STEAMED PAUS-HAND KNEAD PAU SKIN DOUGH

In this post, I am sharing a very basic hand knead steamed pau skin dough recipe.  It is a recipe using the basic pau ingredients that is easy to prepare.  The kneaded dough is smooth, soft and pliable, good for pleating and shaping.

The steamed pau skin is soft, smooth, fluffy, spongy  and chewy.  This is a good pau skin dough recipe that you can be use to wrap sweet or savoury fillings. 

My opinion is for paus with sweet fillings, use less sugar [10 gm is acceptable] but for savoury filling, add more sugar [30-40 gm] so that the sweetness blends well with the savoury taste of the filling.

Ingredients Pau Skin Dough
[makes about 10 paus]
300 gm pau flour

1 tsp [about 3 gm] instant yeast

10 gm sugar [for paus with sweet filling]

160 ml lukewarm water

20-30 ml water [to add gradually if dough is too dry]

1 tsp shortening [optional]

1. Combined sugar with some water in a cup or bowl.  Sprinkle in yeast, stir until dissolved and leave for 1-2 minutes or so.   It should be smooth and frothy.
2. Gradually pour about 1/2 yeast mixture into flour, stir and mix into a rough dough then add the remaining yeast mixture.  Continue to knead into a rough dough. 
3. Gradually add in remaining water if necessary and knead into a soft rough dough.   The way to knead the dough is a combination of motion like knead, rub, push and pull.
4. Cover, leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.  This way you can save some energy and more effective.  You may need some extra water if dough is too dry. 
5. After resting, add shortening if using, pat some water on dough if it is too dry then knead dough for another 5-10 minutes until soft, smooth and pliable. Shape into a ball. . Place in the mixing bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or until double in size.
6. Punch down dough to release trapped air, then roll into round.  Divide into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.  Flatten each one in circle. Flatten the edges,  the centre is thicker than the edges. 
7. Place filling [about a tablespoon] in the centre, gather the edges together to seal to make a round pau or pleat the edges into a pau shape.
8. Place shaped pau on parchment paper and steaming tray.  Finish doing the rest. Proof for about 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
9. Place steaming tray over rapidly boiling.  Cover to steam for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave in steamer before removing paus only after 2-3 minutes.
10. Cool on wire rack or serve immediately.