Bacon and Egg Bao

Here's a few things that gave me *joooy* this week:

• Hailee Steinfeld's new song that just makes me want to strut all around New York City, but I'll probably just stick to strutting around my kitchen.
• My new posture brace. I'm a gigantic dork, yes. But ever since my choir teacher told me I had horrible posture, I've been convinced that I'm going to wind up looking like a hunched-over jazz musician. It looks like a huge rubber band and I love it.
• Leigh (my big sis) came for a surprise, short visit. We ate a ton of Turkish food and talked about decorating her new house.
• Susan Miller predicted that this is going to be one of my best years ever, an "emerald year" thanks to Jupiter. Please no letters about how horoscopes are BS.
• This workout plan from Self kicked my butt and that's a great thing.
• We got People's Pops shaved ice at work. They poured vodka and lime hibiscus syrup all over the top.
• Me, Can, Danny and Rich planned our lil Labor Day getaway to a farmhouse in the Catskills.

Things that sucked this week.

• I went to bake a cake just now and only had one stick of butter. Pathetic.

Looks like I came out on top! As for one more piece of good news, here's a recipe for bacon and egg bao that are deeelicious, portable, ripe for riffing, freezer-friendly and more! I made these for some friends (shout-out to Ashley's incredible hand modeling skillz) and then turned around and made them again the next day. They're that good. I also love that they qualify for breakfast, lunch, a light dinner, or a snack. 

P.S. When I made them the second time, I sprinkled them with poppy seeds on top. I wanted to play with the idea of combining dim sum with a "BEC," so the poppy seeds gave it that kaiser roll look. They were perfect!

Bacon and Egg Bao

For Dough

• 1 1/2 tsp yeast (or half of one packet)
• 4 Tablespoons warm water
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 2 Tablespoons milk

For Bacon Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 scallion finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 lb low sodium bacon, cooked and crumbled

For Egg Filling

• 2 eggs
• 6 Tablespoons water
• pinch salt

For Final Presentation

• 1 egg, scrambled, for egg wash
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Cooking Directions

1. For the dough: start by proofing your yeast. Combine yeast and warm water (should be 105 - 110 degrees, like warm bath water) as well as a pinch of the sugar. Watch for the yeast to bubble and foam, leaving it for 5 minutes. If it doesn't foam up, your yeast is probably dead; try again with a new packet! Once proofed, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, affixed with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on medium speed and knead for about 3 minutes until dough springs back when pinched. Leave dough in bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel, allowing it to rest for two hours as it doubles in size.
2. For the bacon filling: combine everything but the corn starch in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. (Note: I felt like low sodium bacon was key; otherwise it was way too salty!) Once boiling, scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the liquid and stir it into the cornstarch, dissolving all of