Baozi
Baozi (包子) is a steamed stuffed bun typical of Chinese cuisine (more precisely from northern China), consumed both for breakfast and lunch. It is very similar to mantou and is prepared in different forms (meat and / or vegetables) and can also have different sizes. This tasty sandwich is very well known and appreciated, we have all seen it even at the cinema in Kung Fu Panda for example, and other Asian populations have reworked it: this is the case of Japanese hirata buns. INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH -250 gr flour - 125 gr hot water - 1/2 sachet of dry yeast - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING -175 gr of minced pork - 1 finely chopped garlic clove - 1 tablespoon of soy sauce - 2 tablespoons of plain water - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon sugar - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil - 1 finely chopped spring onion
PREPARATION - Prepare the dough: pour hot water and dry yeast into a bowl. Stir with a fork to completely dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and sugar. Start by kneading with chopsticks or a fork, then proceed with your hands. The dough should not be completely smooth or perfect. Make a ball and place it in the center of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then with a kitchen towel. Leave to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. - Prepare the filling: pour all the ingredients of the filling into a bowl and mix carefully. - Dust the work surface with flour to work the dough with your hands: use your fingers and wrist, continually folding the dough on itself. Do this for 10 minutes: when the dough is cut with a knife, there should be almost no air bubbles inside. - Divide the dough into balls and work them one by one by flattening them. Proceed with one disk at a time in the preparation: those that are not being used must be covered with plastic wrap so that they do not dry out. - Roll out the edges of the dough disk with a rolling pin to flatten it. Place the flat disk thus created in the center of the palm and fill with one or two teaspoons of filling in the center. Proceed to close the bun using your fingertips. The bun at the end must be well sealed. - Proceed with steaming, using a steamer or a common steamer. The important thing is that the buns are well spaced from each other. Cook for 20 minutes. - Once cooked, serve immediately hot.
(This article contains affiliated links)