Pepper bun has become one of the most loved street food in Taiwan. Imagine a calzone filled with perfectly spiced juicy meat, but cooked in a charcoal-fired Tandoori oven until it's crispy on the outside but dripping with juice inside. Now you can make this spicy, flavorful and ridiculously juicy pepper bun in your own kitchen.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Rest Time15 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Beef, Pork, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Asian, Taiwanese
Author: Choochoo-ca-Chew
Ingredients
Bun
1CWaterplus 2 TBsp
2-3/4CAll Purpose Flour
2tspActive Dry Yeast
2TBspSugar
1/2tspSalt
油酥 (you2su1)- this is the part that makes the crust flaky
5TBspLardor sub with vegetable shortening
3/4CPastry Flour
Filling
1lbGround Beef
1tspChinese 5 spice
1TBspSugar
3tspFinely grounded Black Pepper
2tspFinely grounded White Pepper
1TBspSesame Oil
4TBspSoy Sauce
1/2CWater
2bunches ofSpring OnionChopped
Sesame Crust
1/3CWhite Sesame Seeds
2TBspWater
1TBspSugar
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine 2-3/4C All purpose flour, 2 tsp active dry yeast, 2TBSP sugar, 1/2 tsp Salt. Add 1C+2TBsp Water to the flour mixture and knead until combined and smooth.
Let the dough rest while you make the filling.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling together, leaving out the chopped spring onion. Add the water to the filling mixture 1 TBsp at the time until absorbed. Mix the filling until the meat becomes sticky. Keep the filling in the fridge until ready to make buns!
Combine 5 TBsp lard at room temperature and 3/4 pastry flour, mix well.
Back to the dough. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that's roughly 1/4" thick.
Spread the lard and pastry flour mixture over the rolled out dough.
Roll the dough up into a log, pinch and close both ends, cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Pull each dough pieces on the open ends and bring them together on top. Pinch it shut so the lard mixture won't ooze out.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Take the beef filling out of the fridge, add the chopped spring onions to the mixture. Make 8 even portions.
Roll or simply flatten the dough with your hands into 2.5" Rounds. The dough should be thinner on the outskirt.
Take one portion of the filling and place in the center of the wrapper. Close the bun by pinching it shut or the same way you'd make a bun.
Mix 2 TBsp of Water with 1 TBsp sugar.
Dip the top of the bun (The smooth side) in the sugar water then into the sesame seeds. Place on a baking sheet closed end down.
Leave a crack in the oven door, bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Notes
Leave a crack in the oven door makes the buns crispier.If you'd like to use strips of pork for this recipe, omit the 1/2C water added to the beef mixture.