Updated February 6, 2009
Originally published February 22, 2007
These buns are to die for.
Homemade “Rotiboy” Mexican Coffee Bun
There’s a popular bake shop that started in Malaysia called “Rotiboy“. Their signature product is the Rotiboy bun which is a sweet Mexican butter bun baked with a crisp, coffee-flavored topping. Rotiboy got so popular that they were able to aggressively expand throughout Asia. Many copycats also popped up, but the original Rotiboy is the best.
Hooked on Rotiboy
The last time we were in Malaysia, the cousins brought over a few Rotiboy buns for us to try. I took one bite, and was hooked! I loved how the sweetness of the bun balanced against the saltiness in the butter and the slight bitterness of the coffee.
I quickly gobbled my bun up. Unfortunately, there weren’t many Rotiboy buns to go around so I was left craving for more. The Rotiboy slogan says it all: “One is never enough!”
Annie wanted to learn how to make a Rotiboy bun at home and came upon a few recipes. This one comes close.
“Rotiboy” Mexican Coffee Bun Recipe
(makes about 17 buns)
Coffee Topping Ingredients
200 g softened butter
160 g icing sugar
3 lightly beaten eggs
2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp water
a pinch of ground cinnamon
200 g flour
Method
Beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs. Mix in coffee flavoring. Sift flour onto mixture and mix until combined. Refrigerate the mixture.
Sweet Bun Dough Ingredients
500 g bread flour
20 g milk powder
75 g castor sugar
6 g salt
8 g instant yeast
5 g bread improver (vital wheat gluten – optional)
1 lightly beaten egg
270 g water
60 g softened butter
Method
1. Mix flour, milk powder, sugar and salt in mixer on low speed 1 min.
2. Add in yeast, egg and water. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then medium speed for 8 minutes.
3. Add butter and mix for 5 minutes more on medium speed until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms.
4. Remove dough from mixing bowl and shape into a ball.
5. Divide the dough into 55 gram portions. Roll each portion in to a ball and then cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
6. Flatten a ball of dough and place a 10 gram cube of butter into the center of the dough.
7. Gather the edges and pinch to seal. Pat into shape and place on a greased baking tray. Proof the buns for 45 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 200*C (400*F).
(Notice that we’re using the wrappers from sticks of butter to line the baking sheet. Annie learned this tip from Fine Cooking magazine. The butter wrappers are like pre-greased parchment paper!)
9. Scoop the topping mixture into a piping bag and pipe the topping in a spiral pattern onto the buns.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the buns are lightly brown.
Remove from oven to cool, but not too long. They are best eaten warm. Can’t eat just one!
Aloha, Nate
Tried it today …was great..haven’t done baking for a long time …..so was thrilled. .they came out perfect
Thanks for this recipe! Also, if anyone is located in San Jose, CA, Oakridge mall has a Honeyberry kiosk in the food center that sells these 🙂 So yummy but now I can’t wait to try and make my own!
After baking the buns as required, it looked nice n fluffy. But after a few minutes the buns sank n went flat. But the taste n smell was superb. Need your advice badly.
Pls do I need 2 bake 1st b4 I add the mixed butter coffee?
Hadiza,
No, you add the coffee topping, then bake.
Finally found courage to bake this today. It turns out perfect! Thanks for the recipe. Definitely a keeper!
I put half of the proofed buns (shaped & unbaked) into the chiller (covered with cling wrap) overnight and baked it the next day at 4pm. They shrunk a little but rose back up again after an hour at room temperature. Baked and turned out perfect too! Just to share with those who asked the same question in previous posts.
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe!
I just made it this evening, and although I couldn’t get it like Malaysia’s RotiBoy (yet!), they still came out delicious! I goofed up several times, and what turned out was more like a butter bun/roll, with a light coffee topping and a nice bun. My bread did not come out as airy like RB, but more like those yummy, baked Chinese bb pork/cha su buns (no complaints there!)
Thank you again for the great recipe, I will be trying it again!
Oops, forgot to ask, when proofing, should we keep them covered? If so, with what? Thanks again!
I’m really craving for this thank you for yourrecipe ccan’t wait to try it 😉
hiii thank You for the recipe, i ask Your permition to save it for my file, and i will definitely try to make this lovely morsel one is never enough.
I jus made this.
I always failed in bread recipe but I succeed this time with ur recipe. N it was so yummy. 😉
Hello! I really want to make this recipe for my dad, he’s been on a business trip for two months and he’s coming back this weekend, but I wanted to know if I could use all purpose flour instead of bread flour? Thank you!
Sara,
thanks for your question. Yes, you can use all purpose flour in place of bread flour in this recipe.
Good luck! Let us know your results.
Will try this out. I am so in love with this bun too but usually have it warm so it’s very nice. Thinking of making it for breakfast but I heard the topping will turn soft after a while. How about yours?
Excellent recipe. Tq so much. Really enjoyed the buns
pls send the transfer from g’s to cups or spoons for the Ingredients to make the method much easier to do
thanx
samia
Samia,
it’s best to weigh out your ingredients when baking.
These were FANTASTIC! First time making bread and it was perfect! Will make again
Thank you Annie and Nate. This is by far the best ever “rotiboy” I’ve made, it’s super easy and now i’m trying to make other types of bread using this recipe. I’ve made a few times already. Really appreciate it!!! Keep posting good and easy recipes….
Hello
can I ask is better to use selfraising Flour or all paropse flower for the topping ?
also is it better to cook convection oven or pizza oven
waiting your reply
Khaled,
thanks for your question. All Purpose flour is fine for the topping.
You don’t need a pizza oven. We did it on a conventional oven without convection.
The instant coffee, should that be the bag with milk and sugar added or just the coffee with no other things inside?
The 10 grams that you put into the bun aren’t listed in the ingredients, right?
Yes I’m confused about this point too. Is that an additional 10g per bun, so possibly 170g total for 17 buns?
Hi, any idea how to make the coffee crust stay Crispy.. it turn soft after is cold..
Help.my kopi topping became like cake like texture… why? Did i do something wrong. Did i underbeat or overbeat something?