Ingredients: For the Filling (make while the dough is rising): - 5 Tbsp clear chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp tapioca or corn starch
- 2 tsp ketchup
- 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- Pinch ground white pepper
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) barbecued pork, cut into 1 cm (~1/2 in) pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp Shao Xing rice wine or gin
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.
Method: - In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, oyster sauce, sugar, tapioca starch, ketchup, soy sauce, and white pepper; set aside.
- Heat a wok over high heat and add oil. Coat wok with oil . When a wisp of white smoke appears, add onion.
- Lower heat to medium, and cook until onion turns light brown, about 2 minutes.
- Raise heat to high, add pork, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add wine, and stir to combine.
- Stir the reserved stock mixture and add it to the wok.
- Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add sesame oil, and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a shallow dish. Cool to room temperature.
Ingredients for the dough: - One 8 gm (1/4-oz) envelope active dry yeast
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) sugar
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water (110 F)
- 480 ml (2 cups) bread flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 Tbsp lard or oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp scallion-infused oil or plain oil (optional)
- Pinch of salt.
Method: - In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot water. Put in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the outside temperature. (In cooler weather, the
- longer time will be required.) When the yeast rises and brownish foam appears on top, add the flour, salt, oil and half the egg, stirring constantly with your hand.
- Begin kneading. When the mixture becomes cohesive, sprinkle the work surface with flour and place the dough on it.
- Continue kneading for about 15 minutes, picking up the dough with a scraper and flouring the work surface to prevent sticking.
- When smooth and elastic, place the dough in a large bowl.
- Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and put in a warm place for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the temperature. The dough is ready when it has tripled in size.
- Heat the oven to 350F. Cut parchment paper into 12 pieces, 3 1/2 inches square. Or, grease a large piece of foil. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead several times, then roll
- out into a cylinder 12 inches long. Divide into 1-inch pieces.
- Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered with a damp cloth. Roll each piece into a ball. (A trick: Cup your hand and roll the ball between your palm and the
- work surface. Move your hand very quickly to make the surface taught. The dough is ready when it bounced back after sticking a finger in it. If you can leave an indentation in
- the dough ball, the surface isn’t tight enough.)
- Press with your fingers to create a well in the ball. Place 1 1/2 tbsp of the filling into the well, hold a bun in one hand, and with the other turn the bun, pinching it closed. Press
- firmly to seal. Place the bun, seam side down, on the parchment paper or foil. Repeat until all are done.
- Place the buns on a cookie sheet, at least 5 cm (2 in) apart to allow for expansion. Place the buns in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. Spritz each bun lightly with warm water.
- Make an egg wash by taking the remaining beaten egg and combining it with an equal amount of water. Brush each bun with the egg mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, turn the cookie sheet around.
- As the buns cool, their crusts will become slightly hard. If you want them to remain soft, brush lightly with oil immediately after baking.
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