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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 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8 Jumbo Bao
Ingredients Equipment Method

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

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Instant read thermometer
  • Steamer

Method
 

Prepare Bao / Mantou Dough
  1. In a measuring cup, add warm water and instant yeast together to start. Yeast will start to foam in about 10 minutes.
  2. 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.
  3. Pulse canola oil into the dry ingredients in the food processor.
  4. While food processor/ stand mixer is running, slowly pour in the yeast water mixture, ensuring all contents are added mixed in.
  5. Wet sticky dough should form. Knead in food processor or stand mixer for 5 minutes.
  6. Place dough into a large bowl in a warm area of the kitchen, cover and allow to proof 1 hour.
  7. 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.
  8. Place each dough piece onto a small parchment square, cover again and allow to proof 1 hour.
Prepare Texas Twinkie Filling
  1. Cut Monterey Jack Cheese and cream cheese into ¼” cubes and place into freezer.
  2. In the same food processor bowl used for the dough, add cooked cabbage and roasted jalapeno and poblano peppers. Pulse into finer texture.
  3. Add brisket to the cabbage and pepper mix in the food processor and pulse. Texture can be a fine or coarse as desired.
  4. Pour brisket mixture into large bowl.
  5. Stir in bacon bits/ crumble and BBQ sauce. Set aside in the fridge.
  6. When bao is proofed, stir in frozen or partially frozen Monterey Jack cheese into the brisket mixture.
Bao Folding and Steaming
  1. 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
  2. Place flattened dough in the palm of your less dominant hand.
    Steamed Bao Folding - place flattened dough in palm of hand
  3. 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
  4. Bring outer edges to the middle to pinch downwards into the middle.
    Steamed Bao Folding - fold in outer edges downwards in the middle
  5. Continue to pinch outer edges to the middle in downwards motion.
    Steamed Bao Folding - seal the last remaining opening downwards into the center
  6. Seal the top of the bao in towards the center downwards.
    Steamed Bao Folding - Seal opening
  7. Place filled bao onto parchment and into steamer.
  8. When steamer basket is full, steam for 20-25 minutes or until the dough registers 195F on an instant read thermometer.