HOME-MADE BREAD: Here are 2 more ways to make use of the basic Chinese Sweet Buns recipe posted earlier. These 2 types of buns are popular items in traditional Chinese bakeries.

 

CHINESE CURRY BEEF BUNS:

 

 

 

1 quantity of basic Chinese sweet bun, see posted recipe

filling:

    6-8 oz minced beef                                     

    1 small onion, finely chopped

    1 garlic, minced                                          

    1 ½ tbsp. curry powder

    ¾ to 1 tsp. salt                                                         

    1 ½ tsp. sugar

    2 to 3 tsp. tapioca or corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp. water

 

 ½ cup sugar dissolved in ½ cup boiling water

 

egg wash

 

 

 

Sauté onions, add beef and cook till no longer pink. Add curry powder and salt and sugar. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Add starch solution and cook until thickened. Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning. Cool completely before use.

 

Make dough according to recipe. After 1^st rising, punch down dough, and divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

 

Shape each piece of dough into a round ball, and flatten it out into a round. Fill each round with 2 tsp. of filling. Gather opening together and work dough into a ball again. Place filled buns on greased baking sheet, leaving a 2-inch space between buns. Cover with towel and let it rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush buns with egg-wash and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. Make syrup with sugar and water. Stir well. Cool before use.

 

Remove buns from oven. Brush tops with syrup while warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BAKED BBQ PORK BUNS:

 

 

 

1 quantity Chinese sweet bun dough

filling:

    ¾ lbs. BBQ pork, homemade or bought    

    4-5 tsp. dark soy sauce

    1½ tsp sugar                                                           

    1 cup water

    1 ½ tbsp. oyster-flavoured sauce               

    2 tbsp. tapioca starch

    2 tbsp. water                                                          

    ¼ cup chicken broth

    2 tbsp. oil                                                   

    2 tsp. sesame oil

    ¼ tsp. pepper

½ cup sugar dissolved in ½ cup boiling water 

egg wash

 

 

 

Prepare filling:  Dice BBQ pork into ½ -inch cubes. Mix together soy sauce, sugar and oyster sauce and water in a small saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Mix starch with water. Add into mixture in pan together with chicken stock. Cook until sauce thickens slightly. Add oil, sesame oil and pepper. Mix well together and let cool. Add pork cubes and mix in well. Cool before using.

 

After 1st rising of dough, punch dough down and turn out onto floured surface. Roll out  into a long roll about 2-inch in diameter. Cut roll in half; and then cut each half into 8-10 equal pieces. Cover pieces with towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

 

Proceed to fill rolls as per above recipe and arrange rolls onto greased baking sheet(s). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

 

Bake and glaze buns.