BBQ Pork Buns

As you know, I prepared a large pork belly and it has been very tasty so far.

Utterly delicious, to be quite frank. The chilli in the marinade has started to shine through more and there's still a mild cola taste to it. I wish that I had been able to take to to the BBQ - t'would indeed have been a favourite for most.

I wanted to make bread on Sunday but thought to try my hand at BBQ pork buns - Char Siu Pau/Bao (it can be written many ways, depending on dialect).

Here's how!

* Start with a standard bread dough:
- 500 gms plain flour
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- Around 350 ml water (adjust as necessary)
- Knead or machine it as per your choice to make a fine grained bread dough.
- Rise as normal (lightly oiled bowl, cling wrap, non-draughty location, etc).

* After the rising, don't punch it down.
* Cut the dough ball in half and roll into long thick ropes.
* Cut each one into rounds, about 40 - 50 mm thick.
* Roll each one flat but still around 3 mm thick.
* Fill with whatever meat, meat and beg, veg combo you like.
* Put each one on small square of baking / grease prooof paper.
* Commence second rising.
* Set up your steamer (a word on steamers follows)
* When the dough looks risen and plump but before it begins to collapse or leak, put the buns in the steamer for ten minutes.
* You can eat fresh or freeze for later.

Reheating these is easy. You need around one minute for two buns in a 1000W microwave. It's up to you to test and make the right decision. Time decreases to around 1:50 for four buns. If you lightly spray or drizzle a little water on the buns as you put them into the microwave, they will be almost as nice as freshly made. Good tasty breakfast stuff.


Just a word on steamers:

If you have a proper stainless steel double layer one like the one in the photo (being uploaded soon - sorry - am busy), you're more than well equipped.

However, if you're a bamboo steamer kind of person, you will probably need two in order to cook the whole lot at the same time.

If you're planning on cooking them in two batches, start boiling your water earlier so that the first batch will be almost perfectly risen and the second batch will be just past perfect rising.


Experiment and you will know your kitchen equipment well.


Cheers!!