HOT DOG BAO RECIPES

Steps:

• To make the bao, place the flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the water, vegetable oil and milk. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to knead until the dough comes together. Empty out onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth, adding extra flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough sticks to the palm of your hand. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover and rest in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size. Once risen, transfer the dough to a work surface. ‘Punch down’ the dough by kneading it for a couple of minutes. The aim here is to remove as many air bubbles as possible. Roll the dough into a sausage shape and divide into 10 pieces. Then roll each piece into a rough mini hot dog bun shape. Place on a piece of baking paper. Brush the tops with vegetable oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside to rise for 30 minutes. Fill a wok one-third full with water and place over high heat. When the water is boiling, place the bamboo steamer over the wok and steam buns, in batches, for 12 minutes. Then turn off the heat (don’t lift the lid) and allow the buns to rest over the hot water for 5 minutes. Buns can be made up to a day in advance and steamed to re-heat before serving. For the spicy red cabbage relish, combine ingredients in a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve. Cook the sausages or hot dogs on an oiled barbecue grill plate or in a frying pan lightly brushed with oil. Slice open each bao and fill with spicy red cabbage relish and a hot dog. Drizzle with tonkatsu, mayonnaise and Coconut Sriracha.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Place yeast into bowl of a large stand mixer; whisk 1/2 cup flour and water into yeast until mixture is smooth. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Whisk egg, 3 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, and salt into yeast mixture; add remaining flour and stir.
• Fit a dough hook onto stand mixer and knead the dough on low speed until soft and sticky, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape sides if needed. Poke and prod the dough with a silicone spatula; if large amounts of dough stick to the spatula, add a little more flour.
• Transfer dough onto a floured work surface; dough will be sticky and elastic but not stick to your fingers. Form the dough lightly into a smooth, round shape, gently tucking loose ends underneath.
• Wipe out stand mixer bowl, drizzle olive oil into the bowl, and turn dough over in the bowl several times to coat surface thinly with oil. Cover bowl with aluminum foil. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Transfer dough to a floured work surface and form into a 5x10-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough into 8 equal lengths. Turn each slice cut-side up and form into a hot dog bun shape about 5 inches long. Transfer dough, cut-sides up, to the prepared baking sheet about set them about 1/4-inch apart.
• Cut a slit about 1/8-inch deep down the center of each bun. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over the top and sides of each bun. Let rise until almost doubled in size and the buns have risen into each other, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake buns in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Brush tops with remaining melted butter.