Bao Bun Recipe

Are you missing your favourite Asian fusion restaurant whilst in lockdown? Don't worry I've been feeling the same! One of my all-time favourite things to order at an Asian fusion restaurant is the bao buns! Bao buns are so soft and fluffy and are usually filled with such yummy flavours they are hard to pass up. This lockdown I decided to make my own, because why not? It was surprisingly a lot easier than I thought it would be and was just as tasty as restaurant-quality bao buns. I filled my bao buns with fried cauliflower with a sticky sesame sauce but you can honestly do whatever you are craving! Enough talking I know your mouth is watering let's get cooking.

Ingredients:

• 200 g Plain Flour

• 100 ml Water

• 10 g White Sugar

• 3 g Instant Yeast

• 5 ml Vegetable Oil

Method:

1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. When it's a dough consistency, transfer it onto your bench and knead for 10min or until it's a smooth dough. Make sure to keep covering it in flour to stop it from sticking.
   

2. Flatten it with a rolling pin into a rectangle, and press out any air bubbles.

3. Flatten the dough into a large rectangle that is about 1 cm -1.5 cm thick.

4. Using a circle cutter, mug, or cap of a mason jar, press out large circle pieces. Remove the scraps and save them and roll it out again to make more.
   

5. Flip the dough upside down so the smoother side is on the bottom. Place a rolling pin in the middle of the circle and press down gently, roll it up to elongate the dough, do the same to the bottom.
   

6. Smear a thin layer of oil, fold the dough in half without pressing down.

7. Place it on a piece of baking paper and let it proof for 40min

8. Steam for 7-12min depending on how big it is. If you poke the dough and it springs back, it's done. I also put mine in the oven to give it a bit more of a crunch on the outer shell but of course, you don't have to do this, it is just how we like our bao buns!

What bao bun filling is your favourite? Give these a go and let me know what you think! they were so yum and made my entire family feel like we were out at a fancy restaurant. Enjoy!