Chicken BBQ Pau & Red Bean Pau (Steam Buns)

This was done at home, using the same recipe from the class. Smooth filling was not self made.

As I was saying in my previous post, I took a day off to attend a baking class in Damansara Heights. There were numerous class for me to choose from but in the end, I settled on pau making class instead of pastry pro class. I reckon I will never venture to make a puff pastry since frozen ones are easily accessible. As for sweet pastry, I've done that countless times. I made the right decision because I got to learn how to make pau and the filling from scratch. Yes, from deboning the chicken meat to cooking the red bean filling from the red beans. It was very unfortunate that I couldn't eat the very own chicken BBQ pau I made because I'm still on a vegan marathon. Errr.... I tasted the gravy though coz I know I'll never sleep that night without knowing how the BBQ filling taste like. It sure smell wonderful to my nostrils.

Wholemeal Chicken BBQ Pau made in the class.

Okay, I know the pau looked kinda hideous but it was my very 1st time making pleats to the pau instead of just a boring round shape. I gotta perfect this skill and that means more practice. My next pau will be a vegetarian pau. When? Well... soon. Sooner than you thought.

The wholemeal pau. The one behind was yam pau (flour with yam) with red bean filling

Yes, unsightly pleated but hey this is just the beginning. It's my 2nd attempt anyway

As per request from a friend, here's the recipe.

Ingredients for pau :

1 tsp instant yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 tbsp sugar

3/4 plain flour

3/4 wholemeal flour

1 tsp cooking oil

1 tsp double action baking powder (I omitted this entirely)

Ingredients for filling :

300g chicken pieces, skinless, boneless, cut cubes, marinated in 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper

3/4 cup green peas

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornflour

Method : Pau

1. Mix instant yeast, sugar and warm water and let it stand for 5 mins.
2. Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for about 15 mins until it forms an elastic ball.
3. Cover with damp cloth and let it rest for about 30 mins

Method : Filling

1. Heat up oil and fry the garlic and onion.
2. Add in chopped onions, peas and chicken cubes.
3. Add in the hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil.
4. Mix cornflour with a little water and thicken the filling.

Method : Wrapping filling in pau

1. Divide dough to about 8 portions. If you prefer pau to be smaller, divide to 10 or 12 portions. Roll them into balls.
2. Flatten each dough and make the edges thinner.
3. Scoop a spoon full of filling into the centre and pleat to seal.
4. Place pau on a piece of greaseproof paper. Repeat for remaining dough.
5. Cover the pau with damp cloth and leave it to rest for 45 mins.
6. Steam over high heat for 15 mins. Serve hot.

My cooking tips : The double action baking powder serves to proof the dough faster. To ensure dough is well knead for proofing, pull the dough. If it's quite elastic and doesn't break so easily, then dough is well knead.

My team mates in the class. Starting to make the pau shape.

 

Kneading the dough for proofing later on.