Banh Bao - Vietnamese steamed buns

Ingredients : 

1 bag mixed flour to make 8 buns - ( i prefer any brand made in the us )

Milk , mushroom , sausage , yellow onion , green onion , 

1 lb Ground Pork ,1 lb Shrimp ,4 Eggs 

making dough : 
1 cup milk + 1/2 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon vinegar : stir well

In a large bowl , mix flour and milk for 5 minutes or until  soft dough 

                                 

Hand knead for 5 more minutes , let the dough rest for another 1 hour to double in size . 

Making filling while the dough is rising 
Boiled eggs : cut each in half
Sausage : half finely minced , half thinly sliced
Mushroom , yellow onion , green onion , finely chopped
In a large bowl ,ground pork + shrimp + mushroom + green + yellow onion +  minced sausage +  some black pepper + sugar + 1 teaspoon sesame oil + 1 tablespoon soy sauce : mix well
Adjust the taste of the mixture by microwaving some meat . Add salt if needed

here's how i make the meatballs : 1 scoop of meat - 1 pc egg  - 1 scoop of meat , 2 pc. sausage on top

Note : 1 bag of flour makes only 8 big buns so divide the dough into 8 equal pieces .

 I used more flour to make 10 buns so there i cut it into10 pieces

Microwave the meatballs for about 3 minutes . This helps the ba'nh not to be soggy  after steam

 roll  dough ball flat but not too thin , place a meatball in the center ,  making pleats in dough and twisting tight to seal it .

When water boils  , pour 1/3 cup of vinegar to the boiling water ,  placing  the buns in the steamer a few inches apart , steam for 15 minutes .

  

you can make a bunch of these ahead , steam ,plastic wrap and freeze . They make great breakfast treats .

And if you're vegetarian , just eliminate the meat and shrimp and  use all of your favorite veggies to make healthy vegetarian steamed buns . Happy cooking :)