KOREAN STEAMED BUN RECIPES

Steps:

• To prepare the filling, rub five-spice powder evenly over pork. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 18 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°, turning pork occasionally. Remove pork from pan, and let stand 15 minutes.
• Cut pork crosswise into thin slices; cut slices into thin strips. Place pork in a medium bowl. Add onions and next 7 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt); stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
• To prepare dough, combine 1 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
• Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a clean surface; knead in baking powder. Let dough rest 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 10 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time (cover remaining dough balls to keep from drying), roll ball into a 5-inch circle. Place 1/4 cup filling in center of dough circle. Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top. Pinch and seal closed with a twist. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling.
• Arrange 5 buns seam side down, 1 inch apart, in each tier of a 2-tiered bamboo steamer. Stack tiers; cover with lid.
• Add water to a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place steamer in pan; steam 15 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• For the dough, mix together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre pour in the water and the oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Then use your hands to knead the dough for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, for the filling, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Then add the Chinese BBQ pork, char siu sauce, soy sauce, sugar and water. Mix well and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then stir through the cornflour mixture. Simmer for a further minute or until the filling is very thick. Remove from heat and spread the mixture out on a tray. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to cool down. Take the dough and on a floured surface, roll into out into a rough rectangle, then fold the dough in half and roll out again. Repeat another 2 times. Then roll up into a cylinder and cut the dough into 16 pieces (the sides will have a spiral pattern due to the folding). Flatten a piece of dough with your palm. Then use a rolling pin to roll the edges so that they are thinner than the centre of the dough disc (similar to dumpling wrapper). Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Take a disc of dough and place 2 heaped tablespoons of filling in the centre. Pleat the dough edges up and around the filling to completely enclose. Place the bun on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 1 hour in a warm place. Place the buns in a steamer and cook over boiling water for 10 minutes or until the dough is fluffy and cooked through. *NOTES: Char siu sauce is a type of Chinese BBQ sauce that can be found at any Asian grocery store. Hong Kong or Pau Flour has a similar protein content as cake flour but it is bleached and milled very fine. So if you want super white buns, then go for that. But cake flour has a little more flavour and is still bleached…just not as much as the Pau flour. Protein content directly influences how much gluten can be formed. The lower protein means less gluten forms and this makes the buns tender and fluffy.