Crispy Bao Buns With A Spiced Pork Filling
These make for an extremely tasty meal
Makes enough for: 2 people
Ingredients
for the dough
- 100 g bread flour
- 50 g flour
- 2 g instant dried yeast
- 1.25 mls fine salt
- 90 mls water
- 15 mls canola oil, plus extra for greasing
for the filling
- 15 mls canola oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cm fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 100 g lean pork mince
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
- 1.25 mls Chinese 5 spice powder
- 15 mls oyster sauce
- 7.5 mls fish sauce
- 7.5 mls runny honey
- 7.5 mls plum sauce, plus extra for serving
- 2.5 mls sesame oil
for the bao buns
- 25 mls sesame oil
- 30 mls canola oil
- water for sealing
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
- 180 mls water, divided
- soy sauce to serve
Method
for the dough
- Place the flours into a stand mixer bowl, add the yeast on one side, and the salt on the opposite side
- Pour in the water and oil and mix using a dough hook until a dough forms
- Knead for 10 minutes then turn out and shape into a ball
- Lightly oil the bowl, add the dough back, seam side down, cover and set aside to prove until doubled in size
for the filling
- Place the oil into a large frying pan and heat over a low temperature
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant
- Increase the temperature, add the mince and brown, seasoning generously
- Add the 5 spice and stir to combine
- Place the oyster sauce, fish sauce, honey, plum sauce and sesame oil into a small jug
- Whisk to combine then add to the mince
- Stir through and cook until sticky
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool
for the bao buns
- Once the dough has proved turn it out and knock back
- Divide into 4 x 60g pieces and shape each piece into a ball
- Roll the balls seam side up until 5mm thick
- Place 2 tablespoons of the filling into the centre of each piece of dough
- Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the seams to join
- Place onto baking paper and cover with a dish towel until puffed up
- Brush the top of each bun with water and sprinkle sesame seeds on top
- Place the oil into a lidded, non stick pan and heat over a medium to high temperature
- Place the buns two at a time into the pan and fry until golden brown on the bottom (about 2 minutes)
- Remove and set aside on some paper towel
- Wipe the excess oil from the pan then return all 4 buns to the pan (if they fit, or do them in batches)
- Add 60 mls water and quickly place the lid on top (a glass lid works best)
- Steam the buns until the water evaporates, then repeat with another 60 mls water
- Steam the buns until the water completely evaporates
- Remove from the pan and serve with plum sauce and soy sauce for dipping