Steamed Pork Buns

• total time: Cooking Time: Prep Time:

Ingredients

For making the wrapper dough

500g / 1.1 pounds all-purpose flour

250g / 8.5 fl oz lukewarm water

3g / 1 tsp yeast

12.5g / 1 Tbsp sugar

For making the filling

350g / 12.3 oz ground pork

3g / 1 tsp grated garlic

16.6g / 1 Tbsp soy sauce

12g / 2 tsps oyster sauce

2.9g / ½ tsp salt

4.2g / 1 tsp sugar

5.5g / 1 tsp dark soy sauce

9g / 2 tsps sesame oil

80g / ⅓ cup unsalted chicken stock

32g / ½ cup diced scallion

Directions

Make the dough

1. Add the sugar and instant yeast to the lukewarm water and stir until well-distributed.

2. Slowly pour the yeast sugar solution into the all-purpose flour and stir simultaneously until all the liquid is well-absorbed.

3. Gather all the flour together and knead the dough until smooth. If the dough feels tight, please cover and rest it for 15 minutes to relax the gluten, which will make it much easier to work with. If you own a KitchenAid, use the hook attachment and let it run on medium-low speed for 10 minutes without resting.

4. Cover the dough and let it proof for 1.5 hours. The proofing time varies based on your room temperature. You will know the dough is done proofing when you see one of the following signs: The dough is soft and doubled in size; the inside of the dough has a honeycomb structure; or you poke a hole in the middle of the dough, and the hole neither shrinks or collapses.

Make the filling

1. While waiting for the dough to proof, you can make the filling. Combine the ground pork, grated garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil in a big mixing bowl and mix until the seasonings are well combined.

2. Add the unsalted chicken stock in batches and stir the pork in a circular motion in one direction for a few minutes or until all the liquid is well absorbed. Adding stock is the secret of a juicy and tender filling. If you use salted stock, please adjust the seasoning amount accordingly.

3. Add the diced scallions and keep mixing the filling until well combined. Although pork and scallions are the most popular filling for steamed buns, feel free to use cilantro, leek, onion, and chives if you prefer a different flavor.

4. Add 1 tsp of oil and 1 tbsp of filling to a frying pan and fry until cooked. Then taste it to adjust the flavor because there is no way to undo it after you wrap the buns. Set the filling in the fridge while you are working on the dough.

Knead the dough to eliminate bubbles

1. Once the dough is done proofing, thoroughly flour the working surface, and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes to eliminate the air bubbles. The technique involves repeatedly folding the dough in half, pressing it down against the working surface. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and continue to fold and press. Apply a strong force while pressing and squeezing the dough to push the air out. You should be able to hear the sound of bubbles breaking.

2. Cut the dough open and evaluate the cut surface. If you see big bubbles, continue to knead the dough; if you only see tiny, minute bubbles, move on to the next step.

Wrap the buns and steam

1. Shape the dough into a round ball and poke a hole in the middle. Stretch the dough to enlarge the hole, and you will create a big ring. Cut the ring open to make the dough into a log shape.

2. Roll the log into a long, even strip and then divide it into 12 even pieces. Sprinkle some flour to prevent the dough pieces from sticking to each other. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.

3. Put one piece of dough on the working surface with the cut cross section facing vertically, and then flatten it into a small round patty. Use a rolling pin in one of your hands to roll the edge of the dough back and forth. Use your other hand to rotate the dough. Repeat that motion and you will get a round wrapper with a thick middle and a thinner edge. The diameter should be 4 inches.

4. Put 2.5 Tbsps of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. One of your hands will lift the wrapper's edge and pinch to fold a pleat. The other hand will hold the bun and help to push and fold more pleats. Rotate the bun as you fold and continue until you finish the whole way around. When you get to the end, twist and seal the bun.

5. Put the buns into the steamer and continue to wrap the rest. If using a stainless steel steamer, oil the rack beforehand to prevent sticking; if using a bamboo steamer, put parchment paper under the buns.

6. Put on the lid and let the buns proof for the second time until they reach 1.5 times their size, which will take 15-20 minutes.

7. Fill the steamer pot with water and place the buns above it. Turn the heat to high and wait for the water to come to a boil. Once the water boils, start counting the time and steam the buns for 15 minutes.

8. Turn off the heat and let the buns sit in the steamer for at least 5 minutes before opening the lid. You don't want the buns to shrink and lose their fluffiness when contacting the cold air.

Meal Prepping Tip: Steamed buns are great for making ahead of time. After they are cooked, you can freeze them for up to 6 months and re-steam them over medium heat for 18 minutes without defrosting when you need an on-the-go breakfast!