Char Siu Bao Manapua As Made By Zhe Recipe By Tasty Recipes

CHAR SIU BAO RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan or wok, sauté the onion for 1 to 2 minutes until soft and transparent. Add the diced chicken breast meat and sauté until the chicken is cooked.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Stir and cook until the gravy thickens.
• Transfer to a plate and let it cool.
• Dissolve the dry yeast in water.
• Add 200g of pao flour and icing sugar. Mix well and cover for an hour.
• Add the ingredients under the title 'Other ingredients of the dough' into the starter mixture and knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cover the dough with a piece of damp cloth and let it proves for 30 minutes, or until the size has doubled.
• Divide the dough into 50g portions. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Flatten the dough with a rolling pin to form a circle of 8-10 cm in diameter. Place 30g of filling in the middle, wrap and pleat the dough to seal. Place it on a 1.5 inches (4cm) square baking paper, sealed side up. Rest for 15 minutes before steaming.
• Place the Char Siu Pao in a steamer, leave about 2-3 cm gap in between each Char Siu Pao. Steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 8 minutes.
• Remove the Char Siu Pao immediately from the steamer and cool them on a rack to prevent the bottom of the Char Siu Pao from becoming soggy.

CHAR SIU BAO (MANAPUA) AS MADE BY ZHE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the bao dough: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil and ⅓ cup warm water and stir to combine. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, mixing constantly. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
• Make the char siu filling: Dice the onion and chop the char sui into ½-inch pieces.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the char siu sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
• In a medium nonstick pan, sauté the onion over medium-low heat until translucent, 1 minute. Add the chopped char siu, sauce, and water. Stir to combine, then simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 minutes. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until cool.
• After rising, punch the dough down and knead until it is back to its original size. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 5 48-gram balls. Flatten and roll out each portion, making sure the middle is thick while the sides are thin. Hold a dough round in the palm of your hand and add 36 grams of the char siu filling to the center. Use your other hand to pinch the edges of the dough together up and over the filling while rotating the bao in your hand.
• Place each bao on a small square of parchment paper. Set in a steamer basket, cover, and let rise for about 15 minutes, until slightly puffed, before steaming.
• Fill the bottom of a steamer or double boiler with water and bring to a boil. Add the steamer basket with the bao, cover, and steam for 15 minutes, then turn off the flame and let rest in the steamer for 5 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

MANAPUA - CHAR SIU BAO

Steps:

• Add hoisin, oyster sauce, and green onions to the chopped char siu.
• Dissolve sugar in 1-2 tablespoon of hot water. Mix into char siu filling mixture.
• You can also add more hoisin or oyster sauce to taste.\
• Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and mix in 1 cup of flour. Cover with cloth. Let rise 1 hour, until bubbles appear.
• Dissolve sugar and vegetable oil in 1/2 cup boiling water. Cool until lukewarm. Pour into the yeast mixture and add the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour.
• Knead dough on lightly floured board until smooth (10 minutes). Put 2 tsp. of sesame seed oil into an extra large bowl and place dough inside. Roll dough around in bowl to lightly cover it with the sesame seed oil. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place. Let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Divide into 2 portions. Remove first portion and knead 2 minutes. Repeat with second. Roll each into roll 14 - 16 inches long and cut into 8-9 pieces.
• Shape each cut piece into round balls. Flatten each piece into 4 inch circles, leaving more dough in the center and using your fingers to push the dough out at the edges.
• Take a heaping tablespoon of the char siu mixture and place into the middle of each dough circle. Bring up the edges of the circle to encase the filling and pinch close.
• Place each bun onto a square piece of 2″ x 2″ parchment paper. Dip your fingers into the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil and lightly rub the top and sides of the buns. Place these onto a sheet and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm area and let the buns rise for about 30 - 45 minutes.
• Place buns into a steamer and steam for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove buns and place on a rack to cool. Serve warm.
• If storing, let buns completely cool and place in the refrigerator in an air tight container. Keep up to 3 days.
• To reheat, cover with a damp paper towel and place into the microwave for up to 1 minute or until warmed through.
• If freezing, place buns into a plastic bag to store. Re-steam for 10 minutes.

CLASSIC MANAPUA (STEAMED BUNS HAWAIIAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over 3 tablespoons lukewarm water and allow to stand until yeast softens.
• To remaining water, add oil or shortening, sugar and salt, stirring until melted or dissolved. Cool. Add yeast mixture.
• Place flour in a large mixing bowl or a heavy-duty mixer and add most of the liquid. Combine until flour incorporates liquid and starts to become a ball.
• Add remaining liquid to make a very heavy dough.
• Begin kneading the dough in the bowl. Continue kneading until you have a smooth ball that is beginning to show signs of long strands on the outside, indicating that the gluten has fully developed.
• Remove dough from bowl and rinse out bowl. Pour sesame oil into bowl, return dough and turn it around until covered with a thin layer of the oil.
• Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until double in bulk (about an hour in a warm room).
• Place the dough in the refrigerator and allow it to rise (3-6 hours). Punch it down again and allow it to rise again (3 hours).
• Proceed with the filling while the dough is rising. In a saute pan, stir cornstarch, hoisin sauce, dry sherry, oyster sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and brown sugar into the 1 cup water until dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add char siu and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool completely. Chill covered until 1 hour before you are ready to stuff the manapua. Allow to return to room temperature before using.
• When ready to cook, cut 12 (3-inch) squares of waxed paper and coat 1 side with very light coat of nonstick cooking spray.
• Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each into a ball.
• Make the dough as thin as you can and try to keep the edges thinner than the center.
• Place the circle of dough in the palm of your hand. Spoon in a couple of tablespoons of filling, cupping the dough around it.
• With the thumb and finger of the other hand, pinch the edges of the dough as if you were making a fluted edging on a pie crust. Pinch the folds together, twisting them as you do so.
• Place the completed manapua on a square of greased waxed paper. Allow to plump up into a globe with a taut exterior.
• Heat a steamer with plenty of water or preheat an oven at 350 degrees F.
• If using steamer, fill steamer with manapua on their papers about 1 to 2 inches apart. Cover and steam vigorously for 15 minutes. Remove steamer from heat, let stand 5 minutes, then open. If using a metal steamer, place a folded tea towel across top of steamer, holding it in position with the lid. This will prevent steam from dropping onto manapua while steaming.
• If baking, place manapua on their papers on a baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Brush top of buns with a little vegetable oil and bake 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand 1 minutes. Serve hot.
• Manapua can be frozen. Frozen bau may be reheated by wrapping with a paper towel and microwaving for 1 minute.