Char Siu Bao

Ingredients

• •Pork shoulder
• •Hoisin sauce
• •Honey
• •Soy sauce
• •Five-spice powder
• •Flour
• •Yeast
• •Sugar
• •Baking powder

Steps

1. 1Marinate strips of pork shoulder in a mixture of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, and five-spice powder for several hours or overnight.
2. 2Roast the pork in a hot oven, basting occasionally, until the edges caramelize and turn slightly sticky, then let it cool and dice it into small pieces.
3. 3Simmer the diced pork briefly with any extra marinade and a little cornstarch slurry to make a thick, glossy filling.
4. 4Make a soft, slightly sweet dough with flour, sugar, yeast, and baking powder, and let it rise until doubled in size.
5. 5Divide the dough into small rounds and flatten each into a disc with a thicker center and thinner edges.
6. 6Spoon the char siu filling into the center of each disc and gather the edges upward, twisting to seal into a pleated bun.
7. 7Let the shaped buns proof for a further twenty minutes, then steam them over gently boiling water for about twelve minutes, until puffed and glossy white.
8. 8Serve hot, straight from the steamer basket, as they are commonly sold from carts and dim sum stalls.