Siopao

To read about the drama at finding this siopao recipe, please read my travel and adventure blog "Cat's Walks".

Starter Dough:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
160 ml water

Main Dough:

starter dough
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp milk
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup bun flour or cake flour (as long as it is low gluten flour)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Filling 1:

500 g pork cut into shreds
2 tbsps cooking oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsps oyster sauce
2 tbps soy sauce
1/4 cup water
pepper to taste
2 tbps sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into 4

Filling 2:

500g ground pork
1 tsp ginger powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsps flour
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into 4

Dough:
1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water water. Wait until frothy (about 10 minutes, if it doesn't then throw it away and start again). Add all purpose flour. Mix. Keep overnight in the refrigerator. It should double in volume. This will be the starter dough.
2. Take the starter dough from the refrigerator then wait until it's in room temperature.
3. Add milk, baking powder, sugar and vegetable oil into the starter dough then mix well.
4. Add flour gradually by kneading. Add flour until dough is not sticky anymore this can be between 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup of flour. You can also use the hook of your mixer.
5. Shape dough into a log.
6. Let dough rest for about 5-10 minutes.
7. Divide into 6 pieces for big siopao or 8 for small siopao
8. Flatten, then put filling in the middle.
9. Steam immediately (15-20 minutes).

Filling 1:
1. Saute pork in garlic and onion until pork is cooked.
2. In another bowl mix, oyster sauce, soy sauce, pepper, water, sugar, and cornstarch.
3. Add into pork. Cook until sauce is thick.
4. Put in the middle of dough with a slice of egg.

Filling 2:
1. Add all ingredients together except egg, mix well. (Tip: I usually fry a small part of the filling to check if my seasonings are alright).
2. Shape into balls (make sure the size fits your dough).
3. Put in the middle of dough with a slice of egg.

If you prefer the siopao to be really white then just use bun flour. Here in Zurich I buy the bun flour from the Asian store. We don't have cake flour in the supermarket so I have no choice.

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