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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Pau (Chinese steamed buns)

I have finally found a perfect pau (Chinese steamed buns) skin recipe, soft and fluffy and a bit chewy, this is a type of pau skin suits to my preference, I will use this pau skin recipe again and again. Actually I just done pandan kaya , thinking to make Kaya pau tomorrow which is my son Desmond favourite's pau.

Pau (Chinese steamed buns)


Pau (Chinese steamed buns)




Thanks to Cheah (No-Frilss recipes) for your kind sharing of this wonderful pau recipe. I have booked marked her recipe when she first posted it, but I hesistate to buy that very expensive Crisco shortening (all vegetable shorthening) until recently I realized that I should not hesitate to buy something good quality to feed my family members. So if you wish to try out this recipe, please get a good shortening. This pau still maintain it softness after the next day.

I made two type of fillings, one with Sengkuang (yam bean) with a green dot to represent it. I add a small piece of hard-boiled egg, as I use to eat this way when I was a kid, the egg absorbed all the flavours, so just simply delicious.

Pau (Chinese steamed buns)


Pau (Chinese steamed buns)


Another type is Black pepper pork with a red dot to represent it, I also added a small piece of hard-boiled egg.

Pau (Chinese steamed buns)


Cheah, don't worry your pleating skill, my even worst, hahaha..I guess we will not get a perfect pau skin without crack as baking powder is added. Next time, I will use this pau skin to make famous Hong Kong dim sum -Char Siew Pau, should be another hit in my family. Thanks again!

Pau (Chinese steamed buns)
~makes around 20 pcs
(source: adapted from Cheah (No-Frills recipes) with minor changes)

For the pau skin
500 gm Hong Kong flour or Pau flour
2.1/2 tsp dried yeast
100 ml lukewarm water
125 gm caster sugar
5 tsp Crisco shortening
2.1/8 tsp baking powder (I change to 1 and 1/2tsp double action baking powder)
1/4 tsp salt
110 - 115 ml water

Method
1. Mix yeast with lukewarm water, set aside for 5mins.
2. Mix yeast mixture with 130g flour, gather together became soft dough and set aside for 15mins.
3. Add balance 370g flour with the rest of ingredients and soft dough (No 2), knead till dough became smooth and no sticky to hands (I just use KA mixer to knead dough until smooth).
4. Cover with damp cloth and rest for 60mins.
5. Knock down dough to expel some air, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a while.
6. Weigh out 40 gm of dough and roughly shape into a ball.
7. Fatten and roll out the dough into a circle. Spoon in filling onto the center and pleat up the sides and seal.
8. Place the pau onto a piece of greaseproof paper, on the rack for steaming. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and let rise for another 10-15 mins.
9. Steam the pau under rapidly boiling water on high heat for about 10 to 12 mins.
10. Remove from steamer and serve, hot.
11. Store in the fridge for left over pao, steam again before serve.


Filling (A)-Yam bean (Sengkuang)

400g yam bean (Sengkuang), shredded
100g carrot, shredded
1 sprig spring onion, chopped
30g dried shrimps, washed and chopped

1/2tsp salt or to taste
1tbsp light soy sauce
A dash of pepper
1tsp sugar or to taste

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced, optional

Method
1. Add 3tbsp cooking oil in a work, sauté chopped dried shrimps till fragrant.
2. Add in shredded yam bean, carrot and spring onion, stir fry well.
3. Add water and seasonings, cook for about 10mins or cooked.
4. Dish out and let cool before making pau.

Filling (B)- Black pepper pork

350g lean pork, diced into small cubes (you may replace with chicken)
1 big onion, chopped
1/2tbsp black pepper powder
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp light soy sauce
1/2t sp salt or to taste
1tsp sugar or to taste

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced, optional

Method
1. Saute onion with some oil, add in pork and stir well.
2. Add water and seasonings, cook for about 5-10mins or cooked.
3. Dish out and let cool before making pau.

Pau (Chinese steamed buns)




Happy Cooking !!

46 comments:

  1. I love the addition of egg in the buns.
    Usually I only find that in the "Dai Bao" and not regular sized buns.

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  2. 很美的包子,我爱那个盛包子的碟,很有古早味,现在很难寻的了~~

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  3. 我肚子好饿哦!送几个过来咧!

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  4. Sonia..saya akan cuba kulit pau yang ini:)Thanks dear:)

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  5. Looks really soft and fluffy skin. ;) gonna try your recipe, thanks!

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  6. Hmm..mm... I love having steamed bun and I like it hot! Love the fluffy skin... even my pup loves having steamed bun too! haha... It's true! She'll asked for one whenever I'm making steamed bun. I always make extra for her.
    Hope you're having a wonderful evening.
    Kristy

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  7. black pepper pork pau? is it your creation? we are not dim sum sifu, so even if the plaiting goes wrong, it can be excusable..

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  8. I love pau too and I definitely like to try this recipe for sure.

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  9. I love pau! I bought the pau flour already, but haven't started baking it. Is there any other alternative for Crisco shortening ?

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  10. Nice home-made pau! Makes me want to make some!

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  11. Sonia, the pau looks great! How I miss the variety of steamed buns available back in M'sia. I would definitely have to check if I can get pau flour the next time I go to the Asian grocery store. Just read your post on the homemade kaya as well...looks delicious! Wish I can have my own pandan plant here...maybe then, my world will be right again. :-D BTW, thanks for stopping by my blog again. Appreciate the support!

