水煎包 - Pan-fried Stuffed Buns

Of all pastry snacks, pan-fried buns are a specialty popular in Shanghai with the most distinctive local flavor. Unlike other buns, filled or unfilled, pan-fried buns are oily and have a lot of fillings. Chopped green onion and sesame are sprinkled on the buns during the frying process. When ready, the aroma is drifting in the air and the buns taste hot and fresh.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 125 g ground chicken, pork, or beef
2. .
3. For the sauce:
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5. 8 g Light soya sauce
6. 2.5 g Sugar
7. 1.5 g Salt
8. 1 g Chicken powder
9. 5 g Jiafan rice wine
10. 15 g Spring onion, chopped
11. 3 g Ginger, minced
12. 1 tbsp Cold water
13. .
14. For the bun:
15. ===========
16. 250 g All-purpose flour
17. 125 ml Warm water
18. 2.5g Active dry yeast
19. 2.5g Baking powder
20. 1 tsp Sugar
21. .
22. For cooking:
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24. 1 tbsp Oil
25. 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
26. 1 stalk Chopped spring onion
27. ¼ cup Water

Directions

1. Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt, chicken powder, rice wine, spring onion and ginger to the minced pork and stir. Add 1 tablespoons of cold water into the mixture and stir in one direction till you feel the sense of elasticity. Set aside.
2. Dissolve sugar in the warm water, and then add the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until mixture is frothy. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing pan. Stir in the yeast mixture, mix well. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover it with a wet towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.
3. Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a long roll, and divide it into 12 pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of the hand to form a thin circle. The center of the circle should be thicker than the edge. Place one portion of the pork filling in the center of each dough circle. Wrap the dough to enclose the filling. Pinch edges to form the bun. Let the buns stand for 30 minutes.
4. Add the cooking oil to the frying pan and heat till the oil is 180C/355F hot. Place the buns in and fry till little bubbles are seen on the skin and the skin turns yellow in color. Pour in the water and spread some sesame seeds and spring onion on top and cover and cook for another 2 minutes.

Notes