Sio Pao Asado ( Steamed Bun )

Siopao is a steamed bun with pork filling. This is a popular dim sum dish for Filipinos and Chinese. While there are different variation of steamed bun ( e.g. Pork filled buns, Chicken filled buns,BBQ pork buns), the classic for each is pretty much the same - plain dough rolled into rounds and filled with mixture of your choice and seasoned with Asian sauce like Hoisin sauce , Oyster sauce and Soy Sauce.

Ingredients:

( adapted from panlasangpinoy, made few changes )

For the Dough

• 2 cups of warm water ( 110°F- 115°F )
• 2 ½ tbsp sugar (added to yeast mixture)
• ½ cup sugar (added to the flour mixture)
• 1 pouch dry yeast
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 ¼ tbsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp shortening

Cooking Instructions:

1. Place the warm water in a mixing bowl . Add the yeast and sugar . Mix well and let it stand for 10-15 minutes or until foamy.
2. In a separate mixing bowl. Prepare the dry ingredients. Mix the flour, baking powder,shortening. Mix with the yeast mixture.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Place dough in a deep greased container, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature for about 2 hours.
5. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead a few times until smooth.
6. Form the dough into a flat ball, pinch a hole in the center, and stretch the dough into a uniform loop. Continue stretching until the dough rope is about 1 1/2 inches in thickness. Cut the dough into pieces about 1 inch long, dust with flour, and cover with a damp paper towel.
7. To make a wrapper, lightly flatten a piece of dough with your palm. Roll the piece of dough out into a thin, even round using a rolling pin.
   Place the wrapper flat in your palm and add about a heaping tbsp full of filling in the center. Pinch the edges up into folds towards the center while turning the bun in your hand until all the edges have been pinched up.

Prepare your steamer. Place your Siopao buns into the steamer and steam for 15 minutes. Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

For Asado Filling

• 2 lbs pork, chopped into small pieces
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 tbsp cornstarch, diluted in 1/4 cup water
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1. 1. In a saucepan,under medium-high heat, stir fry the garlic and onions.
2. Add the chopped pork, cooked until brown.
3. Season with soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar. Mix well and let it simmer for 40 minutes.
4. Add the diluted cornstarch, continue to simmer until the sauce thickened.
5. Remove from heat and let it cool.

To Make the Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, under medium-high heat, bring 2 cups of water to boil.
2. Add in sugar lower the heat to medium , stir and simmer until dissolved.
3. Add in the Hoisin Sauce and soy sauce, simmer for a minute.
4. Dissolved the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and add in to the saucepan.
5. Cook for another minute until sauce thicken. Remove from heat and let it cool.