Chinese Pork Buns Recipes

CHINESE STEAMED PORK BUNS

Steps:

• Yeast Activation: Place yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix, then set aside for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
• Place flour, cornflour and sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Mix briefly to combine.
• Add yeast mixture, oil and water. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes until a smooth ball of dough forms. It should be soft and elastic, not so sticky it gets stuck all over your hands. Adjust with a touch of flour/water if required to get the dough consistency right.
• Cover with cling wrap and place in a warm dry place for 2 hours until it doubles in volume. (Note 3). Meanwhile, make Filling.
• Remove cling wrap, scatter over baking powder. Return to stand mixer and mix on low for 2 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto work surface, sprinkle with flour. Knead lightly to form a smooth round disc.
• Cut dough into 4 pieces. Take one piece, roll into an even log, cut into 3 pieces (so 12 pieces in total).
• Take one piece of dough, cover remaining with cling wrap or tea towel.
• Roll into round 4.5" / 11 cm in diameter, making the edges thinner.
• Place dough in hand, put 1 1/2 tbsp of Filling in the centre.
• Pinch 8 pleats around the edges. Then gather the pleats together one by one to seal the bun. Pinch the top the twist.
• Repeat with remaining dough - make 12 in total.
• Cover buns loosely with cling wrap and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.
• Line a large bamboo steamer (or other steamer) with parchment paper punctured with holes (Note 4).
• Place 6 to 8 buns on paper, cover with steamer lid.
• Pour about 4 cm / 1 1/2 inches in a wok / pot (steamer should not touch water) and bring to rapid simmer over medium high.
• Place steamer in wok, then cook for 12 minutes. Check water halfway through, top up if required.
• Buns are ready when they spring back when touched, and the buns have formed a smooth skin.
• Remove steamer from wok, serve warm!
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eschalots and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and water. Mix.
• While stirring, slowly pour cornflour mixture in. Mix until smooth.
• Stir in pork. Cook until sauce is thickened, 1 - 1 1/2 minutes (see video for consistency). Set aside to cool (thickens when cools).

CHINESE PORK BUNS (CHA SIU BAO)

Steps:

• Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1 3/4 cups warm water, and then add the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until mixture is frothy. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons shortening and the yeast mixture; mix well.
• Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover it with a sheet of cling wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has tripled in bulk.
• Cut the pork into 2 inch thick strips. Use fork to prick it all over. Marinate for 5 hours in a mixture made with 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce. Grill the pork until cooked and charred. Cut roasted port into 1/2 inch cubes.
• Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix cornstarch with 2 1/2 tablespoons water; add to the saucepan, and stir until thickened. Mix in 2 tablespoons lard or shortening, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cool, and mix in the roasted pork.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a long roll, and divide it into 24 pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of the hand to form a thin circle. The center of the circle should be thicker than the edge. Place one portion of the pork filling in the center of each dough circle. Wrap the dough to enclose the filling. Pinch edges to form the bun. Let the buns stand for 10 minutes.
• Steam buns for 12 minutes. Serve.

CHINESE PORK BUNS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup water, yeast, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon cake flour in a large bowl; let stand until top is beginning to form a layer of white foam, about 20 minutes. Add remaining cake flour (2 cups minus the 1 teaspoon) and stir gently using chopsticks until dough comes together. Knead dough until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let first dough stand in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours.
• Mix 2/3 cup water, ginger, spring onion, oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon corn flour, sesame oil, and white pepper in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool filling to room temperature; refrigerate.
• Spoon chilled filling over pork; mix well.
• Sift 1/2 cup corn flour, 3/8 cup cake flour, and baking powder together into a bowl. Add 3/8 cup sugar and cooking oil and mix well. Mix corn flour mixture into first dough, kneading until smooth. Roll dough into a ball. Cover ball with an inverted bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 to 15 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten the balls into rounds. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons filling into the center of each round and fold round around filling and seal. It's fine if the top is a bit thick, it just helps create the top flower look.
• Line bamboo steamers with parchment paper and arrange buns on top. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes. Close lids tightly.
• Bring 1 1/2 to 2 quarts water to a boil in a wok or large skillet for 10 minutes. Place steamers in the wok and steam buns over medium heat until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

CHINESE ROAST PORK BUNS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Line broiler pan with foil.
• In blender container or food processor bowl with metal blade, combine all roast pork ingredients except pork; blend until smooth.
• Generously brush both sides of the pork steaks, reserving remaining basting sauce.
• Place pork steaks on foil-lined broiler pan.
• Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Remove pork from oven.
• Brush both sides of steaks with remaining basting sauce.
• Bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
• Remove from oven; cool (leave the oven on).
• Remove meat from bone; finely chop. Set aside.
• In small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 Tbsp sherry; blend well.
• Heat oil in wok or large skillet over high heat.
• Add onion and water chestnuts; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown.
• Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce; stir to coat. Add broth.
• Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in pork.
• Separate dough into 8 biscuits.
• On lightly floured surface, press or roll each biscuit into 5-inch circle.
• Place about 1/3 cup pork mixture in center of each biscuit.
• Gathering up edges, twist and pinch to seal.
• Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
• In small bowl, beat glaze ingredients until well blended; brush over buns.
• Bake at 375°F for 14 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

CHINESE PORK-FILLED BUNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in sugar and oil. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes).
• Add flour mixed with the salt and mix until dough holds together. This can be done in a heavy duty mixer with the dough hook or kneaded by hand for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).
• Meanwhile prepare the pork filling:.
• Combine the pork with garlic, ginger, sugar and soy sauce.
• Heat a fry pan or wok to medium high, add some oil and fry pork and onion until cooked through, turning down heat if necessary. Add the cooking sauce and cook until bubbling and hot.
• Cool completely.
• Turn dough out on floured board and knead for 1 minute. Divide into 12 even balls. With your hands make the dough ball into a 4 1/2" round, making the edges thinner then the rest of the round.
• Place about 2 tbs. filling in center of each round. Pull edges of dough up around filling and twist to seal. Place seam side down on a baking tray. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat oven to350F and when puffy and light, brush with melted butter and bake for about 15 minutes.