These must be the most common dim sum one can get from any Hong Kong or Cantonese Dim Sum place. In Australia, they call dim sum (点心) yum cha (饮茶), the latter means to drink tea. It actually means tea break time. It amuses me when I think about how influential the Hong Kongers were and how they must have introduced this Dim Sum culture into different parts of the world.
There are two kinds of Cha Siew Pao. The instant yeast method and the sour dough method. The latter takes too long for my liking and honestly, the difference in the texture and taste does not warrant the effort put into it.
Of course, if given a chance to order either in a restaurant and if they are of the same price, I will go for the sour dough ones. But at home, I like to make the simple instant yeast one.
This recipe uses Hong Kong flour, which is that super white flour which is bleached. I normally don’t like to use bleached flour, but since I can find some, I am curious to see how the pao turns out. In short, they are a lot less transparent and lack the yellow-tinge. With the availability of the Hong Kong flour, I can now keep adjusting those made with non-bleached flour and try to achieve as close a result as possible to those made with Hong Kong flour.
Roasted Pork Dumplings
Ingredients
Dumpling skin
- 200 g Hong Kong flour
- 6 g yeast
- 20 g Corn flour
- 30 g Fine Sugar
- 10 g Lard optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 100 g Water at 40C
Filing
- 150 g Char Siew cut into small cubes of 5mm
- 1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp black soya sauce
- 1 Tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoon of water
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 tsp bullion powder
- 1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine
Instructions
Filing
- Mix all the sauce ingredients and bring it to a boil. Add the char siew and then cool.
Skin
- Mix the dry ingredients together first, then add the lard and water and knead until smooth.
- Leave the dough to raise in a covered container for about 1 hour.
- Shape the dumpling by dividing the dough into 10 equal parts (about 40g each).
- Flatten each into a circle, and then roll so that the circumference is flattened more than the center of the circle.
- Place a portion of the filing into each bun.
- Pleat up the dumpling.
- Leave to raise for another 40 minutes or about twice its own size.
- Steam at high heat for 20 minutes.
- Allow some heat to be released, and the buns to cool where they are steaming for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve with other dim sum dishes.
