Filipino Steamed Pork Buns (Siopao)

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Resting Time 2 10

Total Time 3 40

Servings

Calories 502

Ingredients

For filling:

2 lbs pork
1 teaspoon sunflower oil
6 garlic cloves
1 onion
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch

For dough:

1 packet instant yeast
½ cup sugar
4 cups flour
¾ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup sunflower oil

Instructions

All ingredients ready? Let's begin!
Cut the pork into bite sized chunks and pat them dry with paper towels.
Place a pot over medium heat. Add enough oil to thinly cover the base of the pot and heat it through.
While the oil is heating, peel and chop the onion. Peel and finely dice the garlic.
Add the onions and garlic to the hot oil and cook while stirring for about 3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.
Add enough pieces of pork to the hot oil so it takes up most of the surface, but there is no piling.
You need to brown the chunks on all sides (about 1 minute per side) so you may need to do this step in batches and repeat. Once all the sides of the pork are browned, add it all back to the pot.
Add 4 cups of water to the pot and stir to dislodge anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add the soy sauce, salt, fish sauce, pepper, and honey. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium low.
Cover the pot and allow to cook for an hour or until the pork falls apart when you pull with a fork. Check on it occasionally and add more water if needed to keep the pork submerged.
While the pork is cooking, you can get started on the dough. Add the yeast and sugar to a small bowl, then add 1 cup of warm water. Mix to combine then let rest for 10 minutes or until bubbles begin forming.
In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, ¾ cup of cornstarch, and the baking powder. Mix until combined (you can also use a whisk for this part).
Add a cup of warm water, the bubbly yeast mixture, and the oil to the flour mixture. Mix with the dough hook until smooth and it stops sticking to the sides of the bowl (about 10 minutes).
Lightly flour a clean surface and dump the dough onto it to knead with your hands for a few minutes.
Roll into a ball or shape into a ball by pulling all the corners into the middle and pinching.
Grease the inside of a mixing bowl with non-stick cooking spray or some sunflower oil and place the dough ball in the bowl. Cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel and leave to rise somewhere warm for 1-2 hours. The dough should have doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, briefly knead again then divide into 12 equal portions. Roll each into a ball then cover and allow to rise for another 30 minutes or so.
Once the pork has finished cooking, remove from heat and shred using a fork. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a little bit of water and add to the pot.
Place back over medium low heat and cook while stirring for 15 minutes or until the sauce gets very thick. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before handling.
Roll each dough ball into circles 5 inches across.
Place a tablespoon or two of pork filling in the middle of each circle and fold the edges to meet in the middle, making sure to pinch tight to prevent leaking.
Cover the filled dough balls and allow to rise for 10 minutes.
In a preheated steamer, place the buns in a single layer, leaving space between them.
Steam for 20 minutes without removing the lid.
Once they are done, serve immediately.

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