Easy Filipino Steamed Bun (Siopao)

Place the ground beef in a skillet, cooking it on its own juice. Add bay leaves. Let it brown lightly or until cooked. Remove from heat. Drain excess oil that came out, then back to the stove on medium heat.

Add the Hoisin sauce and barbecue sauce. Mix them well. Remove from heat and so with the bay leaves. Set aside.

In a small-sized bowl, mix the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in 1 cup of warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a medium or large-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 cup sugar. Mix well, add 3 tablespoons of shortening or vegetable oil, then add the water combined with yeast from earlier. Mix well with a large spoon or spatula until you form a dough. (You can mix them manually or use a hand mixer machine or a stand mixer)

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes or until it turns smooth enough. Turn into a ball and coat with oil. Place in a large bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave for an hour in a warm area of your kitchen to rise until it doubles in size. Cut 10 small squares of parchment paper to lay the sealed Siopao when you steam it later.

Back to your lightly-floured surface. Punch the dough to take out air and roll it into a log. Divide the log into 10 equal portions and turn them into a ball. For larger buns, divide it into 8 equal portions. You can just eyeball it or weigh it for more uniform size.

Using the rolling pin, take a ball and flatten it into a 5-inch circle. Scoop a tablespoon or two of your filling in the middle of the circle and gather the ends from one side towards the middle, keeping the folds in the middle as you go until you reach the other end. Hold those ends firmly together, then pinch and twist to seal. Do the same with the rest of the balls. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Lay the sealed Siopao in a steamer about an inch apart and with a small square parchment paper underneath each. Steam for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool and enjoy!