Baozi

Preparing the ingredients:

1. 1Rehydrate the black mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes.
2. 2Finely slice the mushrooms once rehydrated and well drained.
3. 3Finely chop the spring onions.

Preparing the bun dough:

1. 4In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and dry yeast.
2. 5Gradually pour in the water while stirring, until you get an even dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.
3. 6Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
4. 7Put it back in the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preparing the filling:

1. 8While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.
2. 9In a large bowl, mix the ground pork with the black mushrooms, sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, spring onions, and pepper.
3. 10Mix thoroughly until well combined.
4. 11Form eight even balls of filling, then refrigerate.

Shaping the buns:

1. 12Once the dough has rested, flour the work surface, then roll it out into a rectangle about 30 x 40 cm.
2. 13Then roll the dough onto itself lengthwise to form an even log.
3. 14Divide the log into eight equal portions (about 47 g each).
4. 15Shape each portion into a small ball, then gently flatten it into a disc about 10 cm in diameter, keeping it slightly thicker in the center.

Assembling the baozi:

1. 16Cut the hard-boiled eggs into 8 pieces.
2. 17Place a piece of hard-boiled egg and a ball of filling in the center of each dough circle.
3. 18Gently bring the edges of the dough toward the center to enclose the filling, then shape into a ball.
4. 19Seal well by pinching the edges together to prevent any opening during cooking.

Proofing and steaming the baozi:

1. 20Place the baozi on small squares of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the steamer basket.
2. 21Place the baozi in a bamboo steamer, over warm water (about 38°C), then let them proof covered for 30 minutes.
3. 22Steam the baozi for 15 minutes, starting from when steam first appears.