Home

Steamed or Baked Bun Dough
Makes 2 doz. buns

1 cake of fresh compressed yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
6 1/2 cups unsifted all purpose flour

To Make Dough: Dissolve 1/2 yeast cake with sugar in warm water. Immediately add baking powder and then the flour. The dough will be fairly firm and a bit on the dry side. Knead on board for 20 minutes (you should not need to flour the board) until dough becomes elastic and smooth. Place it in a big mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a dry , warm place (away from drafts) until dough doubles in bulk. (Every kitchen is different. My dough usually takes about 21/2 to 3 hours to double. Now punch down dough and knead again for 5 more minutes.It is now ready to be stuffed with fillings.

Comments: This is just a basic yeast dough with perhaps a bit more sugar added. For those of you who do not care to make this from scratch, you may use frozen bread dough as a substitute.


5 Spice Chicken Buns
Dough:
1 recipe ofbasic bun dough
Makes2 dz.
Filling:
1 1/2 to 2 cups diced chicken breast
Meat marinade:
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sherry
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
1/2 tsp bean sauce
1/4 cup almond slivers
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup bamboo shoots
2 stalks scallions, chopped
Sauce mixture:
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

To make filling: Mix chicken with meat marinade for 1/2 hour or longer. Stir fry in 1 tbsp. oil until almost done. Add vegetables and continue to stir until chicken is done. Add sauce mixture, stir until thickened, mix well and chill.
Wrapping: Divide filling into 24 portions. Divide dough into 24 balls. Slightly flatten each ball then rollout into 4-inch discs, leaving the center of the disc twice as thick as the side. Place 1 portion of the filling in the center of the dough. Gather up the sides around the filling and twist dough to seal. Place on a 2 inch square piece of wax paper, twist side down. Put the wrapped buns at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and allow the buns to rise in a draft-free place (the oven) for another hour.
Baking,Baking: Preheat oven at 350. Brush buns with a mixture of beaten egg white, 1 tsp. water and 1/4 tsp. sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until buns are golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush top with butter .


Baked Ham Buns Yield: 2 doz
Dough:
1 recipe of the basic bun dough
Filling:
1-4 oz can of sliced mushrooms
2 cups finely diced ham
2 stalks finely diced celery
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, finely diced
2 stalks scallions
Sauce mixture:
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce

To make filling: Stir fry filling ingredients together for 2 minutes, then add sauce mixture. Stir until thickened. Chill well before wrapping.

Wrapping: To make filling: Soak onion flakes in a cup enough water to cover flakes. Mix sauce in a sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat unt thickens. Stir in the diced pork and onion fla 3-4 hours.
Wrapping: Divide filling into 24 portions. Divide dough into 24 balls. Slightly flatten each ball then rollout into 4-inch discs, leaving the center of the disc twice as thick as the side. Place 1 portion of the filling in the center of the dough. Gather up the sides around the filling and twist dough to seal. Place on a 2 inch square piece of wax paper, twist side down. Put the wrapped buns at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and allow the buns to rise in a draft-free place (the oven) for another hour.

Baking: Preheat oven at 350. Brush buns with a mixture of beaten egg white, 1 tsp. water and 1/4 tsp. sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until buns are golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush top with butter .

Do ahead notes: Bake ahead and freeze. To reheat, thaw out at room temperature. Wrap in foil and place in warm oven for 1 hour, or slightly higher temperature for a shorter time.

How to wrap a bun

Curry Beef Buns

Dough:
1 recipe basic bun dough

Filling:
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 cup coarsely diced bamboo shoots
2 stalks green onions
1-2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp catsup
1 tbsp oil

To make filling: Brown ground beef in 1 tbsp. oil with bamboo shoots until done. Add all seasonings, then green onions. Mix well and chill completely before wrapping.

Baking: Preheat oven at 350. Brush buns with a mixture of beaten egg white, 1 tsp. water and 1/4 tsp. sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until buns are golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush top with butter .

Do ahead notes: Bake ahead and freeze. To reheat, thaw out at room temperature. Wrap in foil and place in warm oven for 1 hour, or slightly higher temperature for a shorter time.
Comments: This and other buns are great for picnic or lunch baskets. It turns brown bagging into a gourmet's delight.


Plum Sauce Chicken Buns makes 2 dz.
Dough:
1 recipe of basic bun dough
Filling:
1/2 to 2 cups diced chicken breast
Plum Sauce Chicken Buns
marinade:
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sherry
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
l/4 cup diced, cooked carrot
1/4 cup diced green pepper
l/4 cup diced sweet mixed ginger
Sauce mixture:
3 tbsp plum sauce
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp catsup
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tbs. oil
Mix meat with marinade for 1/2 hour or more.Stir fry in 1 tbs. oil till almost done.Add vegetables,stir fry 1 minute more.Add sauce mixture.Stir until thickened,mix well and chill.
Wrapping: Divide filling into 24 portions. Divide dough into 24 balls. Slightly flatten each ball then rollout into 4-inch discs, leaving the center of the disc twice as thick as the side. Place 1 portion of the filling in the center of the dough. Gather up the sides around the filling and twist dough to seal. Place on a 2 inch square piece of wax paper, twist side down. Put the wrapped buns at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and allow the buns to rise in a draft-free place (the oven) for another hour.
Baking: Preheat oven at 350. Brush buns with a mixture of beaten egg white, 1 tsp. water and V4 tsp. sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until buns are golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush top with butter .

Do ahead notes: Bake ahead and freeze. To reheat, thaw out at room temperature. Wrap in foil and place in warm oven for 1 hour, or slightly higher temperature for a shorter time.


Steamed Barbecued Pork Buns
Yield: 2 doz

Dough: 1 recipe of bun dough

1/2 cup dehydrated onion flakes
4 Cups
finely diced bbq pork
Sauce mixture:
2 tsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp sherry
4 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp catsup
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cup chicken stock

To make filling: Soak onion flakes in a cup enough water to cover flakes. Mix sauce in a sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat until sauce thickens. Stir in the diced pork and onion flakes.Chill 3-4 hours.
Wrapping: Divide filling into 24 portions. Divide dough into 24 balls. Slightly flatten each ball then rollout into 4-inch discs, leaving the center of the disc twice as thick as the side. Place 1 portion of the filling in the center of the dough. Gather up the sides around the filling and twist dough to seal. Place on a 2 inch square piece of wax paper, twist side down. Put the wrapped buns at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and allow the buns to rise in a draft-free place (the oven) for another hour.
Steaming: Steam for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let the steam subside before lifting the cover.
Baking: Cha Siu Bow can also be baked, Preheat oven at 350, Set buns 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Brush with a mixture of 1 beaten egg white; 1 tsp. water and 1/4 tsp, sugar, Bake for 20-25 mmutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.
Do ahead notes: Cook and freeze. Reheat by steaming if steam-cooked originally. Steam frozen buns for 1/2 hour to reheat, If baked, thaw and wrap buns in foil or cover pan with foil and reheat in slow oven for 1/2 hour .
In a pinch, you may use frozen bread dough as a substitute. However, frozen dough works best when baked. It does not steam well.

Enter supporting content here