Tessa inspired me to try making my own baozi again. I’ve tried once before, but wasn’t very successful. I decided to follow the recipe Tessa’s version was based on, written by Ellen. Both blogs are written in Dutch by the way.
I made tiny tweaks to Ellen’s recipe. Instead of 18, I made 16 slightly larger baozi.
- Ingredients for the dough – 16 baozi:
- 175 gr lukewarm water
- 7 gr dried yeast (1 sachet)
- 1 Tbs sugar
- 2 Tbs flavorless oil (I use sunflower oil)
- 375 gr baozi flour or all purpose flour (I use all purpose flour)
- Ingredients for the filling:
- 400 gr minced chicken
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbs soy sauce
- 2 Tbs oyster sauce
- 2 Tbs honey
- 1 ts Chinese five spice powder
- 1 Tbs mirin (Japanese rice wine)
Like Ellen, I’ve used mirin. But you can use Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry. Shaoxing is more traditional with the rest of the ingredients.
Dissolve the yeast into the lukewarm water. Add the sugar and flavorless oil.
Mix the yeast mixture into the flour with a fork, until all the moisture has been incorporated. Knead for several minutes into a smooth dough. The dough is ready when it gently springs back after pressing a finger into it. Shape into a ball and leave it to proof for an hour in a covered bowl. I use a large bowl covered with a plastic bag.
On with the filling. Pan fry the minced chicken loose in a bit of oil, making sure you break the meat into small pieces. This will make it easier to stuff the baozi. Cook the onion, garlic and green onion along with the chicken until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow most of the moisture to evaporate. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool.
Cut parchment paper into 2.5 inch squares. These will prevent the baozi from sticking to the steamer.
Knead the dough briefly to knock back the air. Divide into 16 equal parts and shape into balls.
Roll these into thin discs. You could use a little flour to prevent them sticking, but for me it wasn’t necessary.
I made the edges even thinner by squeezing thumb and forefinger along the edge. The thin edge makes sure the top doesn’t get too thick.
Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the dough, keeping about an inch free from the edge. The filling can be slightly heaped.
You can bring the edges together and bunch them up. Or you can use the technique I used. It’s hard to explain in words. This Youtube video demonstrates it perfectly at 2m14s: http://youtu.be/XZgwo0UHYlw?t=2m14s. I still need a lot of practice!
Place the baozi on a piece of parchment and let them rest for about 20 minutes. I covered them losely with plastic wrap.
Steam the baozi for 20 minutes in a bamboo steamer or an electric steamer. I used a 2 tier electric steamer in which I steamed about 8 baozi at a time.
Keep enough room between the baozi, because they do expand and tend to stick.
Let them cool slightly and serve on their own or with a bit of chili sauce.
Can be frozen when completely cooled and can be reheated in a steamer or microwave.
This time they were a success! I used less 5 spice powder than the original recipe. I advise you to always taste and adjust to your own palate.
Thanks Ellen for the recipe! I’ll be making baozi more often. For my next experiment I plan on using sliced pork belly for the filling.
