Ingredients
- g (1/2 cup) water, warm
- g (1 packet1/2 teaspoon s) active dry yeast
- g (4 tablespoon s) sugar
- g (1 2/3 cup) low-gluten flour(or cake flour)
- g (2 teaspoon s) baking powder
- g (1 1/2 teaspoon s) shortening
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- tablespoon shoisin sauce
- tablespoon soyster sauce
- tablespoon sShaoxing wine(or dry sherry)
- tablespoon sugar
- clove garlic, grated
- 1/8 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sChar Siu (Chinese BBQ pork), chopped (*Footnote 1)
Instructions
- Add the water into a small bowl and warm to approximately 100 110°F (38°C), about 30 seconds in the microwave. The water should be warm, just a bit above body temperature. Add the sugar and active dry yeast, stir to mix well. Let sit for 5 minutes so the yeast will activate.
- While the yeast activates, add the cake flour and baking powder into your mixer bowl.
- Once the yeast is activated, you should see bubbles on the surface of the mixture. Pour it into the mixer bowl. Mix it with a spatula a few times, until the liquid is just absorbed by the dry ingredients.
- Install the dough hook on your mixer. Start at low speed, then gradually increase to speed setting to 6 out of 10. Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is very smooth. Stop the mixer halfway through and scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl.
- Add the shortening. Knead on level 6 for another 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth, and easily lifted from the bowl without sticking to your hands.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with butter or oil spray. Transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm part of your room, until the size triples, about 2 hours.
Tips
I highly recommend working on the dough in small batches. Once you divide the dough, keep the rest of the dough balls under a sheet of plastic wrap or a few layers of damp paper towels to cover the dough and prevent drying out.