Char Siu Bao - Steamed Pork Buns

INGREDIENTS:
Dough
* 1 package dried yeast or 1 cake fresh yeast
* 1 cup lukewarm water
* 4 1/2 cups flour
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons Crisco or vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
Filling
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1 scallion, chopped fine
* 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
* 1/2 pound char siu pork cut into small cubes
* 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or chicken stock

PREPARATION:
Dough
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Add 1 cup of flour. Mix thoroughly. Cover with cloth. Let rise 1 hour, until bubbles appear.

Dissolve sugar and vegetable oil in 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir well.
Cool until lukewarm. Pour into yeast mixture. Add 3 1/2 cups flour.

Knead dough on lightly floured board until smooth. Put into extra large, greased bowl in a warm place. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hours (but most likely less time in this warm environment).

Pork Filling
[Apparently you can buy char siu pork all cooked and ready to use but not here. To make your own, take a pork butt or shoulder, put it in your slow cooker with one jar of char sui sauce (Plaza does have it) and cook on low for 8 hours. Can be made a day ahead then proceed with recipe.]

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Stir fry scallion and garlic 30 seconds.Add pork. Stir fry 1 minute. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.

Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir fry quickly until pork is glazed. Remove to bowl and allow to cool.

Assembly
On a floured board, knead dough 1 minute and roll into one long, sausage-like roll 2 inches in diameter.

Slice the roll crosswise into 1 inch pieces.

Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand and roll with rolling pin into 3 inch rounds.

Place 2 tablespoons of filling in center of each round.

Gather dough up around the filling by pleating along the edges.

Bring the pleats up and twist securely and firmly. Have a Chinese friend how to do this.

<-This is what it is supposed to look like when cooked but I think our's (at top) looked pretty good anyway.

Place each bun on 2 inch square of wax paper on steamer tray. Cover with a towel. Let rise 1 hour, until dough springs back when touched with finger. Remove towel.

Steam over briskly boiling water 10 minutes.

May be prepared in advance. May be frozen. Thaw out in plastic bag and resteam 10 minutes.