Thai cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Salapao Sai Gai

Snow-white steamed yeast buns filled with savory chicken, shiitake and an egg substitute for quail egg.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 400 g wheat flour
• 1 packet dry yeast (7 g)
• 60 g sugar
• 200 ml lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 400 g chicken breast fillet
• 150 g shiitake mushrooms
• 4 spring onions
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and baking powder, add the lukewarm water and 2 tbsp oil, and knead for 10 min into a smooth, soft dough; cover and let rise for 60 min until doubled in size.
2. Hard-boil the eggs for 9 min, shock in cold water, peel and quarter.
3. Finely dice the chicken breast fillet and shiitake mushrooms, cut the spring onions into rings, and sauté everything in the remaining oil for 6–7 min until the liquid has evaporated.
4. Season with oyster sauce, soy sauce and white pepper, simmer the filling for 2 min until compact, and let it cool completely.
5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll each into a disc thicker in the middle, place 1 tbsp filling and an egg quarter on top, gather the edge upward in pleats, and twist closed at the top.
6. Place the buns seam-side up on squares of parchment paper, let rise for 20 min, and steam over bubbling water for 15 min; only open the lid after resting 3 min so they don't collapse.