Siopao Dough Recipe Fluffy

SIOPAO ASADO

Steps:

• In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
• Add pork and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned.
• Add 2 cups of the water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and star anise. Stir until well-dispersed. Bring to a boil, skimming scum that may float on top.
• Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook for about 1 hour or until meat is fork-tender. Add more water in half cup increments as needed to maintain 1 1 /2 cups liquid.
• With a slotted spoon, remove pork from the pot and let cool to touch. Using two forks, shred meat.
• Remove about 1 cup of the braising liquid and set aside. Return shredded meat to pot and bring to a boil.
• In a bowl, combine cornstarch and bout 1/4 cup water. Stir until smooth and cornstarch is dissolved. Add half of the cornstarch slurry to the pot of meat and stir to distribute. Continue to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the reserved 1 cup braising liquid and the remaining half of the cornstarch slurry. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. This well be the siopao sauce.
• In a bowl, combine milk, yeast, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Stir well until dissolved. Let stand for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is foamy.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, the 100 grams sugar, baking powder, and vegetable oil. Mix well. Add a few drops of lime juice into the flour mixture.
• Add yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Mix together until it forms a dough. Continue to mix and knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
• Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until double in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a clean work surface, and form into a long log.
• With a knife, cut the dough into 10 equal size pieces and then form each piece into smaller balls. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
• On a clean working surface, place one piece of dough, and with a rolling pin, roll out into about 4 to 5-inch diameter, making sure to get edges thinner than the center.
• Place about a tablespoon of the meat filling in the center.
• Gather the edges of the dough, pleat around the filling, and twist to fully secure. Place bun on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Arrange prepared buns in a single layer on a flat baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise again for another 10 minutes.
• In a steamer, place buns in a single layer, an inch-apart. Add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the steaming water (for whiter buns).
• Steam buns on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep the lid on for about 3 to 5 minutes to prevent the buns from deflating.
• Remove from steamer and serve with the asado sauce.

SIOPAO BOLA-BOLA (STEAMED PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour in milk and water and mix several times just to moisten the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening and mix until a dough forms.
• Tip the dough into a flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Usually takes about 10-12 minutes by hand or 8-10 with mixer.
• Rest the dough for 20-30 minutes or until it has risen to just almost double the original size. (Meanwhile, prepare the filling)
• Turn it to a lightly floured surface and roll into a log. Divide into two. Return half back to the bowl and place in the fridge. This will slow down the rising.
• Divide the other half into 5 equal parts. Fold each piece to its center several times until no longer puffy and sooth before forming it into a ball.
• Add all the ingredients for the bola-bola (meatball) in a bowl, except for the salted eggs and Chinese sausage. Mix until well combined.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for a few minutes or until the dough is ready.
• Cut a piece of salted egg into half and then each half into quarters giving you 8 in total each egg. You can also just cut a piece into 4 if desired. Set aside.
• Cut the Chinese sausage into pieces about half-inch thick. Set aside.
• Take a piece of a dough ball and flatten it, using your palm and a rolling pin, into about 4-5 inch circle leaving a small bulge in the middle.
• Scoop a tablespoon of filling and place it in the middle. Add a portion of salted egg and sausage on top of the filling. Gather the ends towards the middle from one side until you reach the other end closing the filling in. Pinch and twist to seal the ends together o top. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Before steaming, put a piece of parchment or wax paper at the bottom of each bun. Place the buns in the steamer leaving at least an each apart as they will rise and spread while steaming. Steam for 15 minutes at low heat.

SIOPAO ASADO (FILIPINO STEAMED PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• Prep your meat by patting it dry. Heat a medium sized pot over medium heat and add vegetable oil. In small batches, brown the pork pieces on each side for about one minute or until each side has a nice golden coloring. Turn the pieces as each to brown and move in batches to not crowd the pan.
• Remove all the browned meat from the pan and add in the chopped onions and saute for one minute or until fragrant. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until it's toasted light brown.
• Add the water into the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Then mix in the soy sauce and salt to the pot. Lastly, add the browned meat back in and make sure the meat is covered by the water. Add more water if necessary.
• Raise the heat to high until it reaches a boil and then lower to medium-low to simmer for one hour, covered. Check on this braise every 20 minutes to mix the meat around and add just enough water to keep the meat submerged if necessary.
• The finished meat should be significantly softer and easy to break apart.
• Since the braise takes one hour, prep your dough as soon as you put the braise on a simmer.
• Sift cornstarch, baking powder, and flour together, then add to your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add sugar and instant active yeast and turn the mixer onto stir.
• Turn the stand mixer on low and slowly add the water and vegetable oil. Continue to mix the mixture for about eight minutes until the dough is released from the sides and is smooth.
• Remove, take off from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball.
• Lightly grease the inside of the mixing bowl with one teaspoon of neutral oil and place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and leave it to proof for at least one to two hours or until the dough has doubled in size near a warm windowsill.
• Transfer the softened meat to a cutting board and carefully use tongs and a knife to mince the meat into smaller pieces. They should easily shred when cut with a knife with little resistance.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the chopped meat, pork broth, oyster sauce, hoisin, dark brown sugar, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until the sugar and pepper dissolve. Cook for one minute.
• In a separate small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water until starch is incorporated.
• Raise the saucepan to medium-high and stir in the cornstarch water mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil and stir consistently for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to a pudding consistency (see photo for final texture).
• Remove from heat and let cool before assembling siopao.
• Boiled eggs: Boil a small pot with water and add in eggs for 10 minutes. Remove eggs to cool (I put them in an ice bath), peel the shells, and cut into quarters lengthwise.
• After your dough doubles in size (it may take two hours), punch your dough to remove excess gas.
• Move the dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead the dough with the heel of your hand for about one minute until it's smooth and shaped into a ball.
• Cut the dough in half and place one half back into the mixing bowl, covered to prevent it from drying out. With your current half, use your palms to roll it into a large log about 6 inches. Cut this log into 6 even pieces.
• Take one piece and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a four inch diameter circle. If necessarily, sprinkle flour on the surface to prevent sticking. Then, use your rolling pin to thin out the edges of the circle while keeping the middle section the same thickness. Your dough should be the size of about 5 inches now.
• Add three tablespoons of the asado filling in the middle of the circle and one slice of egg on top centered.
• To fold, hold your wrapper filled with meat on your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand, take your thumb and pointer finger and begin to fold the edges around the meat. This should look like pleating. I like to use my non-dominant hand's pointer and index finger to guide more dough into the pleating. Continue to pleat in a circle until you reach the first pleat and close off the entire top with a pinch. The siopao should have a swirl pattern on the top. Add a small sheet of parchment underneath for it to rest on. Repeat with the rest of the siopao.
• Before steaming, cover the wrapped siopao with the same damp cloth from before and proof again for about ten to 15 minutes.
• Add about one and a half inches of water in your pot, but not too much that it's touching your steamer. Preheat your steamer before adding the siopao for about two minutes.
• Add your siopao into the steamer and leave one inch space between each siopao because they will grow slightly in the steamer.
• Steam the siopao for about 20 minutes and do not remove the lid during this time.
• After they're finished, remove the siopao from the steamer and serve immediately. Repeat with the other siopao.
• Freezing: You can freeze leftover siopao in an airtight container for up to one month. To reheat, wet a towel and wrap it around your siopao on a plate. On high heat, microwave for one minute. If it needs more time, add increments of 30 seconds until it's softened and warm.

SIOPAO PORK ASADO RECIPE WITH DOUGH FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Over medium heat, heat a pan. Once the pan is hot, add in the oil.
• Add and saute the garlic until fragrant. Then, add onions and saute it until translucent, about 1 minute.
• Add the pork cubes and mix them with garlic and onions. Let it cook until they are no longer pink in color.
• Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sugar. Mix it until well combined. Simmer until the sauce thickens up a bit.
• Now, pour in the cornstarch mix and stir. Simmer it for 5 minutes. Remove from heat while you prepare the dough for the siopao buns.
• Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water.
• Proof the yeast with warm milk and wait for few mins or until bubbles form. Proofing is to sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the milk and tiny bubbles should begin to appear on the surface or around the edge of the container and it should start to smell yeasty.
• Then stir to combine your milk-yeast mixture and water-sugar mixture.
• Add flour to the mixture little by little until the 1 1/2 cups are fully dissolved.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface and knead.
• Slowly add in more flour as needed until you form a nice consistency.
• Then form it into a ball.
• Place the dough in an oiled container then covered it with a moist towel and place it in an airless area. Let it rise for 30-45 mins. After 45 mins, punch the dough to let the air out then knead the dough for at least 2 mins.
• Then again, let it rest for 5-10 mins (make sure you cover it with the moist towel again)
• Then divide it into 8-10 pcs or depending on how big you want them.
• Now to form a ball: using a roller pin, flatten each individual ball then place the filling in the middle. I usually flatten the patties first to insert hard-boiled eggs in the center. (I divide one boiled egg into four) before I form it into a ball. But again, the hard-boiled or salted eggs are optional.
• Seal each piece of dough into a ball by just joining the ends.
• Place each dough ball in a 2 inch by 2-inch wax paper.
• Then let it rise for 30mins again and steam each batch for 15-20 mins.
• Serve with any kind of Pancit.

SIOPAO (FILIPINO STEAMED BUNS)

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Add water and 1/4 cup oil; mix into a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, at least 10 minutes. Dust with extra flour if necessary.
• Warm up the oven for 1 minute. Turn oven off.
• Oil a large bowl; place dough inside and cover with cheesecloth. Place in the warmed oven until size has doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough. Keep in the oven until risen, at least 15 minutes more. Knead dough onto a flat work surface and divide into 12 golf-sized balls. Roll out each ball and fill with choice of filling (see footnote for my chicken and pork filling). Gather and twist the edges together to secure the filling.
• Place each siopao on a 3x3-inch piece of wax paper.
• Place siopao in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.