EntrePinoys Atbp.

A. Siaopao with Adobo Filling

Filling:

• Leftover Adobo with potatoes, bones picked out and large pieces shredded
• 3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoons sugar

In a saucepan, heat the cider vinegar and add the sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and add the leftover chicken adobo including the potatoes. (I actually liked the potatoes in the filling, it reminded me of empanadas) Mix well and let cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid is reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool while you make the dough.

Dough:
This recipe is from an old Chinese Cookbook from Sunset House, one of the first cookbooks I ever bought for myself.

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons salad oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• About 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in sugar, oil, and salt. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Add 3 1/4 cups of flour and mix until dough holds together. Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).

After it has doubled, turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Shape into a rectangle. Cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise 6 times to make 12 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a round about 4 inches in diameter. Place about 1 tablespoons of filling in the center of each round and pull edges of dough up around the filling and twist to seal. Place each bun, sealed side down on a 3-inch square of wax paper. Let buns rise for another 30 minutes then place them in a steamer and let it steam for 12 to 15 minutes.

Makes 12 buns.

B. Siopao (Steamed Pork Buns)

Dough Filling

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 60 g (2 oz) lard
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

• 1 in piece green ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp hoi sin sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp corn flour
• 4 shallots
• 8 oz Chinese barbecued pork

Note: These buns are cooked in steamers available in sets of two or three racks. Chinese barbecued pork can be bought at Chinese food stores, or you can make your own – this is basically tocino – the recipe will come out soon! Be patient.

1. Place peeled and grated ginger, crushed garlic and oil in frying pan, saute gently for one minute. Add hoi sin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil, simmer for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add combined water and cornflour, stir until sauce boils; reduce heat, simmer uncovered for two minutes. Add very finely chopped pork, stir until combined. Remove pan from heat, add finely chopped shallots, stir until combined. Allow pork mixture to become complete cold.

2. to make the dough, sift flour, salt and baking powder into bowl. Rub in softened lard until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add combined warm water and vinegar, stir to a soft but pliable dough. Turn out on to lightly flour surface; knead lightly. Cover dough with plastic food wrap, allow to stand for 20 minutes. Knead lightly. Cut dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.

3. Take each ball of dough and roll out on floured surface to a 4 in circle. Brush edge lightly with water. Place one round of dough in palm of hand. Put one tablespoon of filling in center of round. Press edges of dough together.

4. Take the two ends of bun, bring them up over the pinched edge and twist together firmly. Cut 12 pieces of greaseproof paper into 5in squares. Brush one side lightly with oil. Place a bun upside down, so the smooth rounded side is uppermost, on each oiled piece of paper.

5. Choose a saucepan slightly smaller than the diamer of the steamer. Fill saucepan to about 1/3 full of water, bring to boil. Arrange buns on paper in single layer in steamer. If using steamer with two or three racks, fill remaining racks the same way. Plac eon top of first rack. Put lid on top. Steam over gently boiling water for 20 minutes.

C. AteB2’s Siopao

Siopao can be filled with either pork or chicken. The meat is covered with a mildly sweet sauce and is enclosed within a steamed bun of delicious white fluffy bread. This recipe was the most difficult to find. Very few Filipinos will disclose their siopao recipe, because it is a food that takes a little more effort to make than others. Once made, you will enjoy hearing the compliments and amazement when your family & friends realize that you actually cooked this. After many taste tests, and critical tasters (my mother), this is my own version of this Filipino appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 6 c all purpose flour
• 1 package of yeast
• 1 lb cubed pork loin or chicken (recommended: thighs)
• 1 c white sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 c lukewarm water (about 20 secs in microwave)
• 1/2 c boiling water (about 1min 30secs in microwave)
• 6 hard boiled eggs — cut ea egg into fourths to yield 24 equal pieces (optional)
• 2 green scallions
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp salt
• 6 tsp baking powder

Equipment:

• steamer
• rolling pin
• 24 pieces of white paper, approximately cut to 2in x 2in
• clean surface for kneading dough
• 1 extra large bowl for dough to rise in microwave (optional)

Directions:

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in medium bowl, then set aside. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, then add 1 c of flour mixture. Mix dissolved yeast & flour mixture thoroughly. Cover with cloth. Let rise 1 hour until bubbles appear.

Meanwhile, dissolve white sugar in the boiling water. Stir well, then let cool to lukewarm. Pour into the yeast mixture, then add the rest of the previously prepared flour. Stir til blended.

Grease the extra large bowl. Lightly flour the surface you plan to begin kneading the dough. Flour your hands as well. Knead dough for about 3 minutes, until dough is smooth & not sticky. Sprinkle small amounts of flour as you go to make the dough more manageable. Place the ball of dough into the the extra large bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for about 2 hours when dough doubles in size.

Meanwhile, sauté garlic and scallions in small amount of cooking oil in a medium saucepan or wok. Add the meat. Stir fry for about 1 minute or until meat is no longer pink. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch. Stir fry quickly until meat is glazed. Remove from heat & cool. Punch dough to remove large air bubbles. Begin to knead dough on lightly floured surface area for about 3-5 minutes. Cut dough in half. Roll each half into 12inch x 2inch logs, then cut into 12 pieces each to total 24 pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball using the palms of your hands then rolling it flat to about 3 inches in diameter with the rolling pin. Dough should be elastic but not too sticky. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking to pin or your hands.

Place 1 slice of egg into the center of the dough round, then 1 tbsp of meat filling including sauce. Quickly begin enclosing filling by gathering the sides of the dough round & pinching/twisting the dough shut. Lay the pinched side onto your precut piece of paper. Place into your steamer. Repeat for the rest of the dough and filling. Cover with damp cloth and allow filled dough to rise for another hour before steaming.

Steam siopao for 20 minutes. You may serve with soup. You can also freeze the finished siopao, then simply re-steam for 10 minutes when ready to eat.

4. Siopao (Filipino Style Manapua)

Filling: Cook chicken chunks in garlic and onions. Cut hard boiled eggs in four. Get a piece of dough (made from Grandma Splinter’s butter roll recipe below) twice the size of an egg. Pat is into a round and place filling in the middle. Gather all the edges and place on a square of waxed paper. Let stay for 15 minutes and then cook. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or steam.

More tips from Malou (one of the readers of this site)

• used bleached flour
• use lukewarm water and 1/4 tsp. of sugar to dissolve yeast.
• It is very hard to mix the dough by hand, so I usually used my bread machine (make sure your flour does not exceed 4 cups, above 4 cups it might break your machine)
• to used your bread machine, make sure that all the liquid goes in first, then the shortening or butter, last is your flour (mix salt and flour first). Then put it on the dough setting and turn it on. It usually takes 2 hours between kneading and rising. Do not use a mixer unless you have a heavy duty professional mixer that can handle 12 cups of flour or more.
• if you do not have a bread machine, then you have to use your hand. Make sure to flour your hand often so the dough don’t stick. You knead the dough until smooth and put the dough in well greased bowl, cover and let it rise until it double.
• make sure to put the filling in the freezer until it is halfway frozen to prevent the sauce from oozing out while steaming.
• after I fill-up my dough, I usually let it raised for another 30 min. before steaming it just make the siopao soft.
• you can also put these siopao in the oven until golden at 425 degrees F. only if you want too.

Watch instructional videos here and here

sources: recipelink.com, kitchen.amoores.com, ex-designz.net

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