These are from Sichuan, so you know they are not even remotely as
mild-mannered as the name “bean sprout steamed buns” suggests. They are also
one of my favorite types of buns because they are so full of personality: meaty
with a nice nutty crunch from the sprouts, spicy with a touch of Sichuan
peppercorns, and almost creamy from the extra fat I’ve sneaked in there.
Traditionally, these are made with pork. But Sichuan is one of the few
places in China that really revels in beef, so I’ve taken the opportunity here
to make this one beefy. Of course, you can use whatever meat you like. In fact,
if you are serving vegetarians, try a fake ground beef, like “Gimme Lean,” plus
a veggie butter substitute – they are equally delicious and have made many a
meatless friend very, very happy.
These buns often have some red oil flecking the outsides, which is not
at all a bad thing. I actually like this decorative touch, as it also helps to
set these apart from all other baozi.
The amount of hot bean sauce here is negotiable, depending upon both
your and your guests’ taste and the amount of salt and heat in the sauce. So,
start with 4 tablespoons and add more at the tasting step if you think it needs
it. Each brand of Sichuan hot bean sauce is different, so you’ll have to wing
it the first time or two and keep notes. But do be sure to make this filling at
least a little bit on the salty and spicy side, since its flavor will be
balanced out by the mild bread wrapper.
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| Trimmed soybean sprouts |
One thing you must do is use soybean sprouts here, not mung bean
sprouts. Soybeans make those big yellow seed heads that offer up so much
texture to the mixture. Find the best quality ones in Korean markets, where
people really know how to shop for their soybean sprouts.
Keep them fresh by
placing the sprouts in a resealable container and covering them with ice water.
Refrigerate the sprouts for a couple of days, and they will still be perfect.
Always remove the whiskery ends, which isn’t as awful a chore as it may seem.
Just pick up 4 or 5 sprouts near the heads so that their tails are all in the
same direction, then pluck off the skinny ends with your fingernail. That’s it.
The wrappers are slightly different from my usual steamed bread recipe
since they have fat added. This helps make them more waterproof, but the fat
can be left out if you don't care about some of the oil seeping out.
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| Wrapping the baozi |
Serve these any time of the day. Freeze those extra ones for an almost
instant treat whenever you need something really tasty to make your day right.
Sichuan’s bean sprout steamed
buns
Dòuyá
bāozi豆芽包子
Sichuan
Makes 32 baozi
Wrappers:
2 cups (500 ml) warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
4½ cups (1000 g) regular Chinese flour, or 3 cups (660 g) unbleached
all-purpose plus 1½ cups (330 g) pastry or cake flour, plus more as needed
4 tablespoons white shortening or lard, softened
1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon baking powder
Filling:
Around 7 ounces (200 g) soybean sprouts
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| The colorful finished filling |
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 green onions, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound (450 g) ground lean beef, pork, or turkey
4 tablespoons Sichuan hot bean sauce (la doubanjiang), plus more to taste
1½ tablespoons regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons mild rice wine (Taiwan Mijiu)
4 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1. Get the wrappers started by sprinkling the yeast and sugar over the
warm water. Place the flour and shortening in a large work bowl. When the yeast
is foaming nicely, stir it into the flour and shortening, then turn it out onto
a floured board. Knead the dough, adding more flour as needed, to make it
smooth and elastic. Rinse out and dry the work bowl, lightly oil it, and place
the ball of dough in there. Let it rise twice (this will take about an hour or
two), and punch it down after each time.
2. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Pinch the roots off
of the sprouts, since they otherwise will feel like hairs in your mouth. Remove
any seed casings while you’re at it. Rinse the sprouts, drain well, and chop
them coarsely.
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| A happy array of buns |
3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high, and then add the green onions
and garlic. Stir these around to release their fragrance, and then add the
beef. Use your spatula to break it up. When it is no longer pink, scoot
everything up the side of the wok. Scoop the bean sauce into the bottom of the
wok so that it can heat up quickly. Stir it around, and when it starts to
bubble, toss it into the meat. Season this with the soy sauce, rice wine, and
sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Toss in the butter and then the
cornstarch, and remove the wok from the heat when the filling has thickened.
Bring it to room temperature and refrigerate for at least an hour, as this will
make it easier to work with as you fill the buns.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean, smooth work surface and sprinkle it
with the baking powder. Lightly knead it into the dough so that it is fully
incorporated, and then divide the dough into 32 even pieces. Roll these into
balls and flour them so that they do not stick to each other.
5. Follow the directions here on how to fill and shape baozi, making each wrapper about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide. Let the filled buns rise for around 15
minutes. Prepare your steamer baskets by lining them with either steamer paper
or cloth. Spray these with oil and bring your steamer to a full boil.
6. Arrange about 6 buns in each steamer so that they are at least 1 inch
(2 cm) apart. Steam the buns for about 15 minutes, turn off the heat, and let
the sit in the cooling steamer for about 5 minutes to set their shape. Eat
immediately. These buns may be frozen at the end of Step 5 or after they have
been steamed. To cook the frozen buns, place them in the steamer baskets while
they are still frozen and steam for about 20 minutes; already cooked ones only
need to be thoroughly heated through.
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| Nobel Prize alert |
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This is a great discovery of mine that I am so proud of: Freeze your unsteamed
buns in muffin tins for about an hour, and then pack them in freezer bags.
I
have always had a real problem with buns getting squished in the freezer, no
matter how careful I am. But this way, the buns are totally protected.
Consider
this my early Christmas gift to you!
