Martin Yan's Baked Pork Buns
twinky1156
the ones they make in Chinatown, it's like being transported to my past. I
like the baked version over the steamed ones. I used King Arthur unbleached
all-purpose flour this time, but may use bleached (i.e. Gold Medal All
Purpose Flour) next time. Still very good for a sweet dough bun (this one).
I've noticed that unbleached is wonderful for breads, and bleached seems
better suited for sweet doughs, pastry & pie shells, cookies - perhaps for
the texture and tenderness. These are also known as CHAR SIU BAO. I didn't
make the pork from scratch (ack), I bought boneless spareribs from a Chinese
restaurant. - twinky
BAKED PORK BUNS {Makes 12}
Dough:
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup warm milk (110oF)
1/3 cup warm water (110oF)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
About 2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling:
8 dried black mushrooms
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup minced green onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons hoisin sauce
4 teaspoons oyster-flavored sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups chopped Chinese Barbecued Pork
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Procedures:
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of the sugar in milk and water. Sprinkle in
yeast; let stand in a warm place until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Gradually mix in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 cups flour, and
salt.
Add more flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky.
Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and
elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise
in
a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile prepare filling: Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover
until
softened, about 20 minutes; drain. Discard stems and coarsely chop
caps.
Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add
green
onions, garlic, and mushrooms; stir- fry for 1 minute. Stir in
water,
hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Add cornstarch solution and
stir
until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in pork. Cool.
Cooking:
Punch down dough, then roll into a cylinder. Cut cylinder into 12
equal
pieces. Roll each into a ball; cover.
Flatten each ball and roll into a circle 4 to 6 inches in diameter.
Place 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center. Gather edges of circle
over filling; twist and pinch edges together to seal. Place buns,
seam
side down, 2 inches apart on an oiled baking sheet. Cover and let
rise
in a warm place until puffy and light. Brush tops with egg yolk.
Preheat oven to 350oF. Bake buns until golden brown, 18 to 20
minutes.
This recipe is obtained from Martin Yan's Feast - The Best of Yan Can
Cook (1998) page 188.