gua bao

Taiwanese Bao Buns

milk (see note) (2⁄3 cup + 1 tbsp)

g sugar (1 tbsp + 2 tsp)

instant yeast

vegetable oil

300 g all purpose flour (2 1⁄4 cup)

Mix milk, sugar, yeast and oil in a mixing bowl, add half of the flour in and stir with a spatula until well combined.

Add in the rest of the flour, mix and knead until there's no dry flour and a rough ball can be formed.  If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 2 tbsp. of water. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Knead the dough again until the surface of the dough is smooth, about 2 minutes.  The dough should be very easy to knead after resting.

Making dough

Divide the dough into 8 -10 portions, cover with greased plastic warp and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Form each portion into balls by tucking the edge to the center, and place the seam side down (see the gif in the post), cover and rest for another 5 minutes.

Take one portion out, roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a long oval.

Flip it over to the back side, roll it several times to form an oval with a length to width ratio of about 2:1.  Use your hand to gently shape it at the edges if needed.

Brush the surface with a layer of oil before folding into half and place it on a piece of parchment paper.

Repeat for the remaining portion and place the buns in a steamer.  Remember to leave at least half an inch of space between the buns as they will grow bigger after cooking.  Whatever can't fit into the steamer should be left at room temperature, covered with a greased plastic wrap.

Cover the steamer with its lid and place a damp kitchen towel on top of it.  Let it proof in a warm place until it's slightly puffy and springs back to the touch, about 50 minutes.

Form the bun

Place the steamer on top of a pot with 1⁄2" to 1" of water and turn the heat to medium. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 12 minutes.

Remove the steamer from the pot right away and let it sit for 3 minutes before removing the lid.  Refill the pot with water before cooking the remaining buns.

Cooking

If you are not eating the buns right away, reheat them before enjoying for the best taste.

Leftover buns can be stored in a freezer for up to one month.

Storing

Melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly balanced with fresh cilantro and crisp pickled carrots and daikon, all nestled in a fluffy bao bun!

Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Bao with Pickled Carrots and Daikon)

pork

tbsp sugar

soy sauce

tbsp dark soy sauce (optional)

tbsp Shoaxing wine (or rice cooking wine)

water (or until almost covers the meat.)

star anise (optional)

bay leaf (optional)

cinnamon stick (optional)

scallion

oz carrots (or 1½ cup shredded carrots)

oz daikon radish

salt

tbsp honey (can be replaced with sugar)

tbsp rice vinegar

boa buns (homemade

peanuts

tbsp powdered sugar (or more to taste)

cilantro

Taiwanese sweet chili sauce (optional)

Heat a Dutch oven (I use a 4qt one) over medium heat and lightly brown both sides of the pork belly. Do it in 2 - 3 batches.  Scoop out the oil rendered from the pork if you want to save it for other uses.

Put all the meat back into the pot and then add sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and Shoaxing wine, and let it boil for a few seconds before adding water.

Add spices (if using) and scallion in the pot, cover and bring it to a boil.

Turn the heat down to medium low to low, and maintain a gentle boil for 1.5 hours.  Reposition and turn the meat 1 to 2 times so they can cooked evenly.

After it&#039;s done cooking, turn off the heat and let it sit for another 30 minutes with the lid on.  You can also let it sit overnight in the fridge once it cools completely.

After 30 minutes (or before serving), turn the heat to medium or medium high and cook uncovered until the liquid becomes sticky and able to coat the meat.  During cooking, reposition and turn the meat a few times to ensure even cooking.

Make Braised Pork Belly

Peel and julienne carrots and daikon. You will get about 3 cups total between the julienned carrots and daikon.

Place carrots and daikon in a big bowl and toss it with salt.  Let it sit for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, rinse and drain the carrots and daikon, and then add sugar, honey and rice vinegar.  Toss until you can&#039;t feel the sugar with your hands.

You can serve the pickles right away, but it will taste better if you let it sit for 30 minutes in room temperature before serving.

Put the pickle in a glass container and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Make Picked Carrots and Daikon

Freeze the roasted peanuts for 15 minutes before processing.  This is optional, but it will help prevent oil from coming out due to temperature increase from processing.

Place the roasted peanuts in a blender, pulse until it becomes coarse powder.  Scrape the blender a few times in between pulses.

Pour the peanut powder into a small bowl and mix with powdered sugar.  Taste and see if you want to add more sugar.

Peanut Powder Mix

Steam the bao buns and cover it with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Open the pocket of the bao bun and stuff with a small handful of cilantro, a piece of pork belly, some of the peanut sugar mix (and sweet chili sauce if desire), and some pickled carrots and daikon and enjoy!

Assemble Gua Bao

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