Gua Bao - Pork Bao Buns

Cut 1/2 large english cucumber into 0.5cm wide wedges. Mix with the remaining pickled cucumber ingredients and set aside covered in the fridge until needed. They should pickle for at least an hour, but is best overnight.

Add 250 g plain flour, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp instant dried yeast to a stand mixer mixing bowl and combine. Add 2 tbsp milk, 100 ml warm water and 2 tbsp vegetable oil to the bowl. Mix on low for 8 minutes.

Cover the bowl and leave until doubled in size, about an hour depending on temperature.

Meanwhile start on the pork filling. Cut the 500 g pork shoulder into lengths roughly 3cm wide, 10cm long, and 1cm thick. Add them to the instant pot along with the 500 ml chicken stock, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp rice wine and 1/2 tbsp caster sugar. Set the instant pot to high and pressure cook for 20 minutes.

Once the dough has proved, separate the dough evenly for the required number of buns. Cover the dough balls with a moist cloth to avoid them drying out too much.

Roll each dough ball into an oval roughly 10cm by 20cm. Brush each oval with a little vegetable oil and fold them in half lengthways with the oil inside the fold, placing a chopstick in the middle to leave a small gap along the bend. Remove the chopstick by sliding it out, spinning it at the same time helps prevent sticking.

Place each folded dough oval onto a large piece of baking paper, keeping at least a couple of centimetres between each piece of dough. Cover them with a moist cloth or cling wrap and let them prove for another 30 minutes.

Put a large steamer onto the boil. When the bao buns have finished proving, cut the baking paper around each bun and place it into the steamer, working in batches as needed. Steam the buns for 15 minutes.

While the buns are steaming, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to a pan over medium heat. Once the pan has preheated, drain the cooked pork pieces and add them to the pan to crisp them up. Keep them moving and flip them as needed until both sides are golden brown. Add the 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp dark soy sauce and mix until they are coated and the sauce has thickened to a glaze. Turn off the heat and keep them warm until final assembly.

Mix the 2 tbsp mayonnaise and 2 tbsp sriracha to make a spicy sauce.

Open the buns and add the cooked pork, pickled cucumbers, sriracha mayo and the remaining toppings. Serve immediately.