Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Chicken Baos

If you haven't noticed already...lately I have only been baking muffins, pound cakes, muffins, pound cakes and yeah, CNY cookies. Boring if you ask me. :P Really really want to do something different, something that I have been craving for awhile. :P Something savory of course. Then thinking back what I have been craving lately, I realize it's...it's..., it's Chicken Baos! Have been wanting to try out my hands on making these chicken baos for awhile now. :) And when you bite into one that you made from scratch is truly another form of satisfaction. ;)
Big, fluffy white, steamy and flavorful chicken baos...if there's no stopping me...think I can down a couple of these no problem, hahaha! My face was beaming with joy after these were out from the steamer and staring back "longing" at me, heehee. :D It doesn't take a scholar to know that these baos are gonna be a delicious treat for yours truly today!

Ingredients for Chicken Baos (makes about 15 medium to big baos)
Bao skin Ingredient:

400g pao flour

80g sugar

1/2 tsp salt

10g double action baking powder
2 tsp instant active yeast
40g shortening
200ml water

Chicken Filling:
Chicken thigh meat, deboned and skinned, cut into small chunks
8 dried mushrooms, socked and cut into small chunks
1 stalk of green onion, cut small
6 water chestnuts, peeled and cut small
120g jicama (bang kuan), peeled and cut small chunks
4 to 5 hard boil eggs, cut into wedges

Seasoning:
2 tsp ginger juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rose wine
1.5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
dash of pepper
1.5 tsp chicken seasoning
2 tsp cornflour

Thickening sauce:
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed in 2 tbsp warm water

Method:
  • In a large bowl, place the prepared chicken thigh meat in and add all the seasoning in, mix well. Let it marinate for at least 1.5hrs in the refrigerator.
  • To make the Bao skin, place everything in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Knead the mixture till it becomes a soft dough. Let rest for 10 minutes and knead it again till the dough becomes smooth. Cover the dough and let proof for 1.5hrs to 2hrs till it doubles.
  • In the meantime, prepare the frying wok with 2 tbsp of cooking oil @ medium heat. First add the jicama and chestnuts, stir fry for a minute, then add the marinated chicken. Continue to stir fry till cooked. Add in the thickening mixture and stir well. Dish up and let cool before wrapping.
  • Punch out the proofed dough and divide it to about 15 to 16 portions. Roll them round and let rest for another 15 minutes before filling and shaping the baos.
  • Take a portion of the dough and roll flat and fill about 3 tbsp of the chicken filling in. Place 1 wedge of the hard boil egg on top and gently seal up the bao. Repeat this until all the Bao skin and filling has been used up.
  • Prepare the steamer and steam the baos for at least 10 minutes at high heat. After 10 minutes, remove from steamer and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Do remember to let you baos proof for at least 10 minutes before putting it into the steamer. Due to the size of the steamer, I was only able to steam 5 at one go. So I ended up letting the baos proof longer....which I guess it's better?

A shot of the opened chicken bao with its "luscious" filling. :) The bao skin texture turned out soft and delicious. Even after it has cooled down, it was still good. As for the filling, it was flavorful enough. The chicken meat was tender plus the added texture and mild sweetness from the water chestnuts plus jicama was super. :) My family enjoyed it as much as I did... extra effort not wasted at all. Three cheers for yummy baos!! Feeling bored from all the cakes and NY cookies? How about trying out this bao recipe and steam up some fresh homemade baos for your love onesy. Have fun!! ;)



25 comments:

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Can I have one bao please, looks so good. But I prefer baking than steaming, hahaha..

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Sure you can have one! Actually I like anything that taste good, whether steam or bake, hahaha!

Kitchen Corner said...

Hey, I've been waiting for you to post up something. Miss your baking! Your baos nicely tight up! My baos always sing song after steamed hahaha :P

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Thanks so much Grace. :) I miss baking and cooking too! Just that I have been so busy lately with the house and kids, really can't find much time to bake. :P *sigh* It's gonna be like this in the coming months! BTW, how have you been?

MaryMoh said...

Now you have just started my craving! I wish I can have one. I can't get pao flour here. I suppose I just have to be happy with the normal plain flour.

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi MaryMoh!
Hahaha, I guess occasionally "pigging out" on the baos is really great isn't it. ;D I love baos too! Hmm..so you can't find pao flour? I guess you can replace it with cake flour or super fine flour,that should work fine too. ;) Good luck on your bao making!

Kitchen Corner said...

I'm ok, Bee! I had bad fever last whole week but now feeling a lot better. Hope to catch up with you soon when you free ok.

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Glad that you are feeling much better this week Grace! Do take good care of yourself! The weather has been wacky hot and this morning pouring rain...not so good for the body. :P Drink plenty and rest plenty! Take care. ;)

ReeseKitchen said...

hey hey...I miss everything you bake or steam larr...:(
Recently my bakes are all cut into half portion....no one to share except Grace..;)
Holiday going to start soon...have a pleasant trip next week ya..:)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

You know I really wish we were not staying so far from each other Reese. :P Really miss those "meet u at 7.30pm @LG" days! Good holiday for you and Cheryl...as for me? Packing, moving, closing accounts and bidding farewell! Something that I just did 3 months back in Malaysia!!*sigh* O well....Hey you want anything? I can help you get. No need pai seh. :)

Big Boys Oven said...

must be fun making all this boa! :)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

You bet BBO! But it's more fun eating them, hahaha...

ReeseKitchen said...

aiyo...no need! You juz enjoy ur trip as much as possible (beside those urgent things you got to settle). Just help me buy some chocolate when you back home (SG) ok? hee hee...;p
Have a pleasant trip..:)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Sure thing. But you know the price went up...now 1Kg for S$33. :P About RM79...quite expensive. Anyway, my lou kong will be going on 26th March..which I think I cannot join him, weekday lah. :P Anyway, will let you know. ;)

Passionate About Baking said...

Gee HBS,
Baos are something I've yet to master. However, I like them. Wish to have some now...

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Welcome PAB! Actually I have not "master" the art of making baos yet...just trying my best to seal it the nicest way, hahaha....Next time you see me post up, let me know...I pass some to you ok?

Anonymous said...

hihi.. Looks so yummy.. wanna try it out too.. can i replace shorterning with butter??
Janice

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Janice,
I have not tried making bao skin with butter before...I suggest you best not. :) Shortening can be easily found in major grocers in the baking section. Good luck!

petite nyonya said...

So glad I now got the chicken filling recipe here!! Looks very good! I just bought a packet of bao flour last week but the thing is, I have not tried making baos before so really don't know how it will turn out. I believe that the same recipe used by different people can potentially turn out differently ;).

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Jocelyn!
Actually the seasoning & the content of the bao filling is really up to your own preference. You can even choose to use pork if you like. :) Bao flour is really fine, but it is not hard to handle at all. Yes, so far I have already tried 4 different kinds of bao skin recipes and all differ in taste and texture in some ways. However still I prefer the previous Char Siew bao skin recipe better. :) Have fun making baos!

Blessed Homemaker said...

I see alot of bloggers making baos lately and I'm so tempted to make some too! Your baos make me hungry, especially at late hours like now!

Pei-Lin said...

Shiok! The baos look so good! 大包 makes perfect lunch at work!! Hehe ... Thanks for sharing!

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Blessed Homemaker,
I do have cravings for baos occasionally...at night too! Do try it out, it is not as "complicated" as you think. :)

Hi Pei-Lin,
Lunch? No, one bao only enough for my tea break, hahaha...

Somewhere in Singapore said...

Your bao looks good...

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Thanks Somewhere in Singapore!