Secret Black Texture

Do you have the 'Best 'chinese 'bao' recipe? (DOUGH recipe for steam buns))?

I have tried using plain flour as well as self raising flour but it's still not as good as the ones I have tasted in restaurants (usually find them in yumcha/dimsum). These were not very hard, the texture was kind of fluffy and light; just right. I wonder what the secret ingredients are? I know some of the recipes require 'ammonia', which I tend to stay away from. You can usually smell them if they use 'ammonia'. Not sure why this is added though. A type of preservatice may be. anyway, I am looking for a recipe which has NO AMMNONIA and is light and fluffy. The fillings range can be savoury (chicken, BBQ pork and vegetarian) 0r sweet (red bean, black bean, custard etc)

Thanks in advance

okay,here are some recipes..

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons oil
1 scallion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1/2 pound barbecued pork cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or chicken stock

PREPARATION:
1.Follow Basic Bun recipe through step 3 (preparing the dough and letting it rest).

2.Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Stir fry scallion and garlic 30 seconds.

3.Add pork. Stir fry 1 minute. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.

4.Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir fry quickly until pork is glazed. Remove to bowl and allow to cool.

5.On a floured board, knead dough 1 minute and roll into one long, sausage-like roll 2 inches in diameter.

6.Slice the roll crosswise into 1 inch pieces.

7.Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand and roll with rolling pin into 3 inch rounds.

8.Place 2 tablespoons of filling in center of each round.

9.Gather dough up around the filling by pleating along the edges.

10.Bring the pleats up and twist securely and firmly.

11.Place each bun on 2 inch square of aluminum foil on steamer tray. Cover with a towel. Let rise 1 hour, until dough springs back when touched with finger. Remove towel.

12.Steam over briskly boiling water 10 minutes.

13.May be prepared in advance. May be frozen. Thaw out in plastic bag and resteam 10 minutes.
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumbuns/r/charsiubao.htm

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound finely chopped pork
1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Directions:

Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1 3/4 cups 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 large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons shortening and the yeast mixture; mix well. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover it with a sheet of cling wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has tripled in bulk. Cut the pork into 2 inch thick strips. Use fork to prick it all over. Marinate for 5 hours in a mixture made with 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce. Grill the pork until cooked and charred. Cut roasted port into 1/2 inch cubes. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix cornstarch with 2 1/2 tablespoons water; add to the saucepan, and stir until thickened. Mix in 2 tablespoons lard or shortening, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cool, and mix in the roasted pork. 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 24 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 10 minutes. Steam buns for 12 minutes. Serve.

Note: Hoisin sauce, also called Peking sauce, is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chile peppers and various spices. It can be found in Asian markets and many large supermarkets. Look in the Asian or ethnic section.

This recipe for Chinese Pork Buns (Cha Siu Bao) serves/makes 24.
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/45/Chinese_Pork_Buns_Cha_Siu_Bao49024.shtml

Chuuka Manjuu, Japanese-style Chinese steamed buns

The dough:

6 cups of all-purpose flour (if you can find bleached flour, which we can't here in Switzerland, the buns will be whiter than white like they are at that store on Pacific Avenue)
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup boiling water
1 cup warm whole milk
2 Tbs vegetable shortening or lard
1 tsp. baking powder
Parchment paper
Cut up the parchment paper into 24 squares about 10 cm / 3 inches square.

Proof the yeast in a bowl or cup in the 1/4 cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar added, until foamy.

In a large bowl, put in 5 cups of the flour. Make a well in the center, and add the hot water and mix rapidly. (Hot water seems to bring out the sweetness in flour.) Add the sugar and yeast/water mixture, baking powder, warm milk, and the shortening or lard. Mix well. Add the rest of the flour little by little until you have a workable dough. Knead for a few minutes on a floured board until it's soft and pliable. (This dough is one of the easiest you'll ever encounter.)

Put into a large plastic zip bag and seal. Leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, or has filled up the bag until it looks ready to burst. (About 45 minutes).

Take out the dough and roll into one long sausage. Cut the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and let rest for a bit.

To fill the buns, flatten each ball so that the middle is slightly thicker than the edges. Put about a tablespoon or so of filling in the middle. Gather up the edges and pinch them firmly together to seal, then turn the bun over and place on a square of parchment paper. Let the buns rise for 15-20 minutes before steaming.

Steam in a steamer for 20 minutes. Eat while piping hot. I like to dip mine just slightly in soy sauce mixed with mustard sauce (the kind made straight from dry mustard powder, like the little packets you get at a Chinese take away).

The pork filling:

400g / a bit less than 1 lb of char siu (Chinese-style roast pork, recipe follows)
1 cup finely chopped green onions
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup of canned bamboo shoots (optional)
2 tsp. dark roasted sesame oil
1 piece of fresh ginger, chopped finely
3 Tbs soy sauce, or the defatted roasting liquid from the char siu
1 Tbs flour
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water until soft. Cut off the hard stems and slice thinly.

Cube the pork, or chop it up finely.

Mix the flour and cornstarch with the water.

In a pan heat the sesame oil and toss in all the ingredients except the flour/cornstarch water. Sauté briefly, then add the flour/cornstarch water. Cook until it's a bit syrupy.

Let cool and use to fill the buns.

Yakibuta, or Japanese-style Chinese Roast Pork (char siu)

A pork roast that is at least 1 kg (about 2 lbs). It should not be too fatty, but should not be totally lean or it may be rather dry.
Soy sauce
1 fat piece of ginger
1 star anise
3-4 garlic cloves
Sugar
Water
If you have a big piece of pork, cut it into about 500g (1/2 pound) pieces. Roughly chop the ginger - you can leave the skin on - and bash the garlic to crush a bit.

Put the pork pieces in a sturdy plastic bag. You may want to double-bag it. Put in the pork, ginger, star anise and garlic, and fill with enough soy sauce to cover the pork. Seal the bag well and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Turn the meat several times if you can so that the marinade penetrates evenly.

Preheat the oven to 140° C / 280° F. Empty out the contents of the bag into a baking dish. Add a bit of water so that the meat is sitting in about 1cm of liquid. Sprinkle the meat with sugar, and bake for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, turning the meat every 20-30 minutes. If you want it even sweeter, sprinkle more sugar on the meat periodically. At the end, the liquid will be almost gone and syrupy, and you will have dark amber colored pieces of pork. Let cool and slice thin, cube, etc. You can use cubes in fried rice, or in the steamed buns of course, and any number of things. Sliced thin it makes a great salad. It's also a rather unusual tasting sandwich meat.

It is quite worthwhile to make this in some quantity, since the cooking takes so long, and to freeze in portions for later use.
http://maki.typepad.com/justhungry/2004/04/steamed_buns_wi.html

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound finely chopped pork
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1.Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1 3/4 cups 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 large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons shortening and the yeast mixture; mix well.

2.Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover it with a sheet of cling wrap.

3.Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has tripled in bulk.

4.Cut the pork into 2 inch thick strips. Use fork to prick it all over. Marinate for 5 hours in a mixture made with 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce. Grill the pork until cooked and charred. Cut roasted port into 1/2 inch cubes.

5.Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix cornstarch with 2 1/2 tablespoons water; add to the saucepan, and stir until thickened. Mix in 2 tablespoons lard or shortening, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cool, and mix in the roasted pork.

6.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 24 pieces.

7.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 10 minutes.

8.Steam buns for 12 minutes. Serve.
http://bread.allrecipes.com/AZ/ChinesePorkBuns.asp

Xiao long tong bao
ingredients
11 oz Pork loin with some fat,-chopped or ground coarse
2 ts Soy sauce
1 tb Sesame oil
2 tb Scallion greens, chopped
1 1/2 ts Ginger root, chopped fine
6 tb Water
1/4 c Stiff aspic-(jellied stock)
1/4 Recipe basic yeast dough

Mix first 8 ingredients. Divide into 24 portions. Cut aspic into 24 portions. Knead dough 5 min; roll out into a thin baguette; cut into 24 pieces. Flatten each piece into a 2" round; then go around with your fingers and squeeze the edges thin - the result should be a medium-thin center and a thin outside. Put 1 portion (1/2 oz) filling in the center of each round; top with 1 portion of aspic. Bring up the sides of each round and twist up in a decorative pattern, making sure to seal the top. If holes appear, patch them at once!

Put each dumpling on a square of waxed paper or a piece of bok choy leaf and steam, preferably in a bamboo steamer, for 8 min. Serve hot.
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/asia/chinese/xiao-long-tang-bao1.html

barbecue pork bao
Ingredients:-
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped Barbecued pork (see Appetizers & Cold Dishes)
2 tablespoons oysters sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth (see Soups)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115°)
1 egg white
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Mix cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.

Heat wok until very hot. Add vegetable oil; tilt wok to coat sides. Add Barbecued Pork; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in oyster sauce. Stir in broth; heat to boiling. Stir cornstarch mixture into pork mixture. Cook and stir about 10 seconds or until thickened. Cover and refrigerate.

Scald milk in 1-quart saucepan. Stir in sugar, shortening and salt until shortening is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons water. Stir yeast and egg white into milk mixture. Pour milk mixture over 3 1/4 cups of the flour in medium bowl; stir until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead about 4 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

Punch down dough; divide into 20 pieces. Roll or pat each piece into 3 1/2-inch circle. Place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in center of circle. Bring edge up around filling; twist to seal. Place on 3-inch square of waxed paper. Repeat with remaining circles. Cover; let rise in warm place 30 minutes. Place 5 or 6 bao 1/2 inch apart on heatproof plate on rack in steamer; cover and steam over boiling water 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining bao. (Add boiling water if necessary.) Remove waxed paper squares immediately.

Makes 20 bao.

**Serve these filled yeast rolls for breakfast or lunch as well as for appetizers, or for an after-school snack as they do in China. Bao are convenient for picnics too, because they can be wrapped in foil and "steamed" over a grill or even an open fire. You can make, cover and refrigerate them up to 2 days ahead, or freeze as long as 2 months. Steam refrigerated bao 5 minutes, frozen bao for 30.
http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/chinese/Barbecued_Pork_Bao.html

Seeking Advice for chinese steamed buns
http://www.alacuisine.org/alacuisine/2004/08/seeking_advice_.html

Currently Available on eBay

And a selection of products from Amazon

Secret person - Dark Funky