Thursday 31 March 2016

Steamed Mushroom Pork Bun 蒸香菇猪肉包


Yesterday, I went to a supermart and stood in front of a freezer admiring a packet of shabu shabu sliced pork with well distributed fat pattern. What dishes that can I made out of these? I hesitated whether to bring this home, as it was a hefty 600g pack.

Finally, I decided to bring that home , and made it into 8 yummy steamed mushroom pork buns, and a huge portion of teriyaki pork which lasted us for two meals ^^


Yield: 8 x 6cm diameter buns

Minced Pork Filling
Ingredients
180g shabu shabu sliced pork
1 tbsp shiitake mushroom, diced 
1 tbsp green scallion, cut
1 tsp coriander, chopped, optional

1 tbsp white scallion, cut
1/4 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp garlic, finely chopped


Condiment ingredients
2 tsp fine sugar
1 tsp low salt light soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoning powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp rice wine
1/4 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp corn starch
25g water

Direction
1. Heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot at medium low heat. Add in ginger and garlic, stir-fry till fragrant.

Stir in the white scallion till fragrant.


Add in 2 tsp sugar, then add in the light and dark soya sauce. Wait till the sugar and soya sauce start to bubble, add the rest of the condiments, except the cornstarch and water.


When the mixture thickens into gravy,

transfer the gravy to a bowl and allow it  to cool down before adding to the sliced pork. Set aside.

2. Add sliced pork, shiitake mushroonnnh, green scallion, and coriander, into a mixing bowl.


After the gravy has cooled down, pour onto the sliced pork, together with cornstarch water (mix 2 tsp corn starch with 20g water).  


and stir in one direction till the ingredients become sticky


3. Cover with a food wrap and store in a fridge till needed.
Transfer out of the fridge when you start to prepare the dough.

Sweet Bun Dough
The Sponge
Ingredients
40g HongKong flour 包粉/香港低筋面粉
1/2 tsp instant dry yeast 即发干酵母
35g water 水

Direction
1. Mix flour and instant dry yeast in a mixing bowl.

2. Slowly add in 35g of water, stir in one direction till it forms into a paste.


3. Cover and let the dough proof for 50 minutes. 


The Dough 
Ingredients 
Sponge from above
125g Hongkong flour 包粉/香港低筋面粉
25g confectioner's sugar 糖粉
1/2 tsp double acting baking powder 双重发粉
Pinch of salt 盐
10g rice bran/corn oil 米糠油/玉米油
35~45g water, add as required 水,水量自酌


Direction
1. Mix HongKong flour, confectioner's sugar, salt and double acting baking powder by using a hand whisk.

2. Pour the remaining ingredients, except the water, into the mixture in (1).


3. Slowly add in the water and stir at the same time, till you get all the ingredients into a big lump.
Leaving behind about 10g of water to be added depending on the consistency of the dough.
Avoid adding too much water to the dough, to help the buns keep its shape after steaming.

4. Transfer the dough onto a floured work top and knead into an elastic and smooth dough.




5. Roll the dough into a long rope, and divide into 8 portions, each about 34g. Roll into balls, coated with flour, and place in a mixing bowl.




6. Roll out the dough into a flat dough skin with the edge thinner than the center.
First, flatten the dough with your palm,

While one hand holding and pulling,  the other hand operates the rolling pin.

Slowly stretch the dough into a flat dough with the centre thicker than the edge.

Flip the dough skin over, so the smoother side will be facing out when wrap.


Scoop about a tbsp of minced meat paste onto the center of the dough skin. Wrap up and pinch to seal. Place the finished dough onto a piece of paper.







7. Proof the buns for 20 minutes before steaming. Start the 20-minute countdown when you complete shaping the first bun.


8. Start boiling water when you complete the 4th bun. When the water boils, steam the buns for 7 minutes under medium high flame.




Turn down flame to medium and stream for 2 minutes. Next, open the lid slightly for 1 minute.


Finally, tburn off the flame, and let the buns stay in the steamer for 5 minutes.


9. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack.



You can also keep the warm buns in a rice cooker.


10. Serve warm :)




I cooked the remaining sliced pork into teriyaki pork :)


Tuesday 29 March 2016

Pink Marble Sweet Bun 火龙果牛奶面包



Added a little red dragon fruit purée to the sweet milk bun recipe to create a pink swirling pattern to the sweet and soft bread. I was happy to see the red pigment stayed the same at the end of the baking process.
I recently learned that the tiny seeds of the red dragon fruit contain the omega-3 fatty acid which is beneficial to the heart health. Maybe I should try a whole bread loaf of red dragon fruit next round 😁



Bread weight: 450g

Bread dough
Ingredients 
120g cold whole milk 冷全脂牛奶 
20g condensed milk 炼乳
35g fine sugar 细糖
20g beaten egg 蛋液
1/4 tsp salt 盐
30g cold unsalted butter 冷无盐奶油

180g bread flour 高筋面粉

20g top/cake flour 低筋面粉
3/4 tsp instant dry yeast 即发干酵母


30g red dragon fruit
30g bread flour

Some flour for sprinkling on bread top
些许面粉撒做表面装饰

Direction
1. Rinse and mash red dragon fruit into paste.


Mix with bread flour, seal with cling wrap, and set aside.


2. Pour cold whole/fresh milk and condensed milk into the bread pan.




3. Add in beaten egg.


4. Add in sugar, salt and cold butter.





5. Pour in bread flour and top/cake flour.




6. Dig a hole and pour in the instant dry yeast.


7. Place the bread pan into the bread machine.


8. Select "8" Dough Kneading function; and press "Start".


9. When the dough kneading pause at 20 minutes, take out about 2/5 of the dough, and keep the other 3/5 in the bread pan.

Mix the 2/5 portion with the red dragon fruit dough from (1).

Knead into a smooth dough and place in a greased bowl, cover with cling wrap.


Let both doughs proof till the end of the kneading program.

When the program ends, allow the doughs to proof for another 20 minutes.




9. Turn out the red dough onto a floured surface. Flatten it with your palm to release the trapped air.


10. Roll out the dough into a flat rectangular sheet. Dust with flour and set aside.


11. Repeat the step for the white dough.



12. Spray some water over the white dough. Stack the red dough on top of the white dough. 


Roll with a rolling pin to a join both doughs.

Roll up the dough starting from the shorter end. Cut the dough into 9 equal portions.





12. Coat the dough ball with some flour and roll it within your hand into a round ball. Place into the lined baking tin.





13. Spray some water and let the dough proof in a closed oven for about 40 minutes, or when the dough balls  touching each other.





14. Remove the dough from the oven. Start to preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.


15. Use a sieve to sprinkle some bread flour over the top of the dough.





16. When the dough is in the oven, lower the temperature to 160 degree and bake for 10 minutes; further reduce the temperature to 150 degree Celsius and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or till the top slightly brown.


Reduce temperature to 150 degree Celsius and bake for another 10 minutes.


End of baking :)



17. Transfer the bread out of the oven and lift out from the tin onto a cooling rack Immediately.

18. Enjoy :)