[Japanese Recipes] Butaman - Pork Buns

Usually Japanese pork buns called Nikuman (Meat buns) but the one I had in Love, Japan was called “Butaman”!

Niku means meat and Buta means pork.

Mix together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a standard mixer. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

In to the yeast mixture, mix remaining warm water, flour, salt, sugar and oil. Knead the dough on medium-low speed until the dough became as a one piece and the surface is smooth and elastic.

Take out the dough and shape as a circle.

Grease the same mixing bowl we made the dough and place the dough.

Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise 3 hours or until tripled in size.

Sprinkle flour and baking powder evenly on the work surface and bring the dough.

Knead for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape and roll each into a ball in between your palms. Place each ball on a parchment paper lined bakings heet. Cover with a slightly damp towel and let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, let’s make the pork buns filling!

In a mixing bowl, combine ground pork, chopped onion, chopped only white & light green part of leek, chopped garlic, soy sauce, sake, sugar, salt and pepper! Mix well.

Now, bring one ball at a time to work surface, slightly flatten it with your palm. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into 3” circle, but make sure center is slightly thicker then its edge.

Put 3 to 4 Tablespoons of filling into center and bring edge to top with your index finger and thumb to seal while your left thumb is pushing filling inside. Stretch and pinch until it shaped completely.

Place Japanese pork buns on a parchment paper lined steamer and repeat with rest of the ingredients.

Give pork buns about 1 1/2-inch room from reach other, when they steam they will extend their size.

Let the pork buns rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring water to a boil in a wok. Bring a steamer rack with pork buns to wok. Make sure water is not touching the steamer or the buns.

Cover and steam for 15 minutes or until pork buns are fluffy and fully cooked.

Remove the lid before turning off the heat, otherwise water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish “blisters” on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

Enjoy sweet and savory Japanese Pork Bun, Butaman!

How to Freeze

If you want to freeze the pork buns, as soon as it’s done cooking, transfer to a ziplock bag or air tight container. Either pack them single or make sure a piece of parchment paper is in between then buns. Freeze immediately.


When you are ready to eat

1. Microwave 30 to 60 seconds in the original bag/container.

2. Take our the pork bun from the bag/container, re-steam for 5 minutes or until all the way warm.

3. Take our the pork bun from the bag/container, place in your rice cooker as “warm” position, about 1hr. You could do this with rice inside but If your rice cooker is empty, add some water on the bottom and place a small wrack.

JAPANESE PORK BUNS


Author: Seonkyoung Longest
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 8 buns 1x

INGREDIENTS
For the Dough (Recipe originally inspired by kitchme.com)

• 1 Tbsp Active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (use blenched flour if you want complete white buns)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (use blenched flour if you want complete white buns)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp oil (I used avocado oil. You can use any oil that has light color and flavor ex. vegetable, canola or sunflower seeds)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the Filling

• 1/2 medium size onion, chopped
• 1/2 large leek only white & light green part, chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 oz ground pork
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sake
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Asian mustard or sriracha to your taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a standard mixer. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. In to the yeast mixture, mix remaining warm water, flour, salt, sugar and oil. Knead the dough on medium-low speed until the dough became as a one piece and the surface is smooth and elastic. Take out the dough and shape as a circle. Grease the same mixing bowl we made the dough and place the dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise 3 hours or until tripled in size.
3. Sprinkle flour and baking powder evenly on the work surface and bring the dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape and roll each into a ball in between your palms. Place each ball on a parchment paper lined bakings heet. Cover with a slightly damp towel and let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, let’s make the filling!
5. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and mix well.
6. Now, bring one ball at a time to work surface, slightly flatten it with your palm. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into 3” circle, but make sure center is slightly thicker then its edge.
7. Put 3 to 4 Tablespoons of filling into center and bring edge to top with your index finger and thumb to seal while your left thumb is pushing filling inside. Stretch and pinch until it shaped completely. Place sealed pork bun on a parchment paper lined steamer and repeat with rest of the ingredients. Give pork buns about 1 1/2-inch room from reach other, when they steam they will extend their size. Let the pork buns rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Bring water to a boil in a wok. Bring a steamer rack with pork buns to wok. Make sure water is not touching the steamer or the buns. Cover and steam for 15 minutes or until pork buns are fluffy and fully cooked. Remove the lid before turning off the heat, otherwise water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish “blisters” on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked. Enjoy!

How to Freeze

If you want to freeze the buns, as soon as it’s done cooking, transfer to a ziplock bag or air tight container. Either pack them single or make sure a piece of parchment paper is in between then buns. Freeze immediately.
When you are ready to eat;
1. Microwave 30 to 60 seconds in the original bag/container.
2. Take our the bun from the bag/container, re-steam for 5 minutes or until all the way warm.
3. Take our the bun from the bag/container, place in your rice cooker as “warm” position, about 1hr. You could do this with rice inside but If your rice cooker is empty, add some water on the bottom and place a small wrack.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Seonkyounglongest.com. Thanks so much!