Every so often I find a book character that I love so much that they seem to transcend the page and become a friend. This is what happened to my daughters and I when we began reading the Amy Wu book series by Kat Zhang and Charlene Chua. Amy Wu is a sort of kindred spirit and a spirited powerhouse of creative energy. My girls and I adore her adventures. Our favorite book so far is Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao.
In the book Amy is tired of feeling like she is too little to get in the kitchen and cook. She longs to create her own bao (delicious Chinese steamed buns) like her parents and grandmother. So determined to do it herself. She carefully puts together a plan to make the perfect bao. However when her plan hits a snag Amy has to get creative.
I can relate to Amy’s struggle. As kid I wanted more than anything to get in the kitchen and cook on my own. As a five and six year old I longed to make fancy frosted layer cakes. There were understandably rules about not using the oven. So desperate to bake I stacked and frosted sandwich bread. Perhaps not the best plan, but I was learning. Looking back those frosted sandwich bread cakes turned out to be important to me because they fueled my desire to keep creating and baking.
So when my daughters like Amy Wu want to get in the kitchen and cook I let them. There are a few rules for safety. However, sometimes I look the other way when it come to kitchen messes. They have made their own toast and jam cakes and many other creative dishes along the way. The important thing is they are learning and getting a chance to try something on their own. Amy Wu reminds kids and even kids at heart to persevere and not let the little things (like using the oven and small fingers) stand in the way of your dreams.
After reading this book my daughters had to get in the kitchen to make their own bao buns. My oldest daughter was so serious about it that she specifically asked for a bamboo steamer for her birthday. So we put her new steamer to work and got in the kitchen to make Amy Wu’s bao. Our recipe has a few adaptations to the filling to make them perfect for our family.
Amy Wu’s Perfect Bao Recipe- Makes 20 Bao
Bao Dough
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2¼ tsp)
- 1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup, plus a pinch of sugar
- 1 cup low fat milk
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- You will also need a bamboo steamer and twenty 2 inch square squares of parchment paper
Prepare the bao dough.
First, bloom the yeast. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl add the hot water and stir in a pinch of sugar. Then stir in the yeast packet. Let it sit for five minutes until the yeast begins to bubble and grow.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine 3½ cups of the flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup sugar.
Next, add the milk, oil and yeast mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are well incorporated. Knead the dough. Use a bit of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour to flour the kneading surface and add a small amount only if the dough is still sticky. (I found that I didn’t need to add much). Continue to knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes. You will know the dough is ready when a thumbprint pressed into the dough slowly rises back.
Form the dough into a ball. Clean the bowl and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Place the dough ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place until the dough doubles in size about 1 to 1½ hours. (Note if your kitchen is a bit chilly like mine is this time of year, then turn on your oven. Place the dough bowl on top of the oven as it rises. The oven will warm your kitchen which helps with the rise.)
Gently punch down the dough and knead it for another 5 minutes. Place it back in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for an additional hour.
Bao Filling
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tsp fresh garlic, peeled and minced
While the dough is rising make the pork filling. In a medium sized mixing bowl add the ground pork, egg, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger powder, fresh ginger and garlic. Mix well and form into generous rounded tablespoon sized meatballs. Refrigerate the meatballs until you are ready to assemble the bao.
Once the dough has risen a second time, it is time to assemble the bao. First, cut 20 two inch parchment paper squares and prepare your steamer. Use a wok or a deep sided skillet that your steamer fit inside. Fill the skillet half way full with water and heat it on medium heat. You want the water level at time of cooking to be just below the bottom steamer rack. Wait to add your steamer when the bao are ready to be cooked.
Next shape the bao dough into a rope that is 3 inches in diameter and then cut the dough into 20 equal sized pieces. Take each piece of dough and flatten it into a rough circle. the with a rolling pen or by hand roll or press our the edges to make about a 5 inch diameter circle. The dough should be thicker in the center and thinner on the edges.
Then take the seasoned pork meatballs and place one in the center of the dough circle. Pleat the top of the dough by creating small back and forth fan like folds in the dough all along the top. It will look like a little ribbon drawn purse.
Then pinch and bring the folds together and twist them to form a top that resembles the shape of a garlic head. Take the twisted tip and press it down in the center.
Place each pleated bao on a parchment paper square. Pleated boa should rest for 15 minutes before they are steamed. It takes at least this long to pleat all the bao so by the time you finish the first batch will be ready to go.
My daughters wanted to be a part of this reading and eating post so we made a little video on how to roll and pleat the bao buns.
Place the about 5 to 6 bao on each layer of the steamer. Carefully put the steamer in the simmering water and steam the bao for 10 minutes.
Then remove the steamer from the heat heat for 3 to 4 minutes before removing the lid, to keep the bao from deflating. Repeat the steaming process adding more water to the pan as needed until all the bao are cooked.
Then the best part eating and sharing the bao.
So, cook up an adventure in your own kitchen. These bao take a little time, but most of it is spent allowing the dough to rise. The assembly of the bao went quickly with the three of us working together. My girls and I really enjoyed learning something new! These bao buns were so delicious that I am sure we will making more soon. They would be wonderful to make for Chinese new year next week or to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games.
