Baozi – steamed dumplings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 620 g flour
• 1 packet of dry yeast
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 300 ml water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 600 g minced meat, mixed
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp sherry
• Chinese spice
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

For the dough, knead the flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and oil into a dough. Cover and let rise in the oven at 50°C (top/bottom heat). In the meantime, prepare the filling: finely chop the spring onions and mix them with the minced meat. Season the mixture with the sauces, sherry, oil, and spices; the mixture should be moist. If it’s still too dry, simply add a little more oil. Tip: When seasoning the minced meat, I always taste it every now and then and adjust the seasoning to my taste (I always season by eye). Divide the now risen dough into 16 equal-sized balls. Roll these out into small flatbreads (approx. 0.4 cm thick). Fill the flatbreads with the minced meat mixture (a heaped tablespoonful), pull the edges up, and seal them over the minced meat filling. Cut 16 small rectangles out of baking paper. Place the dumplings on the rectangles (to prevent them from sticking) and steam in the steamer for 15 minutes. Tip: I use a bamboo steamer, but any steamer will work, too.