Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast. Gradually pour in warm water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.
300 g all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt, 1 tsp instant yeast, 160 ml warm water
Cover the bowl of dough with a damp cloth and place it into a turned off oven. Add a separate bowl of boiling water on the bottom rack and close the door. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef mince with soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
250 g beef mince, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt
Stir in minced ginger, garlic, scallions, and onion. Gradually pour in the cold beef stock + water while mixing the filling.
2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp garlic, 2 stalks scallions, 1/2 small onion, 2 tbsp cold low sodium beef stock
Cover the filling and place it into the fridge for 30 minutes before wrapping.
Once the dough has doubled, gently push down the dough to release built-up air built-up air bubbles.
Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 10-12 equal pieces. Let the dough pieces rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
After resting, take one dough piece and roll it into a circle about 10–12 cm wide, keeping the centre a little thicker than the edges.
Place about 1.5 tablespoons of filling in the centre of each wrapper. Pleat and seal the top. (You can batch freeze the raw wrapped buns before steaming)
Place the wrapped baozi onto parchment paper, cover loosely, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Place buns in the steamer over room-temp water, then bring water to a boil and steam for 18 minutes. (or 15 minutes if starting with warm water)
After cooking, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for 3 more minutes.
