Yakisoba Bao

I know what you're thinking.. carbs on carbs?! Trust me, this is one of the few times it works. This is my take on a classic snack that Japanese convenience stores have been selling for decades (Yakisoba in a hotdog bun).

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Loosen yakisoba noodles by rinsing in hot water and straining.

Step 2

Make sauce by combining worcestershire, oyster sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar.

Step 3

In a large pan over medium heat, sear pork belly and season with salt. Once browned, add thinly sliced onions and carrots and cook until translucent (about 2 min).

Step 4

Add thinly sliced cabbage and shiitake mushrooms and cook until soft (about 2 min). Then add noodles and toss until heated through.

Step 5

Add sauce mixture, mix. Turn off heat and add thinly sliced scallions.

Step 6

Assembly with baos, garnish with aonori and pickled ginger.

Step 7

Mix the yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk (~35 C) and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

Step 8

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead until a rough dough forms. (~4 minutes). Cover and rest the dough for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 9

Punch the air out of the dough and divide the dough into 70 g portions. Form each piece into balls. Roll out each ball and brush one side with oil and fold over.

Step 10

Place each bao onto a parchment square and proof it for 15 minutes. Transfer the baos into a steaming basket and steam for 10 minutes.