This amazingly sophisticated dish is authentic to the flavours of the Xi’an region of China. Edwina was there for an art residency in October 2017. The buns are sweet and fluffy and bready, the mushroom mix is hearty and rich. While it uses a lot of ingredients it isn’t as complex as it looks at first glance. The recipe can successfully become vegan if you replace milk with water. It makes around 8 small bao buns. You’ll need a steamer and greaseproof paper.

For the bao buns:-

185g plain flour (we use a mixture of 40% gluten free plain flour and 60% 00 pasta flour), plus extra for kneading

5g fast acting dried yeast

1 dstspn caster sugar

1 tspn baking powder

½ tspn salt

115 ml hand hot milk (or water, if vegan)

groundnut oil to grease baking tray/bowls

For the filling marinade:-

1 tbspn light soy sauce

1 tbspn sesame oil

1 tbspn hot water

Filling:-

50g dried pearl mushrooms

150g pack of fresh shitake mushrooms, stalks removed and large mushrooms torn into smaller pieces

I red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

1 tbspn chives, finely chopped

1 tbspn spring onion whites, finely chopped

2 medium sized bay leaves

350ml vegetable stock or nage (chicken stock also works)

1 star anise

2cm cube fresh ginger, peeled

2 tspn honey/agave

1/2 tbspn cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

1tbspn shoaxing wine

Groundnut oil to fry

To serve:-

Either lightly steamed greens (spinach/kale/calvero nero) dressing with a little sesame oil and sesame seeds or hispi cabbage salad with coriander and chilli as in this recipe

• To start, soak the dried mushroom in the marinade for at least 15 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms at the end of this and stir well

• Meanwhile start the boa bun dough by dissolving the sugar and yeast with the warm water/milk mixture in a jug. Combine the flour(s) with the salt and baking powder and stir in the yeast mixture. You’ll end up a sticky ball, so use regular sprinkles of extra flour to knead the dough for 5 minutes. It will end up as a super smooth and bouncy ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place to double in size - about an hour and a half

• Once the dough is doing its first prove you can get the filling started. Heat the groundnut oil in a medium saucepan. Saute the chilli, spring onions and chives for 2 minutes then add the bay leaves, star anise, ginger and mushrooms. Cook for another 2 minutes then add the stock and the honey. Season well, bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 30-35 minutes with the lid on. Check that the dried mushrooms are cooked through- if not cook for longer. Remove the bay leaves, ginger and star anise, then add the flour mixture to thicken up the sauce. Take the lid off so that the mushroom mixture both thickens and intensifies in flavour for 3-5 minutes (this will depend on whether the proportion of dried and fresh ones). You should end up with an intense sauce coating the mushrooms. Finally add the shoaxing wine and allow it to bubble for a further minute. Set aside, and keep warm

• Now return to the buns. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute. Divide into 8 pieces, gently flatten each one into a 0.5 cm thick circle, and then fold in half, brushing the interior with a little oil. Place on individual pieces of greaseproof paper slightly larger than the buns on a baking sheet, loosely cover with cling film and prove for a further 30 minutes in a warm place

• If you are using cooked greens such as spinach cook them just before the 30 minutes have elapsed. Set aside, keep warm. Gently reheat the mushroom mixture

• To cook the buns bring plenty of water to a boil in a steamer pan. Set the buns in 2 steamer trays over the water and turn down to a simmer. Cook on their greaseproof mats allowing 2-3 cm between them as they will rise and expand during the cooking process. Steam for 8 minutes. The smell as they steam is divine!

• Once cooked, push a generous spoonful of the mushroom mixture into the open side of each bun, and serve immediately with the greens or the cabbage salad