Mon, 9 October 2023
Ingredients Bao Buns
1 tbsp granulated sugar
14g or two sachets of fast action dried yeast
375g plain flour
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
Pork Belly
600g of slow roasted pork belly
2 tbsp light soy sauce
20g ginger
1 large garlic glove
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar
1 red chilli
Chinese pickled veg
Cucumber
2 Teaspoons Salt
200g of granulated sugar
200g rice wine vinegar
30g ginger
3 medium carrots
To serve
Spring onions, bell peppers and salad leaves to garnish
Method
First, prepare the pickled vegetables. Put the cucumber in a sieve or colander and sprinkle over a teaspoon of the salt. This helps draw out the moisture. Leave for at least 10-15 minutes. Pat the cucumber dry with thick paper towel.
Put a saucepan on the scales and measure in 100g or 3 ½ oz of water, sugar, rice wine vinegar, the remaining teaspoon of salt and the sliced ginger and bring to the boil for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Place the vegetables in a clean heatproof jar and pour the pickling liquid over the veg, making sure they are submerged. Leave to cool before sealing
To make the bao dough, put the 175ml of lukewarm water in a bowl, add the sugar, stir to dissolve then add the yeast and leave for 5 minutes until it starts to foam. Mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until roughly combined. The put the dough back in the bowl, cover with cling film and put in a warm place for 30 minutes until it has doubled in size.
When ready, kneed the dough for a couple of minutes on a floured surface then cut into 16 pieces and roll out each piece into a oblong of dough – brush with vegetable oil on both sides then fold over.
Set up a steamer, half-fill the pan with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Line the perforated section of the steamer with a disc of baking parchment pierced with holes.
Place four buns on a heatproof dish in the steamer on top of baking parchment then put another sheet of parchment on top. Steam over a high heat for 12-15 minutes
While they are steaming, make the glaze. Place all the ingredients in a pan and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, then toss in the pork pieces and coat
To serve pen the bao sandwich and fill with the pork, some chomped vegetables and some spring onions
