Steamed Baozi Stuffed with Meat, Original Chinese Recipe

Start by preparing the dough for the baozi, combine in a bowl the warm water, the yeast and mix slightly letting it rest for about 5 minutes. In the mixer combine the flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and baking soda. Activate the mixer and gradually add the water and yeast mixture so that it blends well with the dry ingredients. Also add the milk and knead until you have obtained a smooth, elastic and homogeneous dough. 

Cover the dough with cling film and let it double in volume in a part of the kitchen not subject to drafts. The baozi dough will need to rise for about 2 hours, during this time dedicate yourself to the meat filling.

Finely chop the shallots and grate the fresh ginger. Chop the pak choi (which is a crunchy Chinese cabbage replaceable with our black cabbage or with the ribs), then put it in a colander after sprinkling it with a tablespoon of coarse salt in this way it will lose all its natural vegetation water and the baozi will not be too moist.

Finely chop the pork loin slices and put the mince in a large bowl, add cabbage, shallots and ginger and then add the soy sauce, 40 gr of sugar, sesame seed oil, pepper, the oyster sauce, the curry and the egg.

Mix all the ingredients very well, add a drizzle of oil and let it rest for about 30 minutes so that the flavors blend together better.

At this point roll out the dough into a sheet about half a centimeter high. With a 10 cm diameter pastry cutter cut out the pasta discs. In each circle of pasta place a spoonful of filling and close the dough into a small package upwards. 

Place the baozi in the steamer covered with perforated parchment paper and let them rest for an hour. At this point steam the baozi for 15 minutes, then turn off the water pot heat and let it rest for 5-8 minutes before serving.