Yellow Pumpkin Dough: In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, active dry yeast, and sugar (if using). Add all-purpose flour and stir with chopsticks to form flaky crumbs. If the dough is too dry (crumbs won’t stick together), add warm water a little at a time. Knead by hand for 5-7 minutes until smooth, elastic, and non-sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside (no pre-fermentation needed).

Green Spinach Dough: Mix spinach juice, active dry yeast, and sugar (if using) in a bowl. Add flour and stir into crumbs, then knead into a smooth green dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes (to relax the dough for easier shaping).

Take the yellow dough and divide it into 8 evenly sized portions (each ~30g). Press each portion into a thin round wrapper with your palm. Place 15-20g red bean paste in the center, then gather the edges with your thumb and index finger to seal tightly. Flip it over (seam side down) and shape into a smooth, round "pineapple body."

Use a clean comb to press vertical, evenly spaced lines into the yellow dough—this mimics the pineapple’s skin texture. Then, use chopsticks to gently poke small holes in each grid formed by the lines, creating realistic pineapple "eyes." For a more authentic look, keep the lines and holes uniform.

Roll out the green dough into a 3mm-thick sheet. Use the petal cutter to punch out 16 small petals (2 per pineapple bun). Stack 2 petals together, align them with the center top of the "pineapple," and press gently with chopsticks to secure them as the pineapple leaves. Your pineapple bun dough is ready!

Roll the remaining yellow dough into a long strip (~0.8cm thick). Take a halved sausage (trimmed at both ends) and wrap the yellow strip tightly around it from one end to the other—avoid leaving large gaps to create a plump "radish body."

Roll out the green dough and cut 18 small leaves (3 per radish) with the cutter. Stack 3 leaves together, attach them to one end of the sausage (as the radish top), and press gently with chopsticks to fix them in place. There’s your basic radish shape!

Stick 2 black sesame seeds on the upper part of the radish body for eyes. Dip a toothpick in a tiny bit of edible red food coloring (or ketchup) and draw a small mouth—your cartoon radish is now cute and lively!

Line a steaming tray with parchment paper (or brush lightly with oil to prevent sticking). Arrange the pineapple and radish doughs on the tray, leaving 2-3cm between each—they’ll expand during proofing and steaming.

Cover with the steamer lid and let proof for 1-1.5 hours. The dough is ready when it’s noticeably puffy, feels light when lifted, and springs back slowly when pressed gently.

Fill a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Place the steaming tray inside, reduce heat to medium, and steam for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 3 minutes before opening the lid (this prevents the buns from collapsing or wrinkling due to sudden temperature changes).

Let cool slightly to warm before serving—soft, sweet, and visually appealing, these buns will have kids grabbing for more!