#72_SIOPAO or STEAMED BUNS

SIOPAO or STEAMED BUN

With pork adobo fillings

Siopao is Chinese steam buns usually filled with meats, either chicken or pork. It is a very popular snack in the Philippines paired with halo-halo.

As usual I made the dough in the bread machine

Dough Recipe:

1-1/2 cups warm water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp. salt

4 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp. yeast

Put all the ingredients in the bread machine pan with the water at the bottom of pan. Place the dry ingredients on top. Turn the machine on dough cycle. This will take 30 minutes for the whole cycle to stir and knead the dough. When the cycle is finished turn off the machine and leave the dough in the bread machine to rise until doubled in bulk.

Take out dough and divide it into 20-24 pieces.

Roll out each piece into about 6 inches discs, should be thinner around the edges. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on the center of dough. Gather the edges, using the N-S and E-W or the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock and 9 o'clock-3 o'clock fashion. Meaning, take the 2 opposite sides and pinch them together, then the other 2 sides together, then gather the rest of the sides, pinching them altogether to seal well.

( to prevent the dough from drying out, cover the rest with plastic wrap while working on each piece of dough).

SIOPAO READY FOR STEAMING

Oil the bottom of the filled dough before placing them on a piece of paper. You can use 2 1/2 square inch wax paper or parchment paper or just simply use muffin liners. Place the filled siopao smooth side up on the papers.

Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes, before putting them in the steamer to steam.


Don't forget to place a clean kitchen towel over the steamer before putting the lid on so the water from the vapor will not drip on the buns.

Steam the siopao for 20 minutes.

STEAMED SIOPAO

For fillings you can add a sliced boiled egg, a piece of bacon, some mushrooms, etc.


The beauty of making your own siopao at home
is you can customized the fillings,
not always the asado style which
is very common with the commercial siopao.


OPPPPSIES!!


On my first batch of siopao, I forgot to place kitcken towel over the steamer. Now I got some wrinkled siopao!

If you prefer asado for fillings, here is the recipe from my sister in NZ. I never used it as I always used pork or chicken adobo for the fillings. She also gave me the recipe of the dough which I've been using.

For Asado Filling:

2 lb. pork, cut up

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

ground pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

2 pieces star anise

5 tbsp. cornstarch plus enough water to dissolve it

1) In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the onions until translucent

2) Add the meat and continue to saute until it is no longer pink

3) Add the soy sauce and the star anise. Continue to saute until the meat runs clear juice

4) Add the water and simmer until meat is tender. Season with pepper

5) Add the cornstarch dissolved in water. Stir until well until thickened.

6) Discard the star anise seeds before filling the siopao.