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Texas Twinkie Steamed Bao

Texas Twinkie Steamed Bao

Asian fusion of Texas Twinkies and Steamed Bao - jalapenos, cheese, bacon, brisket and BBQ sauce in an enclosed sandwich? Yes please!
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Prep Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Servings 8 Jumbo Bao

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Instant read thermometer
  • Steamer

Ingredients
  

Bao/ Mantou Dough

  • 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ¾ cup /175g warm water 110F
  • 2 ¼ cup 348g white unbleached flour
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ cup /39g cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

Texas Twinkie/ Jalapeno Popper Brisket Filling

  • 1 jalapeno peppers roasted with skins and seeds removed
  • 1 poblano peppers roasted with skins and seeds removed
  • 2 oz cream cheese cut into ¼” cubes
  • 2 oz Monterey Jack cheese cut into ¼” cubes
  • ¼ lb /115g cooked brisket
  • 1 ¼ cup / 140g cooked unseasoned shredded cabbage/ coleslaw mix (I pan fried to cook)
  • 1/3 cup cooked bacon bits/ crumble
  • 1/3 cup BBQ sauce I like Blues Hog Original

Instructions
 

Prepare Bao / Mantou Dough

  • In a measuring cup, add warm water and instant yeast together to start. Yeast will start to foam in about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large food processor or stand mixer with dough hook, pulse or mix together flour, white sugar, table salt, baking powder and cornstarch.
  • Pulse canola oil into the dry ingredients in the food processor.
  • While food processor/ stand mixer is running, slowly pour in the yeast water mixture, ensuring all contents are added mixed in.
  • Wet sticky dough should form. Knead in food processor or stand mixer for 5 minutes.
  • Place dough into a large bowl in a warm area of the kitchen, cover and allow to proof 1 hour.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, place dough onto floured surface and divide dough into 8 equal pieces (for jumbo bao/ buns) or 12 or 16 equal pieces.
  • Place each dough piece onto a small parchment square, cover again and allow to proof 1 hour.

Prepare Texas Twinkie Filling

  • Cut Monterey Jack Cheese and cream cheese into ¼” cubes and place into freezer.
  • In the same food processor bowl used for the dough, add cooked cabbage and roasted jalapeno and poblano peppers. Pulse into finer texture.
  • Add brisket to the cabbage and pepper mix in the food processor and pulse. Texture can be a fine or coarse as desired.
  • Pour brisket mixture into large bowl.
  • Stir in bacon bits/ crumble and BBQ sauce. Set aside in the fridge.
  • When bao is proofed, stir in frozen or partially frozen Monterey Jack cheese into the brisket mixture.

Bao Folding and Steaming

  • Gently flatten dough and roll out edges, allowing the middle section to be slightly thicker than the edges (1/8” thick).
    Steam Bao Folding - thinner edge than in the middle
  • Place flattened dough in the palm of your less dominant hand.
    Steamed Bao Folding - place flattened dough in palm of hand
  • Place a spoonful of the filling into the center of the bao, pinch the center bottom edges together.
    Steamed Bao Folding - pinch center bottom edges together
  • Bring outer edges to the middle to pinch downwards into the middle.
    Steamed Bao Folding - fold in outer edges downwards in the middle
  • Continue to pinch outer edges to the middle in downwards motion.
    Steamed Bao Folding - seal the last remaining opening downwards into the center
  • Seal the top of the bao in towards the center downwards.
    Steamed Bao Folding - Seal opening
  • Place filled bao onto parchment and into steamer.
  • When steamer basket is full, steam for 20-25 minutes or until the dough registers 195F on an instant read thermometer.