Char siu bao

Lao mian step one: mix yeast, water and cake flour to a rough dough, cover and leave at room temperature 12 to 16 hours until porous and sticky.

Step two: mix in another 50 g cake flour and 30 g water, cover and leave another 12 to 16 hours.

Step three: mix in 100 g cake flour and 60 g water and leave another 12 to 16 hours.

Mix the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, water and red yeast powder into a sauce.

Over medium heat drizzle the vegetable oil into a saucepan, add the scallions, minced garlic, sliced ginger and purple onion and stir a few minutes until the garlic is golden at the edge.

Pour in the sauce, cover and simmer on low 5 minutes, then skim out the aromatics, squeezing the liquid from them.

Keep the heat low and stir in the cornstarch and water slurry until thick and sticky; turn off the heat, fold in the diced char siu.

Chill the filling in the fridge overnight, then portion into 12 pieces of about 30 g, roll into balls and return to the fridge.

Transfer the two-day fermented lao mian to a big bowl and mix in the sugar, room temperature butter and alkaline water with a spatula for 5 minutes until smooth, elastic and stretchy.

Stir in the baker's ammonia for a few minutes to dissolve it.

Sieve in the cake flour and baking powder and mix a couple of minutes until the flour joins together.

Knead by hand about 5 minutes, adding flour gradually, until smooth and non-stick to a quick tap but sticky to a lingering hand.

Roll the dough into an even log and divide into 12 pieces of about 50 g, covered with an upside down bowl.

Flatten each piece and roll it into a thin patty about 9 cm in diameter, rolling the edge back and forth.

Put a filling ball in the middle, pinch a quarter inch pleat and keep pleating around, then twist and pinch to close.

Set each bun on parchment paper in the steamer.

Steam immediately without further proofing: pre-boil the water, then steam over the highest heat possible for 18 minutes.