steamed pork buns

3 min read

Char siu bao are very special to our family because we have been sellingthem at the market for over 10 years. While the recipe is continually being tweaked to get the fluffiest buns, some magic ingredients remain a constant: a special low-protein flour that gives a tender crumb and ammonium bicarbonate for superior raising power. Make the extra effort to find these ingredients at the Chinese supermarket or online and you will be rewarded with cottony soft buns to sink your teethinto. It’s a good idea to make the filling and dough starter the day before you want to eat these glorious buns.

Makes 14 for the filling 200ml hoisin sauce tsp dark soy sauce (optional) 1 tsp honey (optional) 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tbsp plain flour 180g Char Siu Pork (here), cut into 5mm cubes for the dough starter 12 tsp active dried yeast 320g low-protein flour 1 tbsp granulated sugar for the dough 14 tsp ammonium bicarbonate 180g low-protein flour 17g baking powder 100g granulated sugar 15g lard 1 Make the filling. Combine 90ml water, any leftover marinade and scrapings from the baking tray after cooking the Char Siu Pork and enough hoisin sauce to bring the volume to total of 200ml. If you are only using hoisin sauce, add the dark soy sauce and honey as well. Whisk in the flours until no lumps are visible, then pour the mixture into a small saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sauce is dark, thick and glossy. Leave to cool, then mix in the pork.

2 For the starter, combine 60ml boiling and 120ml cold waters in a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Leave to activate for 10-15 minutes until frothy. In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar, then stir in the yeast mixture to form a rough dough. Scrape onto a work surface and knead for few minutes until smooth. Return to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place overnight for 8-10 hours or until it has almost tripled in size. It will be incredibly frothy.

3 The next day, make the dough. Dissolve the ammonium bicarbonate in 40ml water in a small bowl.

Pour into the starter and use one hand to squelch the liquid into the dough until evenly combined.

Add the flour, baking powder and sugar and stir to roughly combine. Turn out onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough comes together. Don’t worry if it feels slightly dry. Flatten the dough out slightly and spread on the lard. Envelope the lard in the dough by folding it in on itself and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and all the sugar crystals have melted.

Shape the dough into a rough ball, cover and leave to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 14 pieces (about 60g each). Cover with cling film or a tea towel to stop them drying out. Shape each piece of dough into a rough ball, then flatten into a thick disc and roll out into a 9cm round. Aim to make the centre slightly thicker than the edges so it can support the fill-ing better. Cover each wrapper as you finish the rest.

5 To wrap the buns, put a heaped tablespoon of filling into the centre of a wrapper and firmly pinch seven or eight pleats into it until the bun is completely sealed. As you finish each bun, put it on a square of non-stick paper and put it inside the steamer, leaving at least 3cm between each bun, until the steamer is filled. Repeat with the other wrappers and remaining filling, then leave the buns to rest for 10 mtes before steaming.

6 Steam the buns over vigorously boiling water for 8 minutes: resist the urge to peek because the first few minutes are crucial for getting gelng the buns to burst open. Serve immediately or keep the steamer lid on until ready to eat. The buns keep in the freezer for 4 weeks if they have been steamed first.

Re-steam from frozen for 15 minutes.