← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 125 ml warm water
• 7 g active dry yeast (1 sachet)
• 60 g Sugar
• 250 g low-protein flour (cake or bao flour)
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tbsp vegetable shortening or oil
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1½ tbsp Hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 120 ml chicken stock or water
• 1½ tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 250 g char siu (Chinese barbecue pork), cut into 1 cm dice
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil

Method

1. Stir the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar into the warm water and leave for 5 min until foamy. Mix the flour and remaining sugar in a bowl, pour in the yeast water and oil and knead for 8–10 min into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour 30 min, until doubled.
2. Meanwhile, make the filling: fry the shallot in the oil over medium heat for 1 minute, then add the oyster sauce, hoisin, both soy sauces, sugar, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornflour mix until very thick, then fold in the pork and sesame oil. Cool completely.
3. Knock back the dough, flatten it, sprinkle over the baking powder and knead for 2–3 min until evenly mixed. Divide into 12 pieces.
4. Roll each piece into a 10 cm circle, thinner at the edges. Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre and pleat the edges up and around, pinching the top closed (or leave a small opening). Set each bun on a square of baking paper.
5. Arrange the buns in a steamer, well spaced, and leave for 15 min. Bring the water to a rolling boil and steam over high heat for 12 min.
6. Turn off the heat and wait 3 min before lifting the lid, so the buns do not collapse. Serve warm.

Tips

• Low-protein flour gives the snowy, fluffy texture; bread flour makes chewy buns.
• Leftover buns freeze well; steam from frozen for 10 minutes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Taste of Asian Food Red House Spice