Chinese Steamed Meat Bun /生肉包 + How To Pleat A Bun

This steamed bun is made with raw meat filling as its name suggested. Of course, the filling would be cooked after steamed. Check out another version of steamed meat bun, made with cooked filling. If you ask me which one I prefer, both of them have different flavour and I like them all. However, the one made with cooked filling has my childhood memories associated with it and it contains additional "taste" to me.

My boy was trying to hijack my model! Sometimes my model or props gone missing in the middle of photo shooting.

Chinese Steamed Meat Bun /生肉包

Ingredients (makes 12 buns):

Dough

5g instant dry yeast
180ml lukewarm water
½ tsp white vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
400g low-protein flour (7-8% protein) or Hong Kong flour
80g icing sugar
20g shortening or vegetable oil
10g baking powder

Fillings:
3 hard-boiled eggs

A
300g chicken thigh, cut into bite size
1 cm ginger, minced
1-2 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
½ tbsp oyster sauce
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp corn starch

B
200gm minced pork
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 tsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fried shallot

½ tsp garlic powder or finely chopped garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp salt or to taste
¼ tsp ground white pepper
½ tbsp corn starch

Methods:

Fillings:

1. Divide each egg into 4 wedges.
2. Marinate the filling A and B separately, set aside for about 30 minutes.

Buns:

1. Sift together the flour, icing sugar and baking powder. Place the sifted flour mixture in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
2. Fill the well with lukewarm water and yeast. Use a spatula, gently stir the water to dissolve the yeast then slowly bring together flour mixture.
3. Add in shortening or oil and knead for 10-15 minutes until soft dough is formed. It should be smooth on the surface.
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes or until it is doubled in size. I used bread maker’s dough mode to prepare my dough up to this step.
5. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and flatten with a rolling pin to make a 3” circle. Then place 1 heap tablespoon of minced pork filling, 1 piece of chicken and 1 wedges of egg in the middle of circle. Wrap and pleat the dough to seal (refer to photo appended below).
6. Place the bun on a 1.5” square parchment paper, seal side up. Cover with a damp cloth, set aside for 15-20 minutes.
7. Arrange the buns in a steamer, leave about 1” gab in between buns. Spray water mist over buns, and steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 12-15 minutes.
8. Cool the steamed buns on rack to prevent soggy bottom.
   

Notes:

1. Steamer must be preheated otherwise bun would not rise to the volume as it should be.
2. Spray the surface of buns with water mist helps to produce buns with smooth surface after steamed.
3. DO NOT open the lid during the steaming process.
4. If there are yellowish spots on the steamed buns, it means the baking powder is not fully dissolved.

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Awhile ago, a reader asked about the wrapping technique in creating beautiful pleating. This afternoon I managed to get T to snap some photos when I was making these buns, what a nice timing! Let's let those photos do the talking... If you prefer more pleats, make smaller pleats.