Steamed Pork Buns

For the dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) warm water
1/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) self-rising flour
3 teaspoons butter, melted

For the filling:
2 T vegetable oil
3 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 T hoisin sauce
1 T oyster sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 1 T water
8 ounces Chinese barbecue pork, finely chopped
6 scallions (shallots/spring onions), finely chopped

To make the dough, in a small bowl combine yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour. Mix until well combined. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place until frothy, about 15 minutes.

Sift remaining all-purpose and self-rising flour into a large bowl. Add remaining sugar, yeast mixture, remaining warm water and melted butter. Using a wooden spoon, mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Place dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

To make filling, heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat and fry ginger and garlic until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, bring to a boil and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pork and scallions. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces and roll or press out each piece to form a 2 1/4-inch circle. Cover dough with a damp kitchen towel. Working with one round of dough at a time, spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into the center. Gather edges together, twist to seal and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cut out 16 squares of parchment and place buns, sealed side down, on paper. Half fill a medium wok with water (steamer should not touch water) and bring to a boil. Working in batc hes, arrange buns in steamer, cover and place steamer over boiling water. Steam for 15 minutes, adding more boiling water to wok when necessary. Lift steamer off wok and carefully remove buns. Using scissors, snip the top of each bun twice, to resemble a star. Serve warm with soy, hoisin and/or duck sauces.

Makes 16 buns