Pandan kikaku (hee pan) (sponge dough)

Pardon me for the poor photo taken, was trying to show how fluffy this was.

I've been making kikaku (or known as hakka hee pan) a lot lately, but it just seems that the recipes I tried (I tried two similar recipes) aren't soft enough. They are chewy but not exactly fluffily soft. Then I come across one that Wendy (from Wendy's Small Small World) made and she claimed that the recipe was a keeper and the hee pan came out seriously soft and fluffy. I had a look through the instructions, the sponge dough (or starter dough) needs to be kept overnight at room temperature, then another four-hour proof when mixed with the rest of the ingredients.. hm.. reading this, I somehow, had a feeling it is gonna be soft. I decided that I wanted to do it, and I got some pandan (screwpine) leaves cos I wanted to make a soft and fragrant one.

I prepared pandan soymilk by pureeing about 5 pieces of pandan leaves with 1 cup of fresh unsweetened soymilk. My blender can blend the leaves till really smooth fiber-free, so I didn't even sieve the mixture. Even though pandan leaves are mostly used for fragrance where we are, they are actually quite a nutritious and antioxidant-rich plant. Screwpine foliage is rich in antioxidant  flavonoids and, as a result, is thought to have anti-cancer properties. This benefit is attained by consuming the leaves in rice, soup, as a wrap, or in desserts. The foliage is used as an arthritic pain reliever and an antiseptic for healing wounds and skin disorders, including leprosy and acne. Diabetics and those that suffer from ulcers may also find it to be beneficial. Read more about this here.

The pandan soymilk blend that I prepared was partly used for this recipe and the leftover portion was used for my soft and fragrant pandan raisin bun.

Here's the recipe for my pandan kikaku (hee pan) using the sponge dough method

Recipe adapted from Wendy's Small Small World

Sponge dough:

1tsp dry instant active yeast
200 g all purpose flour
150g pandan soymil

Mix the above. Cover and proof overnight at room temperature. (I didn't do this overnight, I did it for about 4hrs during the day, at room temperature).

Main dough:

100g all purpose flour
150g glutinous rice flour
125g water
125g sugar (I cut this down to 5tbsp ie 75g)

*I also added 1tbsp grapeseed oil when kneading this dough

a bit of red coloring (I omitted this)
some oil for rubbing on palms while moulding the hee pan.

Mix the sponge dough and the main dough together, knead till soft.
Cover and prove for another 4hours. (I did this for about 2.5hrs)
Then shaped 50g each and place on a banana leaf.
Let proved for another 15mins, steamed at medium heat for 10mins.

Verdict: Like what Wendy mentioned, this recipe is definitely a keeper, thumbs up! The hee pan were softer and fluffier than the previous recipes I tried. But it's not for those who are short of time, cos it requires preparation in advanced.