CHAR S I U BAO P I ROSH KI

CHINA

A spongy steamed bun encasing an assortment of fillings, the char siu bao is a Cantonese favourite. It’s stuffed with roasted pork butt that’s marinated in a syrupy mix of oyster and hoisin sauces, fermented tofu and a generous amount of soy sauce. Bao, wow!

Hands-on time: 1¼ hours Total time: 2¾ hours Makes: 24 pieces

Dough: 1 cup warm milk (100°F) 2 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tbsp active dry yeast 2 eggs 2 tbsp sour cream 2 tbsp butter, melted 4 cups all-purpose flour (approx) ½ tsp salt

Filling: 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large onion, finely diced 1 pkg (227 g) mushrooms, finely diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 450 g lean ground beef ½ tsp each salt and pepper ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill 2 tbsp sour cream Egg Wash: 1 egg

Dough: In large bowl, whisk together milk, sugar and yeast. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs, sour cream and butter. Whisk 3½ cups of the flour with the salt; stir into milk mixture to form soft sticky dough. Turn out onto floured work surface; knead, adding as much of the remaining flour as needed to prevent sticking, until smooth but still slightly sticky, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Filling: While dough is rising, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and light golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and no liquid remains, about 8 minutes. Stir in beef, salt and pepper; cook, breaking up beef with spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in dill and sour cream. Let cool completely. Assembly: Punch down dough; divide in half. Cover 1 half with tea towel to prevent drying out. On floured work surface, roll and stretch remaining half into 12-inch long log; cut crosswise into 12 pieces. On floured work surface and using floured hands, press 1 piece into about 4-inch round; spoon 2 tbsp of the filling into centre. Pull dough up around filling to enclose; pinch seams to seal. Place, seam side down, on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let stand for 5 minutes. Egg Wash: Whisk egg with 1 tbsp water; brush all over dough. To finish: Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 350°F oven until deep golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

PER PIECE: about 157 cal, 8 g pro, 6 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 18 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 2 g sugar), 36 mg chol, 129 mg sodium, 150 mg potassium. % RDI: 2% calcium, 11% iron, 3% vit A, 2% vit C, 22% folate.