Mexican Coffee Bun (rotiboy)
Mexican Coffee Bun (Rotiboy) – Sweet bun with coffee topping and butter filling. It’s popular in Malaysia and Asia. Easy Mexican coffee bun recipe.
I have long heard about the legendary Mexican coffee bun or Rotiboy, a made-in-Malaysia bun with a crusty coffee topping and butter filling.
The word “Mexican” might be misleading but this bun originated from a bakery in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, and now Mexican coffee bun is famous all over Asia, with many bakeries and copycat bakeries selling this popular Mexican coffee bun.
I finally had a chance to taste this aromatic and wonderful bun when I was home in Penang earlier this year.
For the Mexican coffee bun recipe, I turned to my contributor Siew Loon. Check it out and hope you get to try this bun soon.
Contributor: Ho Siew Loon
Recently an old friend of mine who has migrated to Australia started a small Malaysian bakery called Papparoti selling coffee-flavoured buns which happens to be one of my daughter’s favorite.
This has inspired me to revisit this Mexican coffee bun recipe and get to work.
The aroma of this Mexican coffee bun bun is really tantalizing and makes you just want to eat it piping hot.
Mexican Coffee Bun is a bun stuffed with butter and has a very crispy coffee pastry topping.
It is made popular by this Malaysian bakery called Rotiboy and now this bun is commonly known as “Rotiboy” in Malaysia and throughout Asia.
This coffee bun is also a very popular snack in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and even Korea.
Mexican coffee bun is best eaten when it’s just off the oven and fresh.
The joy of baking this Mexican coffee bun or rotiboy is as fun as the joy of eating it hot and fresh.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 580 calories per serving.
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Mexican Coffee Bun (Rotiboy)
Mexican coffee bun/rotiboy is a sweet bun with coffee topping and butter filling. It's popular in Malaysia and Asia. Easy Mexican coffee bun recipe.
Ingredients
For the Bun:
- 500 g (17 oz.) Bread Flour
- 80 g (3 oz.) Castor Sugar
- 9 g Salt
- 20 g (1 oz.) Milk Powder, optional
- 10 g (0.5 oz.) Dry Yeast
- 60 g (2 oz.) Butter
- 280 ml Water + 1 large Egg
Topping:
- 200 g (7 oz.) Butter
- 150 g (5 oz.) Powdered Sugar, Sieved
- 3 Large Eggs, Lightly beaten
- 200 g (7 oz.) Cake Flour
- 1 tablespoon Instant Coffee + 2TBSP Hot Water or 3 TBSP Espresso
- 1 tablespoon Coffee Liquor or 1 TBSP Coffee Essence, optional
Filling:
- 100 g (3.5 oz.) Butter
Instructions
For the Bun:
- Add all the dry ingredients. Mix it thoroughly.
- Gradually add in water and egg mixture and knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes. (Use the DOUGH HOOK)
- Slowly add in butter and continue kneading till you get a shining and elastic dough. (Note: Dough should be able to stretch without breaking)
- Cover dough with a cloth. Leave to proof for about 40 minutes or till dough has doubled in size.
- When dough is proofing, prepare topping.
Topping:
- Beat butter and sugar till pale in color.
- Gradually add in egg.
- Fold in flour on low speed.
- Add in coffee mixture and liquor. Mix till combined. Set aside.
To Make Bun:
- Remove the dough and on a lightly floured surface, punch dough down to release the air.
- Divide dough in 25 g (1 oz.) each. Roll it out in to a small circle and insert 1 tsp butter into each bun. Wrap it up.
- Leave the ready bun to proof for about 45 minutes or double in size.
- Put the cream topping into a pipping bag and pump out the cream in circles around the bun.
- Bake at 215°C (419°F) for 18 minutes.
Notes
Use the Conversion tool to convert the measurement.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
4 peopleAmount Per Serving Calories 580Total Fat 81gSaturated Fat 49gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 321mgSodium 1589mgCarbohydrates 188gFiber 5gSugar 59gProtein 28g
Happy
Hello!
I’ve tried your recipe, and my family loves it!
I do have a question though, can I substitute butter with margarine? thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
You can try. Should be OK.
Jessie
Hi could you advise what can i substitute cake flour pls?
Rasa Malaysia
All purpose flour.
June
I made some today but forgot to put in the butter in my dough. Will have to remember to put butter in my next round.
Lyisa
Thank you so much for the recipe, I have tried it yesterday and it’s perfect, it’s a big hit in my family and will be making again this afternoon, so excited because this is one of my favorite, the 1st time I ate this was in Malaysia near Petronas Tower years ago, the smell of a newly bake kopi roti is addicting and you want to eat it straight from the oven. I will be trying your other recipes.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Lyisa, all my recipes are good please try more!
Jate
Tried this recipe and my friends and sons love it. A friend said the taste is similar with the original coffee buns she had when she visited Malaysia. How to store the dough though. I plan to make the dough a day ahead before i need it. Thanks. Love this recipe.
Rasa Malaysia
It’s best to do everything the same day.
Danica Ang
Hi,
The 10g dry yeast… is it active dry yeast or instant dry yeast?
Rasa Malaysia
Active.
Anne
hi there, if i were to use instant dry yeast, will that make any difference? will i have to adjust the quantity? thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
It’s fine.
Cynthia
Tried this recipe and the bread its so pillowy soft.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Eellyn
Hi
Thanks for your recipe.
I have tried many times unfortunately I can never get the crusty top. It always turns out game-like texture.
Can you please advise.
Rasa Malaysia
What is game-like texture?
Jase
Good day!
I followed the recipe but I ended up getting a gloppy gooey dough. I was kneading it with the KitchenAid’s dough hook for 20 minutes (speed 2) already but it didn’t become elastic.
Should I knead it longer?
Ida
Super yummy
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks!
Regina Joy Diamzoz
Hi! My husband and I love coffee bun. he was the one who introduced it to me . He grew up eating it when he’s still leaving in Brunei and Singapore. We tried the Papparoti coffee bun and like it too. I’ve been baking coffee bun and I I’m following your recipe. got the taste of the coffee topping however it doesn’t stay and keeps falling off the bun. Any advice you can give?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Regina, I am not sure maybe make sure they are attached better before baking.
Jessica
Made these today after falling in lust with them at a small coffee shop in Los Angeles (where they called them “mocha buns”). I followed the recipe as written, except added a dash of cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla to the topping. Made each roll 75 gm size, which gave me 13 nicely sized buns. Fragrant, buttery, fluffy and delicious!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, so happy you tried out this Mexican coffee bun.