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Halloumi Bao Buns

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Cypriot
Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the Bao Buns

  • 300 g Cake Flour
  • 225 g All Purpose Flour , plus extra for dusting
  • 150 ml Fresh Milk Full Fat , 3%, Charalambides Christis
  • 100 ml Water
  • 1 tsp Dry Yeast , about 8g (1 sachet)
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tbsp Fine Sugar , plus a pinch
  • 1 tbsp Rapeseed Oil , plus extra for greasing and brushing
  • 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
  • ¾ tsp Fine Sea Salt

For the filling

  • 2 Organic Halloumi , Charalambides Christis, sliced in 6-7mm pieces and then cut into four sticks out of each slice
  • 1 Carrot , julienned or cut in matchsticks
  • 1 Cucumber , not peeled and julienned or cut in matchsticks
  • 1 cup Hummus
  • 50 ml Pomegranate Molasses
  • 60 ml Pepper Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Black Sesame Seeds
  • ¼ cup Radishes , not peeled and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh Mint , small leaves picked
  • ¼ cup fresh micro leaves

Instructions

  • Place in a cup the yeast along with 1½ tbsp of the sugar and the salt. Pour 4 tbsp lukewarm water and dissolve.
  • Place in the bowl of a food mixer, with a dough hook attached, the flours along with the baking powder and the rest of the sugar, ½ tbsp. Add the diluted yeast along with the milk, water, oil and the rice vinegar. Mix on low speed until the ingredients have come to together to form a dough, then turn up the speed and knead for 7’, until you have a smooth dough, adding a little extra water if needed.
  • Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and leave to prove for 2 hrs until doubled in size. You can refrigerate overnight if not using the same day.
  • Flour a work surface and tip out the proved dough. Roll the dough with a rolling pin and flatten it to about 50x50cm and 3mm thickness. If too sticky, dust with a little more flour.
  • With a use of a 10cm round cutter cut the dough. Transfer them into a dish lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean dump towel and let them rise for 20’.
  • Put a large pot with water on high heat and add the bamboo basket/steamer in it taking care not to submerge the base of the basket. Line the steamer’s baskets with parchment paper and lightly brush them with oil.
  • When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, very lightly oil one side of the dough pieces, fold them and add 3 of them in each basket. Cover with the basket’s cover and steam the buns for 20’ until puffed up. Repeat the process for the rest.
  • In the meantime, fry the halloumi in some oil until golden.
  • Mix the hummus with the pomegranate molasses and keep aside.
  • To fill the buns, prise open each one and lightly brush along the center of the bun with the pomegranate hummus, then add 3-4 sticks of the halloumi along with the carrots, cucumbers and radishes. Lightly squeeze the peppers sauce, sprinkle the black sesame seeds and garnish with the mint and the microleaves.
  • Eat while they’re still warm.

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