Proofing and resting the dough:: 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Total Time: 2 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings: 8buns
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Marvellina
This steamed curry chicken bao is inspired by the popular Old Chang Kee's steamed curry chicken bao. They are shaped like the traditional curry puff pastry and filled with the same chicken curry filling. The puff pastry shell is replaced with soft and pillowy steamed buns/bao zi.
Prepare the filling: (can be done few days before):
Heat skillet/wok with oil. Saute onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add chicken pieces and stir-fried until they turn color. Add potatoes, curry powder, chili powder and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add water or chicken broth, cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Uncover the lid and continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated
Sprinkle in the flour and continue to stir fry until the mixture sort of more "glue" together because of the flour. It is easier to wrap it later. Have a taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat and let it cools down completely before wrapping. If you are preparing few days before, keep it in the refrigerator
Prepare the dough by machine:
Place the flour/starch combination (either option 1 or 2), instant yeast, sugar, salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add milk and oil in a mixing bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, use a dough hook attachment. You may or may not need more liquid. With option 1 I use close to 200 ml and with option 2 I need about 180 ml. This is just for your reference, you may need more or less
Turn on the mixer at the lowest speed to prevent flour from flying all over the place. Continue to knead at low speed (speed 2 on KA) for 12-15 minutes (updated for the best result) or until the dough is smooth, silky and elastic. When you stretch the dough thinly, it won't tear (windowpane stage)
Prepare the dough by hands:
Place the flour combination, instant yeast, sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix until you get a rough dough (it's not going to be smooth yet). Cover and rest it for 15 minutes. Then go back and knead it. You'll be surprised by how easier it is to knead it now. Knead until the dough is smooth and pliable, about 15-20 minutes. At any point during kneading, you can always stop and rest the dough if you find it hard to knead. This is to relax the gluten. Then go back to knead again and you'll be surprised by the difference it makes by just resting the dough before kneading again. It's easier for you too. You want to knead until the dough is really smooth and stretchy. A lot of elbow grease I must warn you!
Resting the dough:
Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions. Flatten and gather the edge to round them up into dough balls. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes. This is not to proof the dough. It shouldn't double in size. This is to relax the gluten for easier shaping and rolling the dough, then proceed to next step that's applicable to you
Wrapping:
Lightly dust the work surface with some flour. Work with one dough at a time. Flatten the dough with your palm and then use a rolling pin to roll it out to form a circle about 4-5 inches, with a slightly thicker middle part. This is to support the weight of the filling. Don't roll the dough too thin. If you roll the dough too thin, the filling might make the steamed buns "wrinkle" later when you steam
Place about 2 tbsp of filling at the center and fold the dough over to form a half-circle. Starting from one corner, pinch to flatten the dough and then fold over to create a pattern along the edges. Put on a piece of parchment paper and put on a large baking sheet
Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and proceed to proofing
Proofing:
Put them at a warm place to let them proof for another 45 minutes to 1 hour or until they are puffy and 50% bigger than their original sizes and feel light. When you gently press on the dough, it gradually bounces back. If you have all these, the buns are done proofing
Steaming:
Wrap the lid of your steamer with a kitchen towel to prevent moisture dripping back on the steamed buns as this will create "burn" spots . If you use a bamboo basket, you don't have to do this. The bamboo can "absorb" moisture. Put water inside your steamer. Don't turn on the heat yet. Arrange the proofed buns in the steamer, give them about 2-inch space for expansion during steaming. Turn the heat on to medium, when the water comes to a simmer, start the time and open the lid about 1/2 inch to allow some steam to escape. Your steamed buns won't wrinkle when you steam this way. Steam for 10 minutes over medium heat
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. DO NOT OPEN THE LID of the steamer. Let the buns sit there for 3 minutes like this. The buns will not sink or wrinkle due to the sudden change in temperature
Refill steaming water if needed. Put the next batch in the steamer and let the water come back to a simmer over medium heat and continue steaming, leaving 1/2 inch gap to allow steam to escape
Serving:
Serve warm or transfer to a cooling rack immediately to prevent the bottom of the buns from getting soggy due to condensation trapped at the bottom. Let them cool down completely before storing in an air-tight container