Bao, Noodles, Steam buns & Dim Sum Class
We hope you loved your cookery class. You’ll find your recipes below, ready to bring to life and enjoy all over again.
Steamed Bao Bun Dough
This recipe makes eight buns
Serves: people
Ingredients
- 260 g Plain flour plus extra for dusting
- 5 g Caster sugar 1 tsp
- ½ tsp Fast action dried yeast
- 25 ml Milk
- ½ tbsp Vegetable oil plus extra for brushing
- ½ tbsp Black vinegar Or Rice wine vinegar
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- 100 ml Water warm
- ½ tsp Sea salt
Method
- Combine the plain flour, caster sugar and sea salt in a large bowl.
- Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of caster sugar in 1 tbsp warm water.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour along with the milk, sunflower oil, rice vinegar and remaining warm water.
- Mix into a dough, adding a little extra water if needed.
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10–15 minutes until smooth.
- Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Tip the dough onto a clean surface and knock back gently.
- Sprinkle over the baking powder and knead for 5 minutes until fully incorporated.
- Roll the dough into a long sausage shape around 3 cm thick, then cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and leave to rest for 2–3 minutes.
- Roll each ball into an oval roughly 3–4 mm thick.
- Lightly brush the surface with sunflower oil. Place a lightly oiled chopstick across the centre, fold the dough over, then carefully remove the chopstick.
- Place each bun onto a square of baking parchment.
- Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hour 30 minutes until doubled in size.
- Steam over a medium-high heat for 8 minutes until puffed and cooked through.
- Fill and serve warm.
Sticky Pork - Char Sui Style
We have developed a recipe to quickly make this delicious sticky pork with a Char Sui marinade. Using slices of pork belly cuts down the cooking time.
Serves: People
Ingredients
- 240 g Pork Loin Steaks 2
For the Marinade
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Honey plus extra to basting/glazing
- 3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 2 clove Garlic mashed or grated
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce light
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine Chinese wine
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil for cooking
Method
- Put all the marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix together.
- Slice the pork into long strips and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Put the pork into a cold pan and bring up the heat; this prevents the fat from burning. Know as a cold-sear method.
- Drain the fat and cook until sticky and pork is coated, takes about 10 mins.
- In the final 5 minutes, brush with honey and a splash of water to get a sticky, glossy finish.
- Serve with rice or stir-fried vegetables.
Citrus Slaw
Serves: People
Ingredients
- 1 Lime or lemon zest and juice
- 1 tsp Caster sugar
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 5 g Fresh Coriander 1 tbsp, chopped
- ¼ Red cabbage shredded
- ¼ White cabbage or Chinese leaf shredded
- 1 Carrot grated
- 1 Banana Shallot sliced
- 1 Green chillies sliced
- 1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise optional
- Sea salt To taste
Method
- Whisk the lime/lemon zest, juice, sugar, olive oil, and optional mayo in a bowl to create the dressing. Combine the shredded red cabbage, white cabbage, grated carrot, sliced shallot, chilli, and chopped coriander in a large bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing, seasoning with salt to taste
Homemade Noodles
Serves: people
Ingredients
- 150 g Strong white bread flour
- ⅛ tsp Sea salt
- 75 ml Water
Method
- Add the bread flour and sea salt to a mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Gradually add the water in two stages, mixing continuously until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead for 10 minutes in the mixer or 15 minutes by hand until the dough becomes firm and elastic.
- Cover with an overturned bowl or cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead briefly again to remove any air bubbles, then cut the dough in half.
- On a floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a thin sheet roughly 2 mm thick.
- Dust generously with flour on both sides.
- Fold the dough into layers, then slice into noodles using a sharp knife.
- Separate the noodles gently with your hands and toss lightly in flour to prevent sticking.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 1–3 minutes depending on thickness.
- Drain and serve immediately in soup or with sauce.
Vietnamese Lime Caramel Sauce
Serves: people
Ingredients
- 40 g Palm sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
- 200 ml Coconut milk
- 1½ tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 Banana shallot finely sliced
- White pepper pinch to taste
Optional Garnishes
- 1 Spring onion sliced
- 1 Red chilli finely sliced
- 5 g Fresh Coriander 1 tbsp chopped
- 1 Lime zest and juice
Method
- Add the palm sugar and water to a pan over a medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar dissolves and begins to bubble into a light caramel.
- Add the coconut milk, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, banana shallot and white pepper.
- Stir well and simmer gently until slightly thickened.
- Toss cooked noodles and vegetables through the sauce until evenly coated and warmed through.
- Finish with spring onion, red chilli, fresh coriander and lime zest and juice if using.
Hoisin Chicken Filling for Steamed Buns
Makes 5 steam buns for one person
Serves: People
Ingredients
- 100 g Chicken mince
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 Onion or banana shallot, diced
- 1 Spring onion sliced
- 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp Hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp Granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cornflour
Method
- Preheat the wok or a cast-iron pan until it starts to smoke lightly. Add in sunflower oil, along with the minced ginger and diced onion. Cook over medium heat until the onions soften. Add in the ground pork and turn up the heat, stirring to break up any large chunks. Cook until all the pork turns pale and opaque–there is no need to brown or crisp the meat.
- Add wine, dark soy sauce, hoisin, sugar and sesame oil. With the heat on high, stir everything together until well-combined. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Cook for a couple of more minutes to cook off any remaining liquid. Stir in the cornflour and water mixture, allowing everything to bubble together for 30 seconds to a minute. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool uncovered. After the filling has cooled, mix in the chopped spring onions.
Steam Buns - Assembling & Cooking
Method
Prepare & Fill the Dough
- Cut some parchment paper into 3” (7 cm) squares to hold the buns.
- Punch the air out of the dough. Transfer it onto a lightly oiled working surface. Knead a few times to make the dough into a round ball. Divide the dough into 10 even pieces. Each piece of dough should weigh 30 grams. Use your hands to roll and shape the dough pieces into dough balls.
- Flatten the dough ball using your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a round disc that is thick in the middle and thin on the edges, about 2.5 to 3” (6 to 7 cm) in diameter. Carefully remove it from the surface and place it onto your palm.
- Place about a tablespoon of filling (custard or chicken) in the centre of the wrapper. Press the filling into the dough to release any air bubbles inside. Use your other hand to gather the wrapper onto the top of the filling. The dough sheet will start to form pleats and retain its round shape.
- Once done, place the buns onto one of the cut parchment squares, pleated-side down, then place it on a plate. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Repeat the process to wrap the rest of the buns.
- Set a stopwatch (or timer) after wrapping the first bun to keep track of the resting time. You need to rest the buns for 20 to 30 minutes before steaming.
Steaming
- Depending on the size of your steamer, you might need to steam the buns in batches. What I usually do is prepare the steamer after wrapping half of the buns, so some of them are ready to be cooked as you work on the rest.
- Cover and let steam for 10 minutes. Once done, remove the steamer rack and place it onto a trivet. Uncover the steamer rack carefully. Let the steam out and then transfer the buns onto a serving plate. Let the buns cool for 5 minutes before eating.
- Cook the rest of the buns and serve
- Steamed buns taste best when they are still warm, but you can serve them at room temperature, as well.
Pan Fried Wor Tip Dumpling
For a vega/vegetarian option use shiitake and or straw mushrooms
Serves: Portions
Ingredients
- 100 g Pork mince or 120g of shiitake and or straw mushrooms
- 40 g Chinese leaf or white cabbage finely shredded
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp Granulated sugar to taste
- 1/2 tsp Sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp MSG or chicken stock powder
- 1/2 Spring onion finely sliced
- 1/4 tsp Fresh ginger grated
- 5 Dumpling wrappers
- Water in bowl - to seal
Method
- Shred the Chinese leaf very finely, mix with a pinch of salt and let it sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Combine the pork, squeezed Chinese leaf, and all other ingredients in a bowl. Mix vigorously in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky
Assemble
- Place a small amount of filling (about 1–2 teaspoons) in the center of each wrapper. Wet the edge with water and fold/pleat to seal
Choose your Cooking Method
Steamed Method
- Place non-stick materials such as cabbage leaves or baking paper in a steamer and place the dumpling on it. Make sure the dumplings are not touching each other. Put the lid on. Place the steamer over a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 6-12 minutes on medium-low heat.
- When cooked the dumpling should look slightly translucent Serve immediately.
Pan Fried Potsticker Method
- In a well-heated pan, add some cooking oil. Place your dumplings and cook over medium-high heat until the bottom of the gyoza is golden brown (2 to 3 mins). Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low. Add the water (1/4 cup) and put the lid on to cook with the steam.
- This will ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked without burning. Your gyoza should be ready to eat when most of the water disappears from the pan (about 5 mins).
We hope you enjoyed the class!
If you have any feedback about the class or questions for chef get in touch. Email: lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk
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