Cha Siu Bao Sweet Barbecue Pork Buns

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Cha siu bao are a traditional chinese dish and one of my fiancee's favorites - she introduced me to them. Bao is the chinese word for bun; cha siu describes the filling. I had several recipes, none of which turned out perfectly; this is a composite of 2 recipes, and i think i've got it. These are somewhat time-consuming to make, but are well worth it on special occasions. Prep time includes time for the bao to rise.

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Steps

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You can use my recipe for char siu or make it with a mix- both powdered and liquid mixes are available at asian food stores.

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I like the noh brand , personally.

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Chop the char siu and mushrooms finely.

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Combine the water and cornstarch and stir into the char siu and mushrooms.

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Add salt , soy sauce , sesame oil , hoisin sauce , and sugar , and add enough food coloring to color the mixture a bright red.

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Heat the oil and lightly cook the garlic , then add the rest of the filling mixture and cook until thick.

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To make the bao dough , dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water and let stand for 5 minutes.

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Combine water with salt , milk and oil.

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Stir in flour.

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Knead 5-10 minutes or until dough is smooth.

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Divide dough into 8 even balls.

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Press a cavity into each ball , and spread the ball into a 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 inch thick cup.

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Fill the cup with 1 / 8 of the filling mixture , and press the edges closed to seal the bao.

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Cut waxed paper in 4-5 inch squares and place each bao on a piece o.

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Ingredients

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char siu pork, mushrooms, water, cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, sugar, red food coloring, canola oil, garlic cloves, yeast, milk, oil, flour