Steamed Pork Buns

Servings:  16 buns

Prep Time:  1 hour

Cook Time:  45 minutes

*Your Chef will lead you through all the techniques, so prepping ahead of class is optional  

 

Ingredients for Dough:

• 1 cup warm water (between 90°F and 100°F)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cups all purpose flour

Ingredients for Filling:

• ½ yellow onion, small dice
• 2 carrots, small dice
• 1 ½ cups zucchini, small diced 
• 1 bunch scallion, white part minced 
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, minced 
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 pound ground pork (or chicken, beef or tofu)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ cup onion, cut into chunks
• 1 or 2 green chili peppers, sliced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Procedure:

1. To make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. 
2. Add the water and oil and mix with a rice paddle or spatula until you have a mass of shaggy dough.  
3. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for about 3-4 minutes until it’s smooth.  
4. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic and allow it to double in size for about 30 minutes. Set a timer while you prep the filling and sauce. Once the 30 minutes have passed, knead the dough a few more times and put it back in the bowl to rise again for another 30 minutes. 
5. To make the Filling: Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat until it shimmers. 
6. Add the onion, carrot, zucchini, green onion, and white mushroom to the pan and saute the vegetables for about 5 to 6 minutes, until all the veggies are cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  
7. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper to the ground pork and stir to combine. 
8. Place the pork in the same skillet you cooked the vegetables in and cook for about 8 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Transfer to the bowl with the vegetables and allow to cool while the dough rises the second time. 
9. Place about 6-7 cups of water in a steamer and bring to a boil. Line the basket with parchment paper, cabbage or lettuce leaves (or use cupcake liners for each bun). 
10. Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Working one at a time, roll each piece into a 4 inch disk. Keep the pieces covered so they don’t dry out. 
11. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of filling to each and crimp to close. 
12. Transfer to the steamer basket and steam for 20 minutes. 
13. To make the dipping sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk.
14. Serve hot with dipping sauce.