STEAMED PAUS-FLUFFY PAUS-CHAR SIEW FILLING

A friend gave some char siew and it would be better to use it to make Char Siew Paus instead of using it to fry Fried Rice as suggested.  The end product can be shared with more people.  Homemade char siew paus are always good as they are not too sweet compared to store bought ones and of course with more meat filling instead of the starchy sauce.  The pau skin is also not sweet with much less sugar added.

Similar as in my previous post on steamed paus, this pau skin dough is hand kneaded.  It is a workable pau skin recipe.  The dough is soft, smooth and pliable.  Very easy to wrap and pleat.  When steamed, it is soft, light, fluffy and chewy too.  You can into 10 or 12 paus with this portion depending on how big you wish to make the paus.

The char siew portion here is enough to make about 25 medium size paus.

Ingredients Pau Skin Dough

[makes about 10 paus]

300 gm pau flour

1 tsp [about 3 gm] instant yeast

10 gm sugar

160-170 ml lukewarm water

1 tsp shortening [optional]

Char Siew Filling [Recipe Below]

1. Combined pau flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre, add in yeast and <150 ml water.  Mix well, stir until dissolved and leave for 1-2 minutes or so.  
2. Bring the flour together and add in remaining water, mix into a rough dough.  Cover for 5 minutes to rest.
3. After resting dough for 5 minutes, it is much easier to knead the dough into a smooth and soft dough with combination of hand motion [knead, rub, push and pull back motion with your hand]. Add in shortening if using.  As you knead, rotate dough along one direction at 90 degrees.  Add some extra water if dough is too dry. 
4. 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.
5. Punch down dough, 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. 
6. Place filling [about a tablespoon or more] in the centre, gather the edges together to seal to make a round pau or pleat the edges into a pau shape.
7. Place shaped pau on parchment paper and steaming tray.  Finish doing the rest. Cover to prove for about 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
8. Place steaming tray in the steamer over rapidly boiling.  Cover to steam for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave in steamer and remove paus only after 2-3 minutes.
9. Cool on wire rack or serve immediately. 

Char Siew Pau Filling

300 gm char siew - cut into small bits

1 yellow onion - peeled and chopped

1-2 stalks spring onions - chopped into bits

some toasted sesame seeds

Seasoning

1 tbsp ang chow [red rice wine residue]

1 tbsp each oyster sauce, light soy sauce and sesame seed oil

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water

200 ml water

1. Prepare the filling ingredients as stated above.
2. Heat a non stick wok, add some oil to saute yellow onions until lightly charred and aromatic.  Add in char siew, stir fry, lower heat and add in the seasoning ingredients except water and cornstarch mix.
3. Continue to stir fry until well combined.  Then add in 200 ml water.  Bring to boil and simmer until water is reduced to half.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Thicken with cornstarch water.  Off heat, leave to cool.
5. Mix in spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
6. Chill in fridge until required.