Orange Bao

Lotus Orange Filling

Directions

1. Split lotus seed into half using a butter knife. Remove & discard the inner bitter green stem.
2. Rinse lotus seed & soak in 1 liter of boiling water for 1 hour. Discard water.
3. Bring 1.5 liter of water to a boil. When boiling, turn heat to low & add soaked lotus seed & cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until lotus seed is soft. It is soft enough once the lotus seed can be easily smashed by a fork.
4. Bring 1.5 liter of water to a boil. When boiling, turn heat to low & add soaked lotus seed & cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until lotus seed is soft. It is soft enough once the lotus seed can be easily smashed by a fork.
5. On a pan, brown 2-3 tbsp of sugar. Be careful not to burn the sugar! (This step is for making brown lotus paste, skip this step if you prefer white lotus paste)
6. When the sugar has turned brown & aromatic, add blended lotus paste and stir to combine.
7. Add remaining sugar and mix.
8. Pour orange juice & cook till all liquid has evaporated & a thick paste forms.
9. Add half of the oil, mix to combine and add the remaining oil.
10. Add maltose – this makes the paste glossy & easier to “glue” together.
11. Transfer to bowl & let cool in fridge overnight.
12. Once cool, roll into balls of 35g for bao fillings.
13. Can be kept in the fridge for 1 week, or frozen for several months.

Orange Bao

Directions

1. In a stand mixer, combine ingredient A. Mix for 6 mins on low & 6 mins on medium until well combined.
2. When dough A is finished, place under a lid. Proceed to mix ingredient C in stand mixer.
3. Whilst ingredient C is mixing, divide dough A into 6 x 35g balls. Knead each individual dough into a long strand & roll into a ball. Repeat 2-3x to smoothen & activate gluten. Press ball flat, and using edge of palm, tuck the edges into middle to form a ball. Overturn ball, and with cupping motion, cup dough into a ball. Place dough under lid.
4. Repeat step 4 for dough C, divide them into 6 x 20g balls.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll one dough A & one dough C into a rough circle. Place white dough on top of orange dough. Place lotus filling in the middle. Proceed to wrap, close & seal bao completely. Place bao onto parchment paper. Repeat steps for all baos.
6. Steam baos on medium high heat for 10 mins. When done, DO NOT lift lid immediately, as the difference in temperature will deflate the bao. Be careful not to drip steam onto baos, as it will leave dents on the surface. Leave a small gap for steam to escape for several minutes before lifting the cover completely.
7. Can be kept in the fridge for 3 days, or for several months in the freezer.