Bao buns with spicy pork

New Year's Eve recipe for 4 - 8 people, takes only 40 mins; recipe has fast-action dried yeast, vegetable oil, baking powder, caster sugar, milk, plain flour, chilli sauce, pork fillet, sesame oil, spring onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, clear honey, chinese five-spice powder, chilli flakes and cornflour.

Bao buns with spicy pork

Bao buns with spicy pork

Recipe by Chef Soomro Course: New Years Eve
Servings

4 - 8

servings
Prep time

30 mins

Ingredients

  • Vegetable Oil: 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Spring Onion: 2 spring onions, chopped
  • Milk: 1 tbsp dried milk powder
  • Chilli Flakes: 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • Hoisin Sauce: 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • Caster Sugar: 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • Plain Flour: 350g plain flour
  • Baking Powder: 2 tsp baking powder
  • Fast Action Dried Yeast: 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
  • Cornflour: 1 tsp cornflour, dissolved in 1 tbsp rice wine
  • Clear Honey: 2 tbsp clear honey
  • Chinese Five Spice Powder: 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • Chilli Sauce: chilli sauce, to serve
  • Pork Fillet: 400g pork fillet

Directions

  1. First, make the filling. Finely dice the pork. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat until cooked through (about 6 mins). Add the spring onions and saute for 1 min, then add the hoisin and soy sauces and the honey, five-spice powder, chilli flakes and cornflour mix. Simmer for 5 mins, then transfer to a bowl and chill.
  2. In a measuring jug, mix 200ml warm water with the yeast and oil. To make the dough by hand, put the dry ingredients in a mound on your work surface with a good pinch of salt. Make a hole in the middle, pour in the yeast mixture and slowly stir until it comes together. Knead on a floured surface for 10 mins or until the dough is soft. Or to use a standing mixer, put the dry ingredients in the bowl with a good pinch of salt. Turn on and pour in the yeast mixture. When the dough comes together in a ball, keep the speed on medium and knead for 8-10 mins until smooth and soft. Put in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Keep in a warm place until doubled in size (about 2-3 hrs).
  3. Take the dough out, knock it back and knead for 1 min, then put on a floured surface. Cut into 2 pieces and roll each into a fat cylinder. Cut each into 16 pieces. Press a couple of pieces flat (about 7.5cm wide). Put a disc in the palm of your hand and add 1 tsp of the filling. Bring the sides up and pinch together at the top. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
  4. Cut circles of baking parchment and put under each bun. Arrange the buns on a baking tray so they don't touch each other. Leave to rise for another 30 mins.
  5. Make sure your steamer fits snugly over a pan or use a regular steamer with a pan and lid. Fill the bottom pan with water and bring to a boil. Set the steamer with the buns and their liners over the pan and cook for 10-12 mins. You will need to do this in batches. Remove and eat straightaway with chilli sauce.