Steamed Char Siu Bao

Before you start

• Mix the starter dough and leave it to ferment overnight.

  In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the room-temperature water. Add 150g of cake flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out and knead for 2 minutes until cohesive. Place in a tall container, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours until it develops a distinct alcoholic, sour aroma.

• Sauté the aromatics to build the base flavor for the filling.

  In a small saucepan, heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Fry the minced shallot and ginger slices until fragrant and the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Discard the ginger.

• Simmer the sauce liquids and thicken them into a highly gelatinized paste.

  Add the chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, hoisin, and granulated sugar to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch, 1 tbsp wheat starch, and 3 tbsp cold water into a slurry, then pour it into the simmering broth. Stir vigorously over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until it forms a glossy, deep brown, highly viscous paste.

• Fold the diced pork into the hot paste and chill until firmly set.

  Remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil, and immediately fold in the diced char siu until evenly coated. Transfer to a container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate overnight until it becomes a firm jelly.

Ingredients

• cake flour150 g
• water100 g
• active dry yeast1/2 tsp
• peanut oil1 tbsp
• shallot1 small
• fresh ginger2 slices
• chicken stock150 g
• oyster sauce2 tbsp
• light soy sauce1 tbsp
• dark soy sauce1/2 tbsp
• hoisin sauce1 tbsp
• granulated sugar3 tbsp
• toasted sesame oil1 tsp
• cornstarch2 1/2 tbsp
• wheat starch1 tbsp
• cold water3 tbsp
• char siu1/2 lb
• superfine sugar100 g
• lye water1/4 tsp
• baker's ammonia2 g
• baking powder8 g
• cake flour120 g
• wheat starch30 g
• lard20 g
• white vinegar3 tbsp

Method

1. 01

   Neutralize the fermented starter with sugar and alkaline water.

   Place the fermented starter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the superfine sugar and lye water. Knead on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar literally melts into the dough, turning the solid starter into a wet, sticky batter.

2. 02

   Incorporate the chemical leaveners.

   Add the dissolved baker's ammonia to the wet dough mixture and mix for 30 seconds to distribute evenly.

3. 03

   Add the remaining dry ingredients and fat to form the final dough.

   Sift the remaining 120g cake flour, 30g wheat starch, and baking powder directly into the bowl. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then add the room-temperature lard. Knead on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough transforms into a smooth, incredibly soft, and slightly tacky mass.

4. 04

   Rest the dough briefly to relax the gluten without over-fermenting.

   Form the dough into a smooth ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for exactly 20 to 30 minutes in a warm spot. Do not let it double in size; over-proofing exhausts the leavening power needed for the final crack.

5. 05

   Divide the dough and press it into thick wrappers.

   Punch down the dough to expel any large gas bubbles, roll it into a log, and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball and press it with the heel of your hand into a 4-inch disc, leaving the center slightly thicker than the edges to provide structural integrity.

6. 06

   Fill the wrappers with the jellied pork and pinch them lightly closed.

   Scoop a generous tablespoon of the chilled, jellied char siu filling into the center of the wrapper. Gather the edges and pull them up over the filling, pinching the opposite sides together to form a pouch. Do not seal it tightly into a knot; it must be weak enough to naturally yield and tear open.

7. 07

   Prepare a violent, rolling steam bath spiked with white vinegar.

   Fill a wok with 2 to 3 inches of water, add the white vinegar, and place a bamboo steamer ring inside. Bring the water to a violent, rolling boil over high heat.

8. 08

   Steam the buns aggressively without lifting the lid.

   Place 3 or 4 buns onto parchment squares in a bamboo steamer basket, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Carefully place the basket into the wok, secure the lid, and steam on maximum heat for exactly 12 minutes. Dropping the pressure will cause the buns to collapse.

9. 09

   Allow the pressure to equalize before serving.

   Turn off the heat and wait exactly 60 seconds before opening the lid away from you. The acidic steam will have bleached the buns snowy white, and the baker's ammonia will have violently torn the tops open into beautiful, three-petaled laughing mouths.

Notes

• The necessity of baker's ammonia.

  This highly specialized chemical leavener provides the explosive lift required to literally tear the bun's surface open during steaming. Its pungent odor completely evaporates during the violent steaming process. If substituted with double-acting baking powder, the buns will be fluffy but will not laugh open.

• The Hong Kong vinegar trick.

  A closely guarded teahouse secret is adding white vinegar to the steaming water. The acidic steam envelops the bun, neutralizing the alkaline dough and actively bleaching the exterior to a pristine, teahouse white.

• Pacing your brunch.

  To serve these simultaneously with har gow and siu mai, mix the final dough three hours before serving, shape them two hours out, and steam them in the final moments. They can withstand sitting at room temperature because the chemical leaveners react primarily to heat, not just time.