Pink Baozi

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, warm the beetroot juice until lukewarm, stir in the sugar and yeast and leave to rest for 5 Min. Then slowly add the juice to the flour while kneading constantly. So that the yeast dough rises well afterwards, the mixture must now be kneaded thoroughly for a few minutes with your hands or a food processor. Place the dough in a bowl greased with sesame oil, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the volume of the dough has doubled.

The waiting time is perfect for preparing the filling. First roughly pull apart the planted.pulled with 2 forks, then sear with a tablespoon of sesame oil. After about 3 minutes, deglaze with a tablespoon of soy sauce and set aside. Peel the ginger. Chop the carrot, garlic, mushrooms and ginger as finely as possible and then fry in the remaining oil. Add the soy sauce and continue to fry until no more liquid is released. Mix the planted.pulled with the remaining filling and leave to cool well.

For the sauce, press or chop the garlic as small as possible and then mix with the other ingredients until a homogeneous mass is formed. Add more water if needed.

As soon as the dough has doubled, you can take it out of the bowl and knead it well again on a floured surface. Then cut it into approx. 10-12 equal-sized pieces and shape them into balls. Roll out the balls in a circular shape, with the edges being slightly thinner than the middle area of the dough circles (see photos). The dough circles should have a diameter of approx. 10 cm. If the dough gets small cracks due to the additional flour, that's not a problem, as they will disappear during steaming.

For Pro Baozi, you need about 2 heaped tablespoons of filling. Place this in the middle of the dough circle, then close the individual baozis with your index finger and thumb (see photos). Pull the dough up slightly, make a fold and press together. While the thumb remains in the same position, repeatedly pull up individual dough folds and press them on until the entire baozi is closed. Let the finished baozi rest for another 20 Min so that they rise well again.

Preparation Option 1: If you have a steamer or a bamboo steamer, the next step is very simple. Place the baozi on the steamer insert (preferably with baking paper underneath so that they do not stick). Bring about 5 cm of water to a boil in the steamer or pot and steam the baozi for about 12 Min. Then keep the lid closed for another 3 minutes, otherwise the baozi will collapse.

Option 2: If you don't have a steamer, no worries! You can also use a sieve, line it with baking paper, hang it in a pot, and place the lid on top. Just make sure the Baozi aren't too close together, or they'll stick. The cooking time stays the same.

Option 3: A bit unconventional, but super tasty: Put the Baozi in a greased, coated pan. Then add water to a height of about 1-2 cm, cover and steam until the Baozi have absorbed the water and are lightly fried and crispy on the bottom. Remove the pan from the stove and leave the lid on for another 3 Min.

If required, sprinkle the finished baozi with sesame seeds and spring onions.