Steamed Pumpkin Buns aka Pumpkin Bao with chicken filling

好久没弄包子了，前几天看到好漂亮的Butternut 就搬了好几粒回家。这个月是Eileen的 Little Thumbs Up：pumpkin! 我也来参加骤热闹！

It has been long since my last making of bao (steamed bun), this month I have a good reason to make steamed pumpkin bun or bao because of Eileen's Little Thumbs Up is pumpkin theme! I made two batches yesterday, in the first batch of my pumpkin baos, I pleated the baos, the bao turns out with not so obvious pleats and I don't like the look of it. So I made the second batch with round shape. :) The dough of the pumpkin bao is a bit wet with starter dough in it, but the bao texture turned out with very soft texture! 

Recipe adapted from Honey Bees Sweets with changes
Ingredients for filling:
3oog chicken, chopped into fine cubes
6 shallots, sliced thinly 
120ml water
4 tbsp char siew sauce 
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp plain flour
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
1. In a big mixing bowl, add all ingredients together (except shallot), mix well.
2. Heat up cooking oil in a frying pan, add sliced shallot, fried until slightly brown. Add in (1).
3. Stir Fried until the chicken is cooked and the gravy thicken. Set a side for later use.

Ingredients for bao/ bun:
starter dough:
120g plain flour
1/4 tsp dried instant yeast
80ml water
pinch of salt

Method:
Mix everything together to form a rough dough. Cover and let it rest in a greased bowl to proof into double in size.

Main dough:
180g pumpkin, steamed and mashed
100g starter dough
300g cake flour / top flour
1/2 tsp dried instant yeast
20g milk powder
20g sugar
20g olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
50ml water (this depends on how wet the mashed pumpkin is, you may need to add more or reduce water)

Method:
1. Knead everything in a mixer (except water and oil, add gradually), until it is not sticky and form a rough dough, add oil and continue knead until it form elastic film.
2. Cover the dough and let it proof to double it size.
3. Prepare steamer and cut out grease paper.
4. Punch out the air in the dough, cut the dough into desire portions (~12 portions), roll the dough into round, cover and let it proof for 10~15 mins.
5. Take a dough, flatten it into round disk, place a small heap teaspoon of filling in the center and then wrap up the dough with seal side down on the grease paper.

6. When the steamer is boiling, lower the heat to medium and arrange the bao in the steamer and steam for 10~12 mins. Make sure the cover of the steamer is wrapped with kitchen towel to prevent water from dripping on the baos.

7. Once done, lift the cover to open a small gap, let the baos sit in the steamer for another 5 mins before take them out for serving. 

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (Oct 2014 Event: PUMPKIN) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Eileen (Eileen's Diary).


Also submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.