Crispy Chicken Bao

BAO DOUGH INGREDIENTS

The Dry Mix

• 530g middle gluten wheat flour (swapsies, plain flour)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7g fast-action dried yeast
• 40g caster sugar
• 15g baking powder

The Liquid

• 50g milk
• 200g - 250g warm water (depending on how humid your room feels- if the air feels very dry you’ll want to add a little more water, but if it is very humid, a little less water is required)
• 25g vegetable or sunflower oil

CRISPY CHICKEN FILLING

• 300g Chicken thighs
• Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• Cornflour
• Sriracha Mayo (or any sauce of your choice)
• Easy cucumber/ daikon/ carrot pickle or vegetable filling of your choice
• Oil for deep frying

MAKING THE BAO DOUGH

1. Using a free-standing mixer with a dough hook attachment (if available), pour in the measured-out ‘Dry Mix’ ingredients.

2. Mix ‘The Liquid’ ingredients together in a measuring jug. Then slowly pour the liquid into the mixer while kneading on a low speed for around 2 minutes until all the water is mixed into the flour. Once combined, turn the speed up to high speed for a further 2 minutes until the dough has a smooth-yet-tacky feel to it.

3. Once the dough has been well kneaded, dust with 2 tablespoons of flour, scraping off any additional dough on the sides of the bowl. Shape the dough into a rough ball, and then coat lightly with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and leave aside in a warm, preferably moist, draft-free location (like inside a room temperature oven) for 1 – 1.5 hours.

4. Once the dough has doubled in size, you can then shape it into whatever shape you wish before steaming.

5. Steam times will vary between 8 – 15 minutes depending on the shape and size of your finished buns (the thinner the bun, the shorter the steaming time).

MAKING THE CRISPY CHICKEN

6. Flatten chicken thigh if needed by cellophane wrapping and using a rolling pin.

7. Coat chicken thighs in cornflour and dust off any excess

8. Dip chicken thighs in the beaten egg and roll in panko bread crumbs. If you wish to have extra an extra crispy outer shell, repeat by dipping in egg and rolling in panko again.

9. Test how hot the oil is in the deep fat fryer by using a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks. If it bubbles you are ready to pop the chicken in.

10. Add the chicken and deep fry for 5-8 minutes.

11. Once the chicken is cooked, pop it into your bao buns and serve with the filling of your choice with a splash of sriracha mayo and enjoy!