Char Siu Bao (Chinese Barbequed Pork Buns)

Dim Sum is famous all over the world. One of its most popular dishes is the Baos or Chinese Steamed Buns, typically with some filling. They're great for breakfast or brunch, taken with Chinese Tea.

The following recipe makes very fluffy, soft baos. Remember to eat them while they're still warm. If you prefer baos without filling, I'd suggest you increase the amount of sugar to about 7 teaspoons for a sweeter dough. I adapted a recipe I found on allrecipes for barbequed pork filling.

Ingredients:
Bao:
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 227g char siu (barbequed pork), cubed
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

1) Mix together yeast, flour, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil. Add in water until you form a dough. Knead until dough surface is smooth and elastic; about 5-8 minutes. Roll over in a greased bowl, and let stand until triple in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add pork, and fry for a minute, then stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then stir the mixture into the pork. Cook, stirring constantly until the pork is coated with a thickened glaze. Remove to a bowl, and allow to cool.


3) Punch down dough, and spread out on a floured board. Sprinkle baking powder evenly on surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 12 parts. Flatten each piece into a 3 inch circle using the palm of your hand or a rolling pin. Place 2 tablespoons of the pork filling onto the center of each circle, and gather up the edges around the filling and pinch together to close the bun. Place each bun seam side down onto a square of parchment paper or aluminium foil. Cover with a towel, and let rise for about 30 minutes.



4) Bring water to a boil in steamer pot, and reduce heat to medium. Transfer as many buns as will comfortably fit onto the perforated pot of the steamer, leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. Cover steamer pot with lid (wrap towel around lid to avoid water from dripping onto buns). Steam buns over boiling water for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining buns.