Jam Bao-nuts

For the dough, place flour, milk powder, baking powder, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and mix. In a separate bowl or jug, mix the vegetable oil and water. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquids. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to knead until the dough comes together. Empty out onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead for 5–10 minutes or until smooth. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover and rest in a warm place for 90 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for five spice sugar coating and leave aside.

Once risen, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and knead for another 2-3 minutes. The aim here is to remove as many air bubbles as possible. Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 2cm (just under 1”) thickness. Use a 7cm (2¾”) diameter pastry cutter to cut rounds. Re-roll the remaining scraps of dough to make 12 rounds in total. Place the rounds on your baking paper squares. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for a further 30 minutes.

Place the buns in a steamer basket (you’ll need to do this in batches) set over boiling water. Cover and steam for 10 minutes or until fluffy and cooked through. Transfer steamed buns to a tray.

Fill a saucepan or wok to about one-third capacity with the vegetable oil. Heat over high heat. Once the oil is hot (165°C/325°F, or when a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms small bubbles), pick up a bao bun and pat dry with paper towel before carefully sliding it into the oil. Repeat with another 3-4 buns. Cook, flipping often, until golden brown. Then drain on a wire rack set over a baking tray. Repeat with remaining buns.

While the buns are warm, toss them in the five spice sugar coating.

Fill a medium-sized piping bag with the baker’s jam. Use a chopstick to poke a hole through the side of a coated bao, then pipe the jam inside. Repeat with remaining donuts, then enjoy!

– Baker’s jam, also known as ‘jam filling’, is a fruit jam used in professional bakery jam doughnuts, Swiss rolls and slices etc. It is very smooth, thick and stable. Find it in the baking aisle of your supermarket or at a specialty bake shop.