Korean Chicken Bao (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Bao Buns
01 -
450g plain (all-purpose) flour
02 -
2 tbsp caster sugar
03 -
½ tsp salt
04 -
2 tsp instant dried yeast (7g)
05 -
3 tbsp whole milk
06 -
210ml warm water
07 -
3 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
08 -
1 tbsp olive oil
→ Chicken and Marinade
09 -
4 chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size chunks
10 -
240ml buttermilk
11 -
½ tsp salt
12 -
¼ tsp white pepper
13 -
¼ tsp garlic salt
→ Crispy Coating
14 -
180g plain (all-purpose) flour
15 -
1 tsp salt
16 -
1 tsp ground black pepper
17 -
½ tsp garlic salt
18 -
½ tsp celery salt
19 -
1 tsp dried thyme
20 -
1 tsp paprika
21 -
1 tsp baking powder
22 -
1 tsp chilli flakes
23 -
Vegetable oil for deep frying (at least 1 litre)
→ Korean Sauce
24 -
2 tbsp gochujang paste
25 -
2 tbsp honey
26 -
4 tbsp brown sugar
27 -
4 tbsp soy sauce
28 -
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
29 -
2 tsp minced ginger
30 -
1 tbsp vegetable oil
31 -
1 tbsp sesame oil
→ To Serve
32 -
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
33 -
¼ cucumber, chopped into small pieces
34 -
Small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
35 -
2 tsp black and white sesame seeds
# Instructions:
01 -
Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Combine milk, warm water, and butter in a jug until butter melts. Stir liquid into dry ingredients, then knead for 10 minutes on a floured surface or using a mixer with dough hook.
02 -
Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with clingfilm or damp tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size, about 90-120 minutes.
03 -
While dough proves, place chicken pieces in a bowl with buttermilk, salt, white pepper, and garlic salt. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
04 -
After first prove, knead dough again and divide into 20 equal balls. Roll each into an oval (approximately 6cm x 9cm) on baking parchment. Brush with olive oil and fold over using a chopstick in the middle to leave space in the fold.
05 -
Place folded buns on baking parchment sheets. Cover with clingfilm (ensuring it doesn't touch the dough) and prove for another hour until puffed up.
06 -
Preheat oven to low temperature. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or deep fryer. Mix together all crispy coating ingredients in a bowl.
07 -
Remove chicken from refrigerator. Lift pieces from buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off, then thoroughly coat in the crispy coating mixture.
08 -
Once oil is hot, cook chicken in batches of 10-12 pieces for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm in preheated oven while cooking remaining batches.
09 -
Bring water to boil in a large steamer. Working in batches, steam buns (still on parchment paper) for 10 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate.
10 -
Combine gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
11 -
Place all cooked chicken in a bowl and pour the sauce over. Toss thoroughly to coat each piece.
12 -
Carefully open steamed bao buns and fill with Korean chicken. Top with sliced red onion, cucumber pieces, fresh coriander, and sesame seeds before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
The bao buns can be made ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat in microwave for 15-20 seconds or steam for 4-5 minutes.
02 -
Bao buns can be frozen after cooking. Defrost overnight in refrigerator or reheat from frozen by steaming 5-6 minutes.
03 -
For make-ahead Korean chicken, refrigerate cooked chicken and sauce separately for up to one day. Reheat chicken uncovered at 190°C for 10-12 minutes, then toss with reheated sauce.
04 -
For a healthier version, the chicken can be baked instead of fried using a chicken tender recipe.
05 -
A full-steam oven can be used instead of a steamer pan. Steam buns at 100°C for 8-10 minutes.