Cantonese Turnip Puff Pastry (Loh Bak Sou)

Overview

Loh bak sou (蘿蔔酥) — turnip puff pastry — is a Cantonese dim sum pastry: a filling of shredded daikon radish, dried shrimp, and pork, mixed with sesame and oyster sauce, is enclosed in a flaky Chinese pastry (water-and-oil dough with oil paste lamination). Baked until golden and flaky. The Chinese pastry tradition is distinct from French puff pastry — it uses lard rather than butter for the oil paste.

Flavour Context

Flaky, lard-scented pastry; savoury, slightly sweet daikon; shrimp umami; sesame fragrance; a complete savoury dim sum pastry

Key Principles

{"Two-dough construction: water dough (outer) and oil paste (inner) — similar to Chinese mooncake pastry","Oil paste: flour and lard mixed without water; entirely fat-based","Rolling and folding creates layers: roll flat, spread oil paste, roll and fold 3 times minimum","Filling: daikon shredded and salted to remove moisture, squeezed dry, then mixed with seasonings","Bake at 190°C until golden — the layers must be visible in cross-section"}

Pro Tips

{"The oil-paste ratio: high lard content produces most flaky result — not less than 1:2 flour-to-lard by weight","Rest dough after each fold — gluten relaxes, making subsequent rolling easier","Egg wash with a touch of soy sauce gives deeper golden colour"}

Common Mistakes

{"Butter substituted for lard — different melting point produces different layer separation","Wet daikon filling — if not squeezed thoroughly, moisture makes pastry soggy","Under-laminating — fewer folds means fewer layers; should have 20+ visible layers"}

Source

Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop

Cross-Cuisine Parallels

• French feuilleté — puff pastry enclosing savoury filling
• Lebanese beurek — flaky pastry with savoury filling
• Chinese flaky mooncake — same lamination technique