coated with oil to prevent cracking during baking.) Place the yolks on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 5-7 minutes, middle rack. Keep a close watch and don’t leave. Remove when the yolks start sizzling and bubbling at the bottom. The tray’s residual heat will suffice to fully cook them.
Once the yolks have cooled, wrap them in lotus seed paste. Each yolk is about 15g; use 25g of lotus paste to wrap the yolk. For precision, weigh each yolk and adjust the lotus paste to make a total of 40g per filling. Proceed to wrap.
Retrieve the rested oil-based dough and shortening dough. Flatten the oil-based dough in your hand to create a cup-like shape and enclose the shortening dough. Ensure even thickness of the outer layer.
Place one ball of shortening dough inside.
Press around the edges with your thumb. The first wrap is crucial, as it determines the subsequent shaping. Avoid leaving air gaps by pressing and pinching multiple times. Place the wrapped dough in the fridge to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Take out a wrapped dough. Use a rolling pin to gently press down in the center, then roll towards both ends. Don’t roll too thinly. If some parts feel uneven, smooth them out with your fingers and continue rolling to a length of 15cm and about one finger width.
Roll them tightly, cover with cling film and a damp cloth, and place in the fridge to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Roll out again to 20cm in length. Longer rolls lead to finer layers but are more prone to breaking, so finding the right balance is key.
Roll tightly, especially at the start. The thinner and tighter the beginning, the finer the texture of the layers. If not rolled tightly, the layers may fall apart or appear spaced out.
Cut the roll in half to reveal the concentric layers inside. Use a sharp knife for cutting; gently saw back and forth instead of applying direct downward pressure to avoid flattening.
Place the cut side down.
Flatten slightly.
Roll out with a rolling pin, keeping the center of the spiral aligned in the middle to prevent it from going off-angle when baked. If your technique isn’t refined, roll directly to the desired size. Even if it breaks a little, it doesn’t matter as it's the inner layer, after all.
Place the filling in the center. Use both hands, alternating between turning and pinching with your thumbs to seal the opening gradually. If the filling is too moist or the oven temperature is too high, it may burst open. Ensure the seam is sealed tightly.
Arrange a tray full of prepared pastries. Bake in a preheated oven on the middle rack at 170°C for 30 minutes. Note: after 20 minutes of baking, cover the pastries with aluminum foil to prevent coloring of the tops.
Remove from the oven and let cool.