Siopao Steamed Buns Recipes

SIOPAO BOLA-BOLA (STEAMED PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour in milk and water and mix several times just to moisten the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening and mix until a dough forms.
• Tip the dough into a flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Usually takes about 10-12 minutes by hand or 8-10 with mixer.
• Rest the dough for 20-30 minutes or until it has risen to just almost double the original size. (Meanwhile, prepare the filling)
• Turn it to a lightly floured surface and roll into a log. Divide into two. Return half back to the bowl and place in the fridge. This will slow down the rising.
• Divide the other half into 5 equal parts. Fold each piece to its center several times until no longer puffy and sooth before forming it into a ball.
• Add all the ingredients for the bola-bola (meatball) in a bowl, except for the salted eggs and Chinese sausage. Mix until well combined.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for a few minutes or until the dough is ready.
• Cut a piece of salted egg into half and then each half into quarters giving you 8 in total each egg. You can also just cut a piece into 4 if desired. Set aside.
• Cut the Chinese sausage into pieces about half-inch thick. Set aside.
• Take a piece of a dough ball and flatten it, using your palm and a rolling pin, into about 4-5 inch circle leaving a small bulge in the middle.
• Scoop a tablespoon of filling and place it in the middle. Add a portion of salted egg and sausage on top of the filling. Gather the ends towards the middle from one side until you reach the other end closing the filling in. Pinch and twist to seal the ends together o top. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Before steaming, put a piece of parchment or wax paper at the bottom of each bun. Place the buns in the steamer leaving at least an each apart as they will rise and spread while steaming. Steam for 15 minutes at low heat.

SIOPAO (FILIPINO STEAMED DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in the water; stir in the sugar and beat in 2 1/2 cups of rice flour to make a soft sponge. Set aside in a warm place to double in bulk, about 40 minutes. Mix in 2 more cups of rice flour and 1/4 cup of shortening and place the dough on a greased work surface; knead in the remaining 1/4 cup of shortening to make a smooth dough. Cut the dough into 15 equal-sized pieces; form each piece into a ball.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the onion and garlic in the hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, green onion, salt, and pepper. If the mixture is juicy, add cornstarch to thicken.
• Working on a lightly greased work surface, flatten a dough ball into a circle about 4 inches in diameter with the heel of your hand. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the dough ball, bring the edges of the dough together at the top, and pinch and twist to seal in the filling. Place each filled dumpling onto waxed paper with the pinched seal at the bottom while you finish the rest of the dumplings.
• Spray a multi-layered bamboo steamer with cooking spray, place the steamer on top of a large saucepan, and pour in water to several inches below the steamer. Bring the water to a boil.
• Working in several batches, place 3 or 4 filled buns into each steamer layer without letting the buns touch each other or the edge of the steamer, cover the steamer, and let the buns steam over medium-low heat until puffy and the dough is springy, about 15 minutes per batch. Serve warm.

SIOPAO (STEAMED BUNS)

Steps:

• Special equipment: baking scale.
• For the filling:
• Add some oil to a large sauce pan, and sear the pork shoulder in batches. When seared, remove the pork from the pan and reserve. Sweat the onions and garlic in the same pan. Then add the soy sauce, five-spice powder and bay leaves, then return the pork shoulder to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook low and slow until the pork is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• When the meat is ready, add the cornstarch to thicken the pork mixture. Allow the mixture to cool.
• For the dough:
• Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and baking powder in a large bowl. Add 18 ounces (2 1/4 cups) cold water and the cream to the dry ingredients. Knead the mixture until it becomes a dough. Portion the dough into 2-ounce balls, then flatten and fill each ball with 1 ounce of the pork filling and a quarter of an egg. Then roll into a bun and proof the siopao for about 1 hour.
• Steam the buns and serve.

SIOPAO (FILIPINO STEAMED BUNS)

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Add water and 1/4 cup oil; mix into a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, at least 10 minutes. Dust with extra flour if necessary.
• Warm up the oven for 1 minute. Turn oven off.
• Oil a large bowl; place dough inside and cover with cheesecloth. Place in the warmed oven until size has doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough. Keep in the oven until risen, at least 15 minutes more. Knead dough onto a flat work surface and divide into 12 golf-sized balls. Roll out each ball and fill with choice of filling (see footnote for my chicken and pork filling). Gather and twist the edges together to secure the filling.
• Place each siopao on a 3x3-inch piece of wax paper.
• Place siopao in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.