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  12. Sonia...great idea to use Crisco shortening..slightly expensive though but for the family to eat why not invest in a better one :)

    Love the sengkuang with egg filling!

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  13. I love pau too especially char siew pau, my daughter will love your pau cos of the egg, she love pau with egg :)

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  14. I can't get neither pau flour nor Hong Kong flour here, what should I use to substitute.

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  15. Anytime is a good time for a nice pau:)

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  16. Try Yam + pork? There's a shop in pandamaran that sells really good pau..

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  17. These look great! I love char siu bao and these look very similar! Delicious :)

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  18. Sonia, so glad that you tried the recipe and loved it. Crisco shortening is slightly more expensive but value for money. Your pleating is not so bad, never mind practise makes perfect!

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  19. They look so delicious n mouthwatering...

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  20. I too bookmarked Cheah recipe to try out but I have to use regular flour for it. Can't seems to find pau flour here. I like the addtional egg in it.

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  21. Aw thanks for this. They remind me of my childhood. I used to just eat the bread, slightly soaked in the meat juices, leaving behind the meat inside. Love them!

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  22. Wowww these paus look absolutely PERFECT. You're really, really good at all this cooking stuff!! I'm almost jealous!! Hehehehee..

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  23. oh yes I can see that its good! bookmarking!:) tq

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  24. Look so delicious, and i like the enamel plates too, but couldnt seem to find in supermarket, may i know where did u buy it?
    Sem

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  25. Look delicious, I'm craving for steamed buns already. ;p

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  26. oh!! yea!! your pau skin look so soft!! Thank for sharing the recipe!! I still have 2 kg pau flour brought from Msia.That was 2 years ago.of course it's expire but I always store at cool temp.Do you think the pau flour still good?? boleh naik? hmmmm....must try and see...eh?

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  27. The look delish! Haven't had pau for ages..

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  28. Wow, the black pepper pork looks so good. Must try it one day!

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  29. Thanks all for stopping by.

    Min, if you want omit shortening, i'm not sure whether you still can get soft buns or not,try to get shortening if possible.

    Cheah, ya, practise more makes perfect, Thanks again for your kind sharing.

    Sem, you will not get this kind of plates in supermarket, I got it from the Pasar Besar Jalan Meru Klang, those Chinese shop selling old fashion bowls and plates.

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  30. I prefer savory pau like char siew pau but again if someone made these sweet pau for me, I will take it anytime. Kekeke....

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  31. Very nice looking pau u have there...will definitely try out ur recipe. May i knw y u change to 1 n 1.5 tsp double action baking powder instead of the 2 1/8 tsp baking powder?

    Mei

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  32. This is professional grade stuffs! In terms of cooking and photography! Good job Sonia!

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  33. Your pau looks very professional and I like the traditional way of steaming it in a bamboo steamer.

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  34. Is there any substitute if I can't find HK flour or pao flour?

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  35. Mei, sorry for my late reply, yes, I change to double action baking powder since I don't like add too much of baking powder and I saw in other recipe book also added double action powder. Hope this help.

    Colin, Thanks for your compliment

    mysimplefood, sorry, I really don't know what other flour to subsitute, but you should be easily found pao flour in few major supermarket example like Jusco and Tesco.

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  36. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  37. Hi Sonia, I've just tried this pau skin recipe with red bean filling. It's good! I've posted in my blog with a linkback to yours here. Thanks for sharing a very good recipe.

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  38. Hi,

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe...I made the pau today and its skin really turn out to be what you had mentioned : soft, fluffy & a little chewy..Moreover, the dough is easy to make cos its not too sticky. This recipe is definitely a keeper :)

    Best regards,
    Chilliqueen

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  39. Good Morning Sonia :)i really enjoy your blogs ...hheehe..never miss it nor grow tired of it.....this morning i make this senkuang pau and it is really fantastic!!!!!! finally i can make a good pau thanks to you.Wish you and your family a wonderful day.

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  40. Hi Sonia, I am interested to try this pau recipe. Does "knock dough to expel air" means simply taking the risen dough out of the bowl and knead it a few times on the table? Or do I have punch it down with my fist first and then knead for a while on the table? How long must I knead this dough and how do I know if its ready for the next step? Thanks for your help!

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  41. Teo, punch it down and knead for a while. Knead the dough until it look smooth and shinning. For how long I am not sure now..

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  42. Hi, I'm not sure why but i find the dough very dry... I halved the recipe, and added about 50-75ml of extra water, and still the dough is tough... Is the bun dough supposed to be drier than normal baked bread dough? Thanks...

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  43. Hi Sonia, I tried this recipe and it worked fabulously! Thank you so much. I am so happy that I can make pau now. I can't find Crisco in the UK but I used "Trex" also a vegetable shortening. Thanks again!

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  44. Hi Sonia,

    I really enjoy reading your recipes and I particular am very interested in this pao recipe because it is so difficult to find a good pao these days, people say it is hard to find a good man, pao is relatively the same..lol. However I am a bit confused on the measurements for the yeast and baking powder, what does this 2. 1/2 tsps mean? I'm sorry for sounding silly but does it mean two of 1/2 teaspoons or 2 plus 1/2 teaspoons altogether? Would really appreciate if you could enlighten me on this before I hands on this pao recipe. Thank you very much and your paos really looked scrumptious!

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