Bao Dough

Soft, lightly sweetened steamed bun dough, proofed slowly and steamed until pillowy and tender.

Bao Dough:

• 240g water warmed to 95℉
• 6g active yeast
• 380g Bread flour 
• 80g Corn starch
• 70g Granulated sugar 
• 12g Fine sea salt
• 28g Pork fat or Butter, softened

Dough:

1. Mix yeast into warmed water. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, add the bread flour, cornstarch, sugar, and sea salt. Whisk together at first to incorporate all ingredients then add yeast and water mixture in the bowl gradually.
3. If needed or too dry, add 1 tbsp of water but not too much. Add butter or pork fat.
4. Mix 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and looks cohesive, gently shape dough into a ball. In a greased bowl, put inside, damp towel, let rise for 1.5 hrs or 2.5 times its size.

Shaping:

1. Shape dough into a long log, 18” long. Ideally you would get 12 - 14 pieces of dough.
2. Roll over the cut side. Do an 8 turn roll by rolling an eighth of the dough, turning it, then rolling it again, leaving a thick center and a thin outside leaving a little bubble in the center for the filling. When rolled out with a rolling pin, the dough should be 4 - 5 inches in diameter.
3. Add enough filling so that there is a half inch border around the whole bao.
4. Pleat by pinching the dough then pressing it on the pinched edge repeatedly until the bao closes.
5. Cut 3.5” squares of parch paper. Put them below the bao so that they do not stick in steamer basket while cooking.
6. Steamer basket setup: 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Place steamer basket on top of the pot of boiling water without having the basket touch the water for 12 mins. (Do not remove the lid before 12 minutes.)

Credit to Joshua Weissman