Bao, a Chinese Steamed Bun

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the dough. Mix the warm water, yeast and sugar in a bowl and leave it for around 10 minutes until the yeast starts to activate.

2. 2

   Make the dough. Add the flour, salt and oil. Mix everything together and knead for around 5 to 10 minutes, until you have a smooth and elastic dough.

3. 3

   Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl and leave the dough somewhere warm for around 1 hour, or until it has roughly doubled in size.

4. 4

   Prepare the filling. Finely chop the carrot, spring onions, garlic and ginger. Mix them with the minced pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, chilli, salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Divide the dough. Once the dough has risen, knead it gently for a minute to remove some of the air. Divide it into 8–10 equal portions and roll each one into a ball.

6. 6

   Roll out the buns. Roll each ball into a small circle, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges. This will make it easier to fill and close the bao.

7. 7

   Fill the bao. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each piece of dough. Fold the edges towards the centre and pinch them together to seal the bun.

8. 8

   Let them rest. Place each bao on a small piece of baking paper and let them rest for around 15–20 minutes before steaming.

9. 9

   Steam the bao. Place the buns in a steamer, leaving enough space between them because they will expand. Steam for around 12–15 minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave the lid closed for another 5 minutes before opening it. This helps prevent the buns from collapsing. The best is to use a bamboo steamer but if you don't have one a normal steamer is already doing really well the job.

10. 10

    Serve. Serve the bao hot with soy sauce, chilli oil, spring onions or a little sesame oil. Bao are perfect for sharing and can be filled with almost anything — making them a great way to turn small amounts of leftover meat or vegetables into a delicious meal.