Bao Buns

We love Asian food and one of our favourites is bao buns filled with pork, chicken, bean paste or custard. Is a very versatile recipe because you could fill them with a very unique Asian recipe or some leftover. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water

2 tablespoon sugar

1 dry yeast package

2 tablespoon oil

2 1/2 all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Prep:

1. Mix the first five ingredients (milk, water, sugar, yeast and oil) in a cup or bowl. The temperature of the liquids should be warm, not hot, you should think of milk for a baby. Let these ingredients rest for 20-25 minutes to activate the yeast. 
2. In another bowl mix the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Incorporate the wet ingredients from step 1. Mix them with a spoon for a minute until combine. Then knead the dough with your hand for 4 -5 minutes. Grease a clean bowl and put the dough in and cover with plastic and let it rise for two hours or more until it triples the volume.
3. Roll the dough into a 5 mm thick. Try to use the minimum flour to do this, if you can try to avoid it. Cut the dough into rounds with a glass or cookie cutter. The recipe will make 12 bao buns. 
4. Lightly brush oil over each bun and fold them in half. Roll them a little with the pin. Put them in a tray with parchment paper and cover with a plastic wrap. Let them rest and rise for 30 minutes. 
5. Prepare a pan with water and bring it to boil. Put the buns in a bamboo steamer with a parchment paper (sprinkle the paper with drops of water to avoid the buns to stick) Cover the lid with a towel to prevent to absorb the water from the steam. Steam them for 10-12 minutes. Check the pan to refill it with water if necessary. In my steamer, I cook only four by each time because I only have one medium size.  
6. Let them rest for 2 minutes and fill with pork or whatever you like. Enjoy them and let us know with what you fill them.