Char Siu Bao
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Steam Bun Dough - 6 cups flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 3/4 cup warm water, 1 tblsp active dried yeast, 1 tblsp baking powder. 2 tblsp oil. Disolve sugar and warm water, add yeast. Stand 10 minutes. Sift flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in oil and yeast mixture. Mix well.
Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Place dough in an greased bowl, and cover with gladwrap.Let dough rise in a warm place, 2 hours or until tripled in bulk.
Char Siu filling. 500 grams bbq pork, diced finely. Combine 1 1/2 tblsp white sugar, 1 1/2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tblsp oyster sauce, 1 cup water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Mix 2 tblsp cornflour with 2 1/2 tblsp water. Add to saucepan and stir til thicken. Mix in 2 tblsp oil, 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1/4 tsp white ground pepper. Cool and mix in with BBQ pork.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured board. until it is smooth and elastic. Roll dough in long roll and divide into 24 peices. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand to form a thin circle. The centre should be thicker than the edge. Place one portion of filling in the centre of dough circle. Wrap the dough to cover the filling. Pinch edge to form the bun. Put on a small square of lunch paper. Stand 10 minutes. Steam buns for 12 minutes.
My daughters made these for the first time recently. As they were making them, there was laughter in the kitchen, and the smells took me back to the days when my own Mother made them at home. In those days there was no local Chinese restaurant and Yum Char wasn't even thought of in small town New Zealand. When I left home, she used to make and send them to me in Auckland. I looked forward to her packages - a taste of home - away from home.
