Momofuku Steamed Buns Food

MOMOFUKU STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• 1. Combine yeast & water in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add flour, sugar, milk powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, & fat and mix on the lowest speed possible for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should gather together into a neat, not-too-tacky ball on the hook. When it does, oil a medium mixing bowl, put the dough in it, & cover the bowl with a dry kitchen towel. Put in a turned-off oven with a pilot light or other warmish place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 15 min. 2. Punch dough down and turn out onto a clean surface. Using a bench scraper or a knife, divide dough in half, then divide each half into 5 equal pieces. Gently roll the pieces into logs, then cut each log into 5 pieces, making 50 pieces total. They should be about the size of a ping pong ball and weigh about 25 grams, or a smidge under an oz. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover dough balls with draped plastic wrap & allow to rest &rise for 30 min. 3. Meanwhile cut out fifty 4" squares of parchment paper. Coat a chopstick with fat. 4. Flatten one ball with palm of your hand, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 4-inch-long oval. Lay the greased chopstick across the middle of the oval and fold the oval over onto itself to form the bun shape. Withdraw the chopstick, leaving the bun folded, & put bun onto a square of parchment paper. Stick it back under the plastic wrap & form the rest of the buns. Let the buns rest for 30 to 45 minutes: they will rise a little. 5. Set up a steamer on the stove. Working in batches so you don't crowd the steamer, steam the buns on the parchment squares for 10 minutes. Remove parchment. You can use buns immediately (reheat them for a minute or so in the steamer if necessary) or allow to cool completely, then seal in plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to a few months. Reheat frozen buns in a stovetop steamer for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy, soft and warmed all the way through.

STEAMED BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, caster sugar and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl (see tip). Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of sugar in 1 tbsp warm water, then add it to the flour with the milk, sunflower oil, rice vinegar and 200ml water. Mix into a dough, adding a little extra water if needed.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins, or until smooth. Put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
• Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and punch it down. Flatten the dough with your hands, then sprinkle over the baking powder and knead for 5 mins.
• Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape, about 3cm thick, then cut into pieces that are about 3cm wide - you should have 18. In the palm of your hand, roll each piece of dough into a ball and leave to rest for 2-3 mins.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball, one by one, into an oval shape about 3-4mm thick. Rub the surface of the dough ovals with oil and brush a little oil over a chopstick. Place the oiled chopstick in the centre of each oval. Fold the dough over the chopstick, then slowly pull out the chopstick.
• Cut 18 squares of baking parchment and put a bun on each. Transfer to a baking tray, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hr 30 mins, or until doubled in size.
• Heat a large steamer over a medium-high heat. Steam the buns for 8 mins until puffed up (you'll need to do this in batches). Prise open each bun and fill with our barbecue pork and pickled carrot & mooli. Eat while they're still warm.