Char Siew Pau

Char Siew Pau is a type of Chinese bun among the many many different types of Chinese buns that you'll find in a "Yum Cha" eatery. It is probably the most symbolic food for "Yum Cha" eateries. Char Siew Pau is filled with BBQ pork & sweet charsiew sauce. It is placed in a steamer to cook it & to keep it warm. Patrons are very particular that the food is still steaming hot when it is consumed. It is quite challenging to make them at home but if you want to give it a go, here's the recipe:

Ingredients
starter dough
300g pau (or superfine) flour
1/2 teaspoon instant dried yeast
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
150-160ml water from rinsing
100g rice

dough A
300g Hong Kong flour
60g starter dough
150-160ml water
oil to grease bowl

dough B
500g dough A
100g sugar
150g Hong Kong flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
20g vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon ammonia (chow fun)
25-30ml water

charsiew sauce
110ml oil
4 shallots, sliced thickly
1 Bombay onion, sliced thickly
30g ginger, sliced
4 sprigs spring onion, cut into 10cm lengths
40g smooth peanut butter
40g fermented soy bean paste (tau cheo)
150g sugar
40g oyster sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
300ml water
40g tapioca flour
40g chestnut flour
25g cornflour
75ml water
50-100ml oil

filling
500g pork charsiew, diced
300g charsiew sauce
20g coriander, chopped
20g sesame seeds, toasted

Method
To make starter dough: Mix all the ingredients into a dough and leave
at room temperature for 24 hours, covered with a piece of cloth. It should become foamy and smell tangy and yeasty.
If the starter dough is not going to be used within the next 24 hours, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. To use, remove from the refrigerator 5 hours ahead.

To make dough A: Make a well in the middle of the Hong Kong flour and add in the starter dough. Pour in some water and mix in a circular motion, adding water bit by bit. Knead until smooth. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl; turn dough so that the oiled surface is facing upwards. Wrap bowl with cling film and keep in a cool place for 10 hours.

To make dough B: Place the dough and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed for 1 minute, or until sugar is dissolved and the dough is smooth. Tip in half the Hong Kong flour and half the baking powder. Mix well. Add shortening and ammonia. Mix for 10 seconds and add the remaining flour and baking powder. Add water and mix until smooth. Set aside, covered. Allow to rest for 1 hour before use.

To prepare sauce: Heat the oil in
a wok and add the shallots, onion,
ginger and spring onions. Fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant and golden. Turn off the heat and strain the oil.
Return the oil to the wok. Over medium heat, stir-fry with the peanut butter and fermented soy bean paste. Add the combined sugar, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and pour in the tapioca, chestnut and corn flours followed by the water. Keep stirring continuously, as the mixture will thicken very fast. Stir for about 2 minutes until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and seal top with a layer of oil. Leave to cool overnight.

To make filling: Mix all ingredients together.

To assemble: Roll out the dough to resemble a sausage. Cut into nuggets of 20-30g each. Flatten lightly with your palm. Hold the flattened dough with your thumb and index finger and roll out the dough with a dim sum rolling pin until it forms a circle about 5cm in diameter.
Scoop 1 heaped tablespoon (about 30g) of the filling onto the middle of a dough circle and pinch the edges together. Place the pau on a small square piece of parch

With so many ingredients & steps involved, I'll be starved before it is ready to serve. So I'll just heaad out to a "Yum Cha" eatery whenever I crave it. One of the better ones in Sydney is Kam Fook which has a few outlets throughout Sydney. I usually go to Kam Fook in Westfield Chatswood.

TBY