Shanghai Pan-Fried Pork Buns with Crisp Bottoms

What you need

• 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp for the dough, 1 tsp for the filling
• 165 ml (2/3 cup) warm water, for the dough
• 300 g (10 oz) ground pork, about 20% fat
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) chicken stock, cold
• 4 stalks scallions, finely chopped; half for the filling, half for the garnish
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tbsp per batch
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 tbsp per batch
• 240 ml (1 cup) water, for steaming, 120 ml per batch
• 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, for dipping

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Mix the flour, yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar in a large bowl. Add the dough water and stir until a shaggy dough forms.

2. 2

   Knead for 8-10 min, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rise until nearly doubled, 50-60 min.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, mix the pork with the wine, soy sauce, the remaining 1 tsp sugar, salt, white pepper, ginger and sesame oil.

4. 4

   Stir with chopsticks in one direction for 1 min, until the meat turns sticky.

5. 5

   Add the stock 1 tbsp at a time, stirring in the same direction until each spoonful is absorbed. The filling should be loose, glossy and slightly wet.

6. 6

   Fold in half of the scallions and chill the filling for 20 min.

7. 7

   Press the risen dough flat to push out the air and roll it into a rope about 3 cm (1 in) thick. Cut it into 18 pieces of about 25 g each and keep them covered.

8. 8

   Flatten each piece into a round about 9 cm (3 1/2 in) wide, thinner at the edge than in the center.

9. 9

   Put a heaped tbsp of filling in the center of a round. Pleat the edge in small folds all the way around, then pinch the pleats shut at the top.

10. 10

    Set the buns on a tray, pleats down, and rest them for 15 min, until slightly puffy.

11. 11

    Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 30 cm (12 in) nonstick pan with a lid over medium heat. Set 9 buns in, pleats down and 2 cm apart. Fry for 2-3 min, until the bottoms are golden.

12. 12

    Pour in 120 ml of the water around the buns, cover at once and cook over medium-high heat for 7-8 min, until the water has boiled away and the pan sizzles.

13. 13

    Uncover, scatter over 1 tbsp of the sesame seeds and half of the remaining scallions, and cook 1 min more to crisp the bottoms. A bun cut open should be cooked through, with no pink inside.

14. 14

    Slide the buns out with a spatula and serve crisp side down with the vinegar for dipping. Wipe out the pan and cook the second batch the same way.

Imported from homenaturallymade.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.