Mum's Char Siu Bao or Pork Buns for Bread Baking Day  (BBD) # 28, hosted by Tangerine's Kitchen

You won't find these char siu bao in any Yum Cha joint as they are not very sweet nor is the killer homemade pork filling tinged with red dye. What they are not is what sets them apart. The filling is flavourful, savoury and slightly spicy. The skin is chewy but soft and not at all snow-white in colour (we used unbleached flour). Even though traditional char siu bao calls for super-white, bleached, low-protein flour it's a good idea to turn to unbleached organic flour as both the flavour and quality are vastly superior to the bleached stuff. Anyhow, do you know how chemically treated bleached flour is? If you don't, I'll talk about it in another post but let's focus on the buns for now.These buns are moreish, you can (I can) keep on eating them long after your distended tummy begs for mercy. Our friends and relatives say that mum's char siu bao have set a new standard for them ... good and bad news. Hope you like them as much as we do.

Thank you Rachel for organising this event!

Mum's Char Siu Bao (makes 24 buns)

Ingredients for the dough, recipe adapted from one by Andrea Nguyen

• Active dry yeast: 1 packet (7 grams),
  
• Lukewarm water: 280 ml
• Neutral flavoured vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
  
• Granulated white sugar: 5 tablespoons
  
• Salt: 1 teaspoon
  
• Baking powder: 3 teaspoons
  
• Unbleached wheat flour: 530 grams
  

Dissolve yeast in water, leave for a minute and then whisk in oil and set aside.

Combine sugar, salt, baking powder and flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in yeast mixture. Slowly stir with a wooden spoon working in the flour. Once the dough starts coming together use your fingers to gather the dough into a ball.

Transfer to a work surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Mum likes to throw the ball of dough onto the surface with all her strength until it's supple and smooth. This tecnique apparently works the dough faster than traditional kneading. I do the same, it works for us but it's up to you. When the dough is ready a slight indentation will be left if you press your finger into the it.

Lightly oil a bowl and place dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise until nearly doubled. This will take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the temperature of the room. Once it's doubled the dough is ready to be used. You can refrigerate this dough for later use.

Ingredients for the pork filling

• Pork neck: 700 grams, diced to 1cm x 1cm squares
  
• Dried shiitake mushrooms: 8 medium size or 12 small, rehydrated in hot water for 30 minutes and diced finely
  
• Neutral flavoured vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
  
• Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped finely
  
• Fresh hot chillies: 1 or 2, according to taste and chopped finely
  
• Star anise: 2
  
• Fermented bean curd: 1 generous tablespoon
  
• Corn flour: 1 tablespoon
  
• Sugar: 1 tablespoon
  
• Dark soy sauce: 2 tablespoons
  
• Shaoxing cooking wine: 2 tablespoons
  
• Chinkiang black rice vinegar: 1 tablespoon
  
• Sesame oil: 1 tablespoon
  
• Salt and white pepper to taste
  
• Fresh coriander (cilantro): 1/2 bunch, roughly chopped
  

Heat oil in a wok, let it become quite hot and add the pork. Stir fry for a few minutes until meat starts browning, add the mushrooms, garlic and chillies, star anise, bean curd and corn flour. Stir to blend everything in before you add the sugar, soy sauce, shaoxing wine and chinkiang vinegar. Stir fry in medium-low heat for a good 10 minutes. The pork mixture should start looking thick but moist. If this isn't the case add a bit of water or stock. If it's still too wet then stir fry for a few more minutes and reduce the liquid to a shiny glaze. Add sesame oil and coriander and taste the pork. Season with salt and pepper accordingly.

How to assemble the buns

Cut 24 little squares of wax paper about 5 cms by 5 cms each. They will serve as the bun's little coasters when steaming them.

Shape the dough into a long log and divide it into 24 portions. Keep them covered with a tea towel until you are ready.

Grab one portion and flatten it with your fingers, you are forming a small, thick pancake about 7 cms in diameter. Make sure that the edges are much thinner than the centre (or belly) of the pancake.

Place pancake on a slightly cupped palm and place about 1 tablespoon of pork filling right in the centre of pancake. Form pleats into the edges of the pancake as you work your way around it. Twist the top shut and into a little pointy nose. Don't fret if you don't get it right. Mine still come out looking wonky often enough. As long as there are no major gaps in the dough, the flavour will still be marvelous!

Place each finished bun on top of a wax paper coaster. Keep finished buns covered with a tea towel in order to keep them supple.

Once you've finished assembling the lot, let the buns rise for about 45 minutes. Prepare your wok or steamer 5 minutes before your buns are done rising. Make sure water is boiling by the time your buns are ready for steaming. For a tip on how to steam on a wok, click here and read comments.

Steam buns at medium-high heat for 10 minutes and eat straight away. They keep really well  tightly wrapped and you can reheat them straight from the fridge or freezer by steaming them for 5 to 10 minutes.