Name: Gua Bao with Braised Shiitake Mushrooms, Seasoned Cucumber, and Sriracha Mayonnaise
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth; ½ cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 tablespoons oyster sauce; 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 (1½-inch) piece ginger , peeled and sliced into matchsticks; 3 garlic cloves , sliced thin; 2 whole dried arbol chiles , stemmed, seeded, and broken into pieces; 1½ pounds shiitake mushrooms , stemmed; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1 English cucumber , sliced crosswise ⅛ inch thick; 1 tablespoon sugar; ½ teaspoon table salt; ⅓ cup mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons sriracha , plus more as needed; 2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1¾ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon table salt; 1 cup warm whole milk (100 degrees); 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening; ¼ teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided; 1¼ cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems, trimmed; 3 scallions , halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces

Gua Bao with Braised Shiitake Mushrooms, Seasoned Cucumber, and Sriracha Mayonnaise

By Steve Dunn

Published on August 6, 2024

Time

2½ hours, plus 1½ hours rising

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Gua Bao with Braised Shiitake Mushrooms, Seasoned Cucumber, and Sriracha Mayonnaise

Ingredients

BRAISED MUSHROOMS

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth ½ cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons oyster sauce 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 (1½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks3 garlic cloves, sliced thin2 whole dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded, and broken into pieces1½ pounds shiitake mushrooms, stemmed1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

SEASONED CUCUMBER

1 English cucumber, sliced crosswise ⅛ inch thick1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon table salt

SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE

⅓ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons sriracha, plus more as needed

BAO

2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1¾ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt 1 cup warm whole milk (100 degrees)2 tablespoons vegetable shortening ¼ teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided1¼ cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems, trimmed3 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces

Before You Begin

This recipe requires a bamboo steamer basket; a steamer insert can be used, but the buns will need to be steamed in several batches. We prefer to use a chopstick for shaping and moving the buns, which relaxes the dough so the buns maintain their shape when steamed, but you can also use a bamboo skewer. We strongly recommend that you measure the flour for the bao by weight. An equal amount of lard or vegetable oil can be substituted for the shortening, though the buns will not be as tender and fluffy if made with vegetable oil. Two percent low-fat milk can be used instead of whole milk. Shiitakes with 1½- to 2-inch-wide caps work best here. For a spicier filling, do not seed the chiles. We recommend making the mushrooms and garnishes before preparing the buns.

Instructions

FOR THE BRAISED MUSHROOMS: Combine broth, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, and sugar in medium bowl or 4-cup liquid measuring cup.

Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add ginger, garlic, and arbols and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, then broth mixture, and stir to incorporate. Bring to boil, then adjust heat to maintain vigorous simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and continue to cook until sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in sesame oil. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve. (Mushrooms can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To reheat, cook in covered skillet over low heat until warmed through.)

FOR THE SEASONED CUCUMBER: Toss cucumber, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Pickles can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

FOR THE SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE: Combine mayonnaise and sriracha in small bowl. Add more sriracha to taste, as desired.

FOR THE BAO: Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add milk and shortening and continue to mix until no dry flour remains and dough has formed ball around hook, about 2 minutes longer. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to counter and knead briefly to form smooth ball. Grease medium bowl with ¼ teaspoon oil. Place dough in bowl and roll in oil to coat. Arrange dough in bowl seam side down and cover. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

While dough rises, cut sixteen 4-inch squares of parchment paper. Divide squares evenly between 2 rimmed baking sheets (8 squares per sheet). Place remaining 2 tablespoons oil in small bowl.

Transfer dough to counter. Press dough gently but firmly to expel all air. Knead briefly to form smooth ball. Using bench scraper or chef's knife, cut dough in half. Return half of dough to bowl and cover.

Roll remaining dough into 8-inch log. Cut log into 8 equal portions (about 1⅓ ounces each) and cover. Using your fingertips, pat 1 portion to ¼-inch-thick disk (keep remaining portions covered). Fold edges toward center and pinch to form ball. Turn ball pinched side down and round to form smooth sphere. Cover and repeat with remaining 7 portions.

Roll 1 dough ball into 6-inch oval. Transfer to small cutting board or plate and brush lightly with oil. Lightly brush chopstick with oil and lay it horizontally across center of oval. Fold oval in half over chopstick to form bun. Using chopstick, lift dough (it should drape evenly over both sides) and transfer to parchment square. Gently pull out chopstick, leaving bun folded. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Cover buns and let rise until slightly puffy, about 30 minutes. Repeat steps 10 and 11 with remaining dough, placing buns on second prepared sheet.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water to boil in 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet. Arrange first batch of buns, on parchment squares, in two 10-inch bamboo steamer baskets (4 buns per basket). Stack baskets and cover. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and set steamer in wok. Steam buns for 10 minutes (do not uncover, as buns might collapse; small wisps of steam should escape from beneath lid during cooking). Off heat, remove steamer from wok and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer buns, still on parchment, to cooling rack. Steam remaining buns.

To serve, place 2 to 3 mushrooms inside each bun. Garnish with seasoned cucumber, sriracha mayonnaise, cilantro, and scallions. Serve immediately.

STORAGE AND REHEATING: Bao can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 hours or refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, resteam (on parchment squares) for 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, bao can be frozen for up to 1 month. Arrange cooled bao (on parchment squares) in zipper-lock bag. To serve, steam from frozen (on parchment squares) until warmed through, 7 to 8 minutes.