Chinese Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)

Ingredients

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 250 ml warm water
• 5 g instant yeast
• 30 g sugar
• 400 g ground pork
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp white pepper

Steps

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and yeast. Gradually add warm water and knead until a smooth, non-sticky dough forms.
2. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
3. While the dough rises, combine the ground pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ginger, scallions, salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Stir in one direction until the mixture becomes slightly tacky.
4. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.
5. Flatten each ball into a disc about 4 inches wide, making the edges thinner than the center.
6. Place a generous tablespoon of the pork filling in the center. Pleat the edges together to seal the bun at the top.
7. Place each bun on a small square of parchment paper inside a steamer basket. Cover and let them rest for 20 minutes.
8. Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the buns sit for 5 minutes before opening the lid to prevent them from collapsing.