Char Siu Bao

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 g low-protein cake flour (or 380 g plain flour + 20 g cornflour)
• 30 g caster sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons fast-action yeast
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 25 g lard (or vegetable shortening, softened, NOT melted)
• 200 ml warm whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• A pinch of salt

Filling

• 250 g char siu (Chinese BBQ pork - sold ready-cooked at Chinese supermarkets, or use leftover roast pork)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 shallot (small, finely diced)
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 100 ml chicken stock (or water)
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water)

Equipment

• 12 squares of baking paper (about 6 cm square, one per bun)
• A bamboo steamer with lid

Method

Stage 1 - Dough

1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder and salt.
2. Add the warm milk, vegetable oil and softened lard.
3. Mix to a soft dough; knead 10 minutes by hand (or 7 minutes in a stand mixer) until smooth, elastic and pliable.
4. Cover; rise 1 hour until doubled.

Stage 2 - Filling

1. Dice the char siu pork into 5 mm cubes.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
3. Add the diced shallot; cook 3 minutes until softened.
4. Add the diced pork; toss 1 minute.
5. Add oyster sauce, hoisin, both soy sauces, sugar, sesame oil and chicken stock.
6. Bring to a simmer; cook 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the cornflour slurry; cook 1 more minute until the sauce is thick and clinging.
8. Tip onto a wide plate; cool fully - warm filling tears the dough.

Stage 3 - Shape

1. Knock back the dough; divide into 12 equal balls (about 50 g each).
2. Cover with a damp tea towel.
3. Working one at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a disc about 10 cm across, with the centre slightly thicker than the edges (this gives a sturdy base for the filling and a thin pleated top).
4. Hold the disc in one cupped palm; spoon a tablespoon of cool filling into the centre.
5. With the other hand, pleat the edge of the dough up and around the filling in 12-16 small folds, gathering at the top.
6. Pinch the top closed firmly; twist to seal - but leave a small visible seam at the very top so the bun can split there during steaming.
7. Set each bun seam-up on a square of baking paper.

Stage 4 - Final proof

1. Arrange the buns in the bamboo steamer baskets on their paper squares, leaving 3 cm space between each (they expand).
2. Cover with the lid.
3. Rest 25-30 minutes at room temperature.

Stage 5 - Steam

1. Bring water to a vigorous boil in a wide pot.
2. Place the bamboo steamer on top.
3. Steam 12-15 minutes over high heat - the buns puff and the seam at the top splits open to reveal a slash of filling (this is the visual signature of char siu bao).
4. Don't lift the lid mid-steam - the drop in temperature can collapse the buns.

Stage 6 - Serve

1. Lift the lid carefully.
2. Serve immediately in the bamboo basket.
3. Eat warm, with tea, dipping into chilli oil if you like.