Cha Sui Bao (Baked Barbecued Pork Buns)

Yield: 20 Servings

Ingredients:
1 tbl Grated ginger
1 tbl Oyster sauce
1 tbl Hoisin sauce
1 tbl Dark soy sauce
2 tbl Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1 tbl Peanut or corn oil
1 cup Finely chopped onion
3 cup Cantonese barbecue pork, in 1/2-inch dice (about
1-lb.)
1 tbl Cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 tsp Sesame oil
2 x Egg yolks
2 tbl Water
1 tsp Sugar
Chinese Baked Sweet Bread Dough (recipe follows)
1 pkt Active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
3 tbl Sugar
1 cup Warm milk (100 to 110)
1 x Egg
3/4 cup Vegetable oil
3 1/2 cup All-purpose flour, + more for dusting and kneading


Method:
Reheat in a 350 degree F. oven for 5 mins, or
microwave at high about 1 minute.

Prepare bread dough. Cut out twenty 3-inch squares
of parchment paper. Mix together ginger, oyster sauce,
hoisin, dark soy, sugar and water in a bowl.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add oil. When hot,
add onion; stir-fry until soft. Don't brown. Add pork
and stir-fry 30 seconds. Pour in sauce mixture, bring
to a boil. Stir cornstarch/water into a smooth mixture.
Add to pork; cook, stirring until thick, about 15
seconds.Add sesame oil. Remove to bowl; refrigerate
until thoroughly chilled.

Cut dough in half. Form each half into a 12-inch long
log; cut into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a 4-inch
circle. Roll outer inch of each circle 1/8-inch thin;
leave middle slightly thicker. If right-handed, place
a dough circle in palm of your left hand. Put a big
tablespoon of pork mixture in the ; middle; put left
thumb over the pork. With your right hand, bring up
edge and make a pleat in it. Rotate circle a little
and make a second pleat. As you make each pleat,
gently pull it up and around as if to enclose your
thumb. Continue rotating, pleating and pinching,
then gently twist into a spiral. Pinch to seal.
Place bun pleated side down on a parchment square.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Put buns 1 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Let
rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat egg yolks with
water and sugar; brush over buns. Bake 20 mins.

Makes 20 buns.

CHINESE BAKED SWEET BREAD DOUGH

Chinese bread dough is quite sweet compared with
Western breads (the further south you go in China,
the sweeter the dough becomes). Most Chinese breads
are steamed, which is why they look pale and uncooked
to the Western eye.

Put the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a small
bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Let stand 5 mins,
then stir to dissolve. If should foam and bubble. If
it does not, discard and use a fresh package of yeast.
Stir in the egg, oil and remaining milk. Put the flour
and remaining sugar in the work bowl of a food
processor fitted with the metal blade. Process
2 seconds. With the machine running, pour the warm
milk mixture down the feed tube in a steady stream.
Process until it forms a rough ball. If ball is sticky
and wet, add a little more flour. Process a few
seconds longer, or until dough pulls away from the
sides of the bowl. Remove dough to a lightly
floured board.

Knead dough, dusting with flour to keep it from
sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 2 mins. Place
in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let
rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and place on a lightly floured
surface. It is now ready to form into rolls,
buns or loaves.

Makes enough for 20 barbecued pork buns.