How To Make Stuffed Meat Buns

The concept of stuffed bread is common in cuisines around the world. Whether sweet or savory, stuffed bread is a popular on-the-go food. In this recipe, a filling made from cooked ground pork and vegetables is stuffed in a yeast dough, then baked in the oven. The slightly sweet bread has a shiny golden-brown exterior and a moist soft interior while the meat filling is bursting with flavor. Delicious, filling, and portable, these savory stuffed buns are perfect for any meal of the day.

Ingredients:

This recipe takes about 90 minutes to make. The dough needs to rise for at least an hour. Makes 16 buns.

Dough:
• 3 ⅓ cup of unbleached bread flour
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 2 ½ tsp quick-rising yeast
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cup of cold water
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cold water

Filling:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound of ground pork
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup of chopped carrot
• ½ cup of chopped onions
• 1 ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1 ½ tbsp water
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To prepare the dough, put flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Using a spatula, mix all the ingredients together.
Add butter, egg, and water, then give the ingredients a quick mix.
Using the stand mixer, knead the dough on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 4 minutes.
Give the sides of the bowl a scrape, then knead the dough again for another 4 minutes on medium speed.
Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with vegetable oil.
Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rise for at least 60 minutes or until the size has doubled.

To make the filling, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Sauté shallot and garlic for 30 seconds.
Add ground pork and turn the heat up to high.
Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, and sugar and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes.
Add carrots and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add onions and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Pour in sesame oil and the slurry made from a mixture of cornstarch and water.
Stir-fry for 1 minute, then turn the heat off.
Mix in diced eggs and let the filling mixture cool completely.

Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer to a lightly floured working surface.
At this point, the dough will be sticky and airy so you will need to knead it with about 15 to 20 or until the dough is soft and elastic.
Form the dough into a ball and divide it into 4.
Sprinkle some flour on each dough and keep the 3 portions in a zip-lock back so they don’t dry out.
Knead the dough for 1 minute or until smooth, then cut into 4 equal portions.
Form each portion of the dough into a ball and put it on a baking sheet.
To prevent the dough from drying out, cover with plastic wrap while you work on the rest of the dough.

To assemble the buns, flatten and roll out each dough ball to form a 5-inch diameter disk.
Put 2 tbsp of the filling mixture in the center of the dough.
Fold the edges of the dough to the center to secure the filling.
Gently roll the filled dough on a flat surface to make perfectly-shaped buns.
Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover again with a plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat egg and water together to make an egg wash.
Generously brush egg wash on the surface of the filled buns.
Bake in the oven at 350°F for 22 to 24 minutes or until shiny and golden brown on top.
Take the baking sheet out from the oven and let the buns cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Ideas And Tips:

Aside from pork, you can use beef, turkey, chicken, mushroom, tofu or tempeh.

You can also add potatoes, bell pepper, green peas, cheese or raisins to the filling.

You can store the buns in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat the buns in the toaster oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaCgLJ-ZYuA