After-Practice Nikuman
Fluffy steamed Japanese pork buns from HAIKYUU!!, with a juicy seasoned ground pork filling, served warm with mustard and/or soy sauce.
š½ļø Makes 6
Ingredients
| 1 cup (120 g) | all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting | |
| Ā½ tablespoon | 7.5 ml | sugar |
| Ā½ teaspoon | 2.5 ml | active dry yeast |
| pinch | salt | |
| ā cup (80 ml) | water | |
| Ā½ tablespoon | 7.5 ml | oil, plus more for greasing |
| 9 ounces (250 g) | ground pork | |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | soy sauce |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | sake |
| 1Ā½ tablespoons | 23 ml | cornstarch |
| 2 | scallions, white parts minced | |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | minced onion |
| 3 cloves | garlic, minced | |
| Ā½ teaspoon | 2.5 ml | minced ginger root |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | sugar (for the filling) |
| Ā½ teaspoon | 2.5 ml | salt (for the filling) |
| 3 dashes | white pepper | |
| to taste | mustard and/or soy sauce, for serving |
Instructions
- To make the dough: In a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, Ā½ tablespoon sugar, yeast, and pinch of salt. In a separate small bowl, stir together the water and oil, then slowly drizzle the liquid into the flour mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon.
- If using a stand mixer, mix on medium speed with a dough hook attachment for 7 minutes. If mixing by hand, knead in the bowl until it comes together, then tip out the dough and knead it on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and leave the dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, around 1 hour.
- To make the juicy pork filling: In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, soy sauce, and sake and stir in one direction for 3 minutes to achieve a sticky, paste-like consistency. Add the cornstarch, scallions, onion, garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt and pepper and mix until well combined. (You may test the flavor by frying a small piece of the mixture and adjusting the seasonings as you see fit.) Set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, degas the dough by punching it in the center. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, roll it out with a rolling pin as thin as possible, and fold it in half and roll it out again. Repeat this four times; this will help to create a smooth final product, free from air bubbles.
- Roll the dough into a log, cut it into 6 equal-size pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. Work with one dough ball at a time and cover the rest with a damp tea towel to avoid them drying out. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin to a circle with a 5-inch (12.5 cm) diameter. Roll over the edges to make the ends thinner than the center. Place one-sixth of the juicy pork filling in the center and pleat the dough closed by pinching with your dominant hand while pushing the filling inside with the other. Place the finished nikuman on individual pieces of parchment paper and continue working on the rest of the dough.
- Once you have finished making all your nikuman, let them rest for 10 minutes under a cloth, or until the dough slowly bounces back when poked gently.
- Steam the nikuman on the pieces of parchment paper in the bamboo steamer or large pot with a steamer insert for 16 to 18 minutes, until firm to the touch and the internal temperature of the filling reaches 145Ā°F (62Ā°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If using the pot with a steamer insert, leave the lid open and slightly tilted to allow the water to run off the sides and not onto the nikuman, which may cause a bumpy effect on the surface of the buns. Do not open the steamer lid until the 16-minute mark, as changes in temperature can also ruin the appearance of the buns.
- Serve warm with mustard and/or soy sauce for dipping.