Bapao

⇐ Bread

Chinese stuffed steamed bread rolls

I've left out the baking powder - no other recipe seems to have it - and increased the dough proving time to compensate. I've reduced the amount of sugar in the dough and the filling and added a little chilli to the filling.

Ingredients

for the dough

300g plain flour (low gluten - so not bread flour)

50g sugar

10g dried yeast

½ tsp salt

150g water

a little oil for greasing

for the filling

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

200g char siu, or pulled pork

½ Tbsp oil

50ml hoisin sauce

50ml Shaosing - chinese rice - wine (or dry sherry)

25g honey (or soft brown sugar)

25g cranberries

100ml water

25ml soy sauce

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp chinese 5 spice powder

1 Tbsp cornflour

Method

1. Make dough Mix the flour, sugar and yeast. Add the water and mix thoroughly. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or machine. Turn into a oiled bowl and allow to prove for an hour or so.
2. Make filling Chop the onion and garlic finely. Gently fry in the oil for a few minutes. Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients. Cook gently for 30 minutes. Finally mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste and add to mixture and cook a little longer to thicken.
3. Shape buns Once the dough is well risen turn out and divide into 8 pieces. Shape into little rolls. With each roll flatten and roll the edges out to make mini pizzas with the centres a little thicker than the outsides. Put a spoonful of filling in the centre - don't over fill. Pull the the sides up and pleat to seal the filling inside a sphere of dough. Lay pleated side down, covered, while you complete the rest of the buns.
4. Cook You need a steamer pan, or a chinese wicker steamer and a wok with 1cm of water in. Line the bottom of the steamer with greaseproof which has been perforated with small hioles auto allow the steam in. Place as many buns as can fit with plenty of room - they will expand in the steamer and steam for 10-12 minutes.

based on recipe by Rudolph from 24Kitchen https://www.24kitchen.nl/recepten/pulled-pork-bapaos

chinese

Chinese stuffed steamed bread rolls

Chinese stuffed steamed bread rolls