JAGGERY SUGAR STEAMED PAUS

Just trying to cut down the use of refined white sugar and switching to using jaggery sugar in my cooking and baking.  This is the first attempt using gula merah to make steamed baos.  

The pau dough is pliable, easy to handle and pleat.  It is a good pau skin dough which can be used to wrap any sweet pau filling of your choice.

These paus turned out well with a natural sugar colour.  The pau texture is good - soft, moist and fluffy.  It can be eaten plain but here I used the AKK mungbean paste as filling which is less sweet.  I have also tried using jaggery sugar for the mungbean paste and the sweetness is just nice for me and should be alright for my mum who is a diabetic.  Hope she can enjoy these paus without 'control'.

Ingredients

[makes 20-24 paus]

500 gm pau flour

1/2 tbsp double action baking powder

1/2 tbsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp salt

100 gm jaggery sugar [gula merah]

250 - 280 ml water

1 tbsp vegetable shortening

1. Bring water and sugar to boil in a sauce pan until sugar dissolve. Strain and set aside to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except shortening.  Gradually, add in cooled syrup and knead until dough is soft, add in shortening.  If dough is too dry, add a little plain water.
3. Continue to knead until soft, smooth and pliable.  Dust hands with flour, shape dough into a round ball.  Cover and leave in mixing bowl to rest for 20 minutes.
4. Punch down dough to release the trapped air.  Divide into 20-24 equal portions and shape into round balls.
5. Flatten each ball into circle to wrap any sweet or savoury pau filling of your choice.  Pleat into pau shape and place on parchment paper or flatten paper cases.
6. Place paus in a steaming tray, cover to proof for 30 - 40 minutes.
7. Bring water to boil in a steamer, steam paus over high heat for 12 minutes.  Off heat.
8. Remove paus to cool on rack or serve immediately.