Korean Fried Chicken Bao Buns
Fluffy steamed bao buns filled with crispy Korean fried chicken glazed in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce, topped with cucumber, spring onions and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
| 300 g | plain flour (all-purpose or bleached) | |
| 125 g | cornflour (cornstarch) | |
| 60 g | caster sugar (superfine) | |
| 3.5 g | instant dried yeast | |
| 12 g | baking powder | |
| 180 ml | warm water | |
| 60 ml | vegetable oil, plus extra | |
| 700 g | chicken breasts or thighs | |
| 0.5 tsp | 2.5 ml | sea salt |
| 0.5 tsp | 2.5 ml | white pepper, freshly cracked |
| 30 ml | soy sauce | |
| 15 ml | Shaoxing cooking wine | |
| 1 | egg white | |
| 300 g | plain flour (for coating) | |
| — | vegetable oil, for shallow frying | |
| 125 ml | soy sauce (for sauce) | |
| 4 tbsp | 60 ml | gochujang |
| 80 g | light muscovado or light brown sugar | |
| 3-4 tbsp | 45–60 ml | honey, or to taste |
| 4 tsp | 20 ml | garlic, finely chopped |
| — | cucumber, thinly sliced | |
| — | spring onions or chives, finely chopped | |
| — | toasted sesame seeds |
Instructions
BAO BUNS: 1. Measure all dry ingredients into a large bowl or stand-mixer bowl. 2. Combine the warm water and oil in a jug (water a little more than lukewarm to activate the yeast, not boiling). 3. Using the dough hook on medium speed, mix the liquids into the dry ingredients; adjust liquid as needed. 4. Once you have a sticky dough, keep kneading on medium until soft and smooth, about 10 minutes by machine or 5 by hand. 5. Knead by hand a few more minutes on the benchtop. 6. Return the dough to the clean bowl. 7. Cover with cling film or a bowl cover. 8. Leave somewhere warm 60-90 minutes until doubled. SHAPE: 1. Punch back the risen dough and knead by hand about 5 minutes to release air bubbles. 2. Roll out to about 1 cm thick. 3. Rub oil over the surface. 4. Cut 8 cm (3 inch) rounds with a cookie cutter. 5. Re-roll as needed. 6. Place each round on a small sheet of baking paper (flattened cupcake wrappers work well). 7. Fold each round over and gently flatten with a rolling pin to form the bun. 8. Place buns on a large tray, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place about 30 minutes until slightly puffed. STEAM: 1. Prepare a stovetop steamer. 2. Steam buns in batches 10-12 minutes until puffy, soft and cooked through. 3. Serve immediately. CHICKEN MARINADE: 1. Cut chicken to bun-size pieces or 2 cm (1 inch) cubes. 2. Place in a medium bowl. 3-4. Add the marinade ingredients and mix until well coated. 5. Marinate at least 30 minutes. FRIED CHICKEN: 1. Heat about 2 cm of oil in a large saucepan. 2. Put the flour in a large bowl or tray. 3. Pour the chicken with all its marinade onto the flour. 4. Coat with your hands; the marinade liquid forms a light batter. 5. Press the flour on to form a craggy crisp coating. 6. Oil is ready at 165C/325F (a wooden chopstick makes lots of small bubbles). 7. Fry in batches until golden. 8. Drain on kitchen paper or a wire rack. SPICY SAUCE: 1. Whisk all sauce ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Simmer gently until slightly thickened and syrupy. 3. Take off the heat. 4. Taste and adjust; if too strong, dilute with water and simmer again to thicken. 5. Makes plenty, enough to drizzle over rice or vegetables. FINISH: 1. Toss the fried chicken in the spicy sauce, reserving some sauce for the buns. 2. Toss quickly to coat. ASSEMBLE: 1. Split open a bao bun. 2. Spread some spicy sauce inside. 3. Add fried chicken and cucumber, garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds. 4. Serve immediately. Kitchen notes: instant yeast can be added directly to the flour; if using active dry yeast, bloom it in the warm water for 5 minutes first. Cornflour keeps the buns light; bleached flour gives snowy-white buns. Leftover steamed buns freeze 1-2 months and reheat in a stovetop steamer about 5 minutes.