Gua bao with sweet potato ‘belly’

Name: Gua bao with sweet potato ‘belly’
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons white sugar; 1½ tablespoons rice wine or dry white wine; ¾ cup (185 ml) lukewarm water; ½ teaspoon sesame oil; 1 small carrot; 6 garlic cloves, crushed; Crushed peanuts, coriander (cilantro) and Sriracha sauce, to serve; ¼ teaspoon five spice powder; 3 sweet potatoes, peeled; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 2 cups (300 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 2 teaspoons active dried yeast; 1 small cucumber; 1 teaspoon white sugar; 4 star anise; 4 x 2.5 cm pieces ginger; ¼ cup (60 ml) light soy sauce; pinch of white pepper

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
1 hr 30

Appears in

Jackfruit and Blue Ginger

By Sasha Gill

Published 2019

About

Originally from Taiwan, gua bao is a popular street food whose fame has spread rapidly, thanks in part to Momofuku. Here’s my spin on it: a balancing act of succulent sweet potato ‘belly’, briny pickle and crunchy peanuts.

Ingredients

¾ cup (185 ml) lukewarm water
2 tablespoons white sugar

Asia
China
Taiwan
Burger
Main course
Vegan

Method

First make the bun dough. In a large bowl, combine the water, sugar and yeast and set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes. Sift in the flour, then add the salt, baking powder and oil. Knead until the dough comes together, then tip it out onto a countertop and knead for about 7 minutes, until it forms a smooth elastic ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a