Classic Manapua (steamed Buns Hawaiian Style)

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil or 1 1/2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/4 cup sugar, shopping list
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon catsup
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 lb chinese barbeque lamb, diced (char siu)

Recipe

• 1 sprinkle yeast over 3 tablespoons lukewarm water and allow to stand until yeast softens.
• 2 to remaining water, add oil or shortening, sugar and salt, stirring until melted or dissolved. cool. add yeast mixture.
• 3 place flour in a large mixing bowl or a heavy-duty mixer and add most of the liquid. combine until flour incorporates liquid and starts to become a ball.
• 4 add remaining liquid to make a very heavy dough.
• 5 begin kneading the dough in the bowl. continue kneading until you have a smooth ball that is beginning to show signs of long strands on the outside, indicating that the gluten has fully developed.
• 6 remove dough from bowl and rinse out bowl. pour sesame oil into bowl, return dough and turn it around until covered with a thin layer of the oil.
• 7 cover with plastic wrap. allow to rise until double in bulk (about an hour in a warm room).
• 8 place the dough in the refrigerator and allow it to rise (3-6 hours). punch it down again and allow it to rise again (3 hours).
• 9 proceed with the filling while the dough is rising. in a saute pan, stir cornstarch, hoisin sauce, dry sherry, oyster sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and brown sugar into the 1 cup water until dissolved. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. add char siu and simmer for 5 minutes. take off heat and allow to cool completely. chill covered until 1 hour before you are ready to stuff the manapua. allow to return to room temperature before using.
• 10 when ready to cook, cut 12 (3-inch) squares of waxed paper and coat 1 side with very light coat of nonstick cooking spray.
• 11 punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. roll each into a ball.
• 12 make the dough as thin as you can and try to keep the edges thinner than the center.
• 13 place the circle of dough in the palm of your hand. spoon in a couple of tablespoons of filling, cupping the dough around it.
• 14 with the thumb and finger of the other hand, pinch the edges of the dough as if you were making a fluted edging on a pie crust. pinch the folds together, twisting them as you do so.
• 15 place the completed manapua on a square of greased waxed paper. allow to plump up into a globe with a taut exterior.
• 16 heat a steamer with plenty of water or preheat an oven at 350 degrees f.
• 17 if using steamer, fill steamer with manapua on their papers about 1 to 2 inches apart. cover and steam vigorously for 15 minutes. remove steamer from heat, let stand 5 minutes, then open. if using a metal steamer, place a folded tea towel across top of steamer, holding it in position with the lid. this will prevent steam from dropping onto manapua while steaming.
• 18 if baking, place manapua on their papers on a baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart. brush top of buns with a little vegetable oil and bake 20 to 25 minutes. remove from oven and allow to stand 1 minutes. serve hot.
• 19 manapua can be frozen. frozen bau may be reheated by wrapping with a paper towel and microwaving for 1 minute.