Chinese Steamed Buns

An indelible childhood memory was eating  "Bao"  -Chinese Steamed Buns- as I grew up in my home-city   Malacca.  Whenever I go to San Francisco, I try as many savory and sweet steamed buns as I can .  I have yet to eat Bao in the city that is remotely satisfying as ones back home. 

 Bao  is a steamed, yeasted  wheat- flour dough  filled with meat or vegetarian fillings. Wheat flour is combined with water, yeast,  sugar, shortening and a little salt. The dough is then kneaded, and allowed to rise and then punched down.  A small amount of dough is rolled out in a circle into which is placed a small portion of the filling.  The edges are pleated and brought up together to a point, and the point is twisted, and seal in the filling.

A small piece of parchment paper is placed under each uncooked bun in the steamer to prevent sticking. The finished bun is slightly moist and chewy and absorbs the collective juices.

They may be served plain or with dipping sauces.  The leftovers can be frozen and re-steamed.   In Malaysia, these buns are so popular that they are eaten any time of the day.

How to make the dough for the Buns

Yeast Dough:

6.5 ozs all-purpose flour
3 to 4 ozs of luke warm water
1/8 tsp yeast

Method:

Mix the above ingredients and ferment it for 12 hours

For the Dough:

13.3 ozs all-purpose flour
5 ozs icing sugar
0.8 oz vegetable shortening
3 to 4 ozs luke warm water
0.7 ozs baking powder

Method:

Mix the yeast dough with flour, icing sugar, water, and baking powder. Add shortening and knead to form a pliable dough. Divide into small portions. Fill with your favorite fillings. Place it on a square or round parchment paper to prevent sticking when steaming.