Black sesame bao

Ugly sesame bao. Nearly all had burst!

Black sesame filling: https://www.facebook.com/reel/472716605688076

For Tangyuang and Bao fillings which are more flowy (compared to mooncake).

Ingredients

160g roasted black sesame powder

80g glut rice flour

150g sugar

180g water

80g pork lard (would usually be hardened)

Method

1. Mix the black sesame powder, flour and sugar well and set aside. 

2. To the water, add the pork lard. Bring to a simmer until the hardened pork lard melts.

3. Pour the liquid lard into the powders. Mix well.

4. Place in the fridge for several hours until it is less runny and roll/portion into desired filling portions. 

Recipe feedback - the filling is VERY flowy, making it difficult to wrap. It might be easier to freeze it for a few hours. There was lots of filling left if this bao recipe is used.

Bao skin https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=1631050780771945

Needs 500 to 600g of filling. Makes 12 to 13.

Makes a very wet dough but requires very little handling. Original video uses partially cooked fatty pork filling. (half cooked pork mince mixed with uncooked pork mince so that the filling is not one whole lump)

Ingredients

300g flour (for starter) + 100g 

3g instant dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

20g pork lard

230g warm water

Method

1. Combine ingredients. Use a chopstick to combine by stirring in one direction only. The dough has a high moisture content so no need to knead the dough. 

2. Once all the dough has come together and there are no more dry spots, form a ball (with the chopsticks) and cover with clingfilm. Allow to prove until it has doubled in size.

3. Uncover and use chopsticks to stir in one direction to dispel the gas. Pour in a small chinese rice bowl (around 100g) of flour. Use a spatula to mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl. 

4. Scrape the dough into an oblong shape and lift out onto a work surface.

5. Form a long rectangular shape gently with your hands. Using a dough cutter, cut into 2 finger wide strips.

6. No need to roll out. Use palms to flatten into a ball and use fingers to flatten the dough into a disc. (If the dough still feels too sticky to the touch, dust hands with flour). Should make about 2 to 3 inch wide bao.

7. Wrap the filling, about 2 tsp full. Ensure to seal well. 

8. Place wrapped baos into a steamer rack on top of a wok. Do not switch on the flame yet. Allow to prove the second time until the baos are visually larger. (a trick: put a ball of leftover dough in a bowl of water in the same steaming rack. When the ball floats, all have proved sufficiently).

9. Once sufficient proved, turn on the flame to high, and steam for 15 minutes (from boiling). Turn off the flame and leave it to rest for 2 minutes before removing the cover.

Recipe feedback: The skin is very soft and difficult to work with. It was impossible to seal properly and shape. However because of the high moisture content, the dough was very hard to work with. Further, the filling was so flowy so it kept spilling onto the seam. Once the filing fouled the wrapper, it was impossible to seal to encase the filling, not to mention it mucked up the pristine look of the wrapper.