Nikuman - Japanese steamed buns

Step 1

Put the pork, onion and ginger into a large bowl. Add the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix the ingredients together with two forks until well incorporated and the meat becomes sticky and forms a mass.

Step 2

Remove the dough from the fridge and gently knead on a lightly floured surface to form a smooth ball. Divide the dough into the number of balls you’d like to make by cutting the round first into halves, then quarters and further till you have the number of pieces required. Form each piece of dough into a ball and set them aside, loosely covered.

Step 3

Portion out the meat mixture, using a teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on what size you want to make. Take a ball of dough and flatten it between your hands. Then using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circle about 1/2 - 1 cm thick. Using your fingers, pinch the edges of the dough to make them thinner. Place one portion of meat in the center of the dough and wrap it by bringing the dough up around the meat to the top, forming little pleats with the excess dough, then slightly twisting the dough to close it and pinching it firmly to join it.

Step 4

Put the bun on a small square of parchment or wax paper or in silicone cupcake cases. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough and meat till you use them up.

Step 5

Put some water in the base of a steamer (bamboo steamers are great), along with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar (optional) - apparently, the vinegar will create whiter-looking buns.

Step 6

Preheat the steamer on high heat until it starts steaming. Place the buns on their squares of parchment/wax paper in the steamer and cover then steam for 15 minutes on high heat.

Step 7

Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes before serving. Accompany with some plum jam or dipping sauce.

Step 8

The buns keep extremely well in the fridge for a few days and freeze well too. Pack them in zip lock bags. To reheat, microwave or steam again for a couple of minutes.

Step 9

In a large bowl (which has a lid), put the warm water, and crush the fresh yeast or active dry yeast - combine. If using fresh yeast, you need not set aside anytime to ‘prove’, if using active dry, set it aside for a few minutes till bubbly.

Step 10

Then add the whisked egg, butter chunks and sugar. Sprinkle the salt over the top and add the flour, cup by cup till incorporated using a dough whisk or a wooden spoon. Set aside, loosely covered on the counter for a couple of hours till risen. Use immediately or set in the fridge overnight to ‘improve’.

Step 11

If following the overnight method, use a pastry brush to lightly oil the top of the dough and the top of the lid before refrigerating.