METAL STEAMER BASKET RECIPES

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, yeast, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of the oil and 145–150ml/4¾–5fl oz warm water together in a jug (make sure the water is on the hotter side of warm to the touch, depending on how humid the room feels – if the air feels very dry, add a little more water, but if it is very humid, a little less water is required). Pour half of the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir into the flour mixture using a spoon. Gradually add the rest of the liquid until all the flour has come away from the sides of the bowl. Once combined, remove the dough from the bowl and knead for 5–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be fairly wet, but still manageable. If the dough is too sticky, use a little extra flour to dust the outside of the dough when kneading. If the dough feels a little dry, add a small amount of water to get a tacky feel to the dough.
• Once the dough is smooth and elastic, dust with 2 tablespoons of flour, scraping off any additional dough from the sides of the bowl. Knead 5–6 more times and then shape the dough into a rough ball. Coat the dough ball lightly with the remaining oil, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave in a warm, preferably moist, draught-free location for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, you can mould it into whatever shape you wish before steaming. To make hirata bao, the lip-shaped bao pictured above, roll the proved dough into a thick cylinder, similar to the size of a salami. Divide the cylinder into 7–8 pieces and roll each piece between the palms of your hands to create individual balls of dough. Roll until each ball is smooth. Press down on each ball of dough with your palm to flatten. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll each flattened piece out further to make elongated oval shapes.
• Lightly brush the top of each oval with a little vegetable oil. Then gently fold one side over the top to form a lip-shaped bun. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for a further 15–20 minutes. After resting, the buns are ready to steam.
• Place 3–4 buns on greaseproof paper or non-stick baking paper in a bamboo steamer basket, leaving plenty of room between the buns. Stack the steamer baskets and cover with the lid. Half-fill a wok with boiling water and place over a high heat. (If using a metal steamer, see the Recipe Tips.) Add the steamer baskets and steam for 8 minutes, without removing the lid. Once steamed, the buns will be cooked through and well risen.

Steps:

• Make dough: in a large bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine vegetable oil or schmaltz with warm water, egg, and white vinegar. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid ingredients into the center. Stir to combine until a ball of dough forms. Transfer dough to a clean work surface and knead to ensure all flour is evenly incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.  Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature. (Refrigerate dough if not using within the hour. Dough can be left in the fridge up to 3 days, bring up to room temperature before using.) Caramelize onions: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine butter or schmaltz and olive oil. When butter has melted, add onion and thyme if using. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and golden, 45 to 50 minutes.  Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with 1" of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring water to a boil, then add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (We like to insert a paring knife into the thickest part of a piece of potato. If the potato slides off when the knife is lifted, they're good to go!) Carefully remove steamer basket and drain water from pot. Transfer potatoes to pot, add sour cream and season with salt. Mash until mostly smooth (some lumps are OK!) and taste for seasoning.  When onions are done, remove thyme stems if used, then transfer onions to bowl with potatoes and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Assemble knish: line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°. Split dough in half, placing one half back under plastic wrap. (It’s normal for some oil to sweat out of the dough while it’s resting. Knead it a couple times in the bowl to reincorporate oil if needed.) Using your hands, shape dough into a rectangle, then roll out into a large rectangle that is about 1/8” thick and between 12” and 15” on the long side. (This dough is very forgiving and doesn’t easily stick to surfaces, so don’t worry about being too rough with it!) Transfer half your potato mixture to the dough, and create a 2” wide log parallel to the 12”-15” edge of dough closest to you, 1”-2” from the bottom edge. Lift the 1”-2” of excess dough over the potato mixture, then carefully roll potato mixture away from you until you reach the other end of the dough, like rolling a cigarette. Arrange so the seam is on the bottom, and adjust roll if needed so that potato filling is evenly distributed. Trim ends of dough so it is even with the potato filling. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make light indentations every 2”-2 ½” so that your cylinder is divided into 6 equally sized pieces. Use the sharp side of your dinner knife to cut through each knish. To shape your knishes: to make the bottom, use your finger to gently press the filling inward, then stretch the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Flip the knish over so that the bottom is touching a clean work surface. For the top, use your thumbs and pointer fingers to press the cut dough in towards the center, so there is a slight indent and some filling showing. Repeat with remaining knishes, then repeat entire process with second piece of dough. Place knishes on prepared baking sheet and brush with egg and water mixture. Bake, turning pan halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least half an hour before serving. Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with 1" of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring water to a boil, then add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (We like to insert a paring knife into the thickest part of a piece of potato. If the potato slides off when the knife is lifted, they're good to go!) Carefully remove steamer basket and drain water from pot. Transfer potatoes to pot, add butter and season with salt. Mash until mostly smooth (some lumps are OK!) and taste for seasoning. Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add coriander and cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add peas, chaat masala, and turmeric. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute more, then add mixture to pot with mashed potatoes and stir to incorporate. Fold in cilantro. Assemble knish: line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°. Split dough in half, placing one half back under plastic wrap. (It’s normal for some oil to sweat out of the dough while it’s resting. Knead it a couple times in the bowl to reincorporate oil if needed.) Using your hands, shape dough into a rectangle, then roll out into a large rectangle that is about 1/8” thick and between 12” and 15” on the long side. (This dough is very forgiving and doesn’t easily stick to surfaces, so don’t worry about being too rough with it!) Transfer half your potato mixture to the dough, and create a 2” wide log parallel to the 12”-15” edge of dough closest to you, 1”-2” from the bottom edge. Lift the 1”-2” of excess dough over the potato mixture, then carefully roll potato mixture away from you until you reach the other end of the dough, like rolling a cigarette. Arrange so the seam is on the bottom, and adjust roll if needed so that potato filling is evenly distributed. Trim ends of dough so it is even with the potato filling. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make light indentations every 2”-2 ½” so that your cylinder is divided into 6 equally sized pieces. Use the sharp side of your dinner knife to cut through each knish. To shape your knishes: to make the bottom, use your finger to gently press the filling inward, then stretch the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Flip the knish over so that the bottom is touching a clean work surface. For the top, use your thumbs and pointer fingers to press the cut dough in towards the center, so there is a slight indent and some filling showing. Repeat with remaining knishes, then repeat entire process with second piece of dough. Place knishes on prepared baking sheet and brush with egg and water mixture. Bake, turning pan halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least half an hour before serving. Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with 1" of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring water to a boil, then add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (We like to insert a paring knife into the thickest part of a piece of potato. If the potato slides off when the knife is lifted, they're good to go!) Carefully remove steamer basket and drain water from pot. Transfer potatoes to pot, add sour cream and season with salt. Mash until mostly smooth (some lumps are OK!) and taste for seasoning. Using a clean kitchen towel, squeeze all excess moisture out of spinach, then transfer to pot with potatoes. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add green onions and cook until softened and translucent, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute more, then transfer mixture to bowl with potatoes. Add dill and lemon zest to bowl with potatoes and stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed. Gently fold in cubed feta and season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Carefully pour sesame seeds onto a small shallow plate. Assemble knish: line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°. Split dough in half, placing one half back under plastic wrap. (It’s normal for some oil to sweat out of the dough while it’s resting. Knead it a couple times in the bowl to reincorporate oil if needed.) Using your hands, shape dough into a rectangle, then roll out into a large rectangle that is about 1/8” thick and between 12” and 15” on the long side. (This dough is very forgiving and doesn’t easily stick to surfaces, so don’t worry about being too rough with it!) Transfer half your potato mixture to the dough, and create a 2” wide log parallel to the 12”-15” edge of dough closest to you, 1”-2” from the bottom edge. Lift the 1”-2” of excess dough over the potato mixture, then carefully roll potato mixture away from you until you reach the other end of the dough, like rolling a cigarette. Arrange so the seam is on the bottom, and adjust roll if needed so that potato filling is evenly distributed. Trim ends of dough so it is even with the potato filling. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make light indentations every 2”-2 ½” so that your cylinder is divided into 6 equally sized pieces. Use the sharp side of your dinner knife to cut through each knish. To shape your knishes: to make the bottom, use your finger to gently press the filling inward, then stretch the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Flip the knish over so that the bottom is touching a clean work surface. For the top, use your thumbs and pointer fingers to press the cut dough in towards the center, so there is a slight indent and some filling showing. Repeat with remaining knishes, then repeat entire process with second piece of dough. Dip the bottoms of each knish into sesame seeds, then place on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg and water mixture and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. Bake, turning pan halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least half an hour before serving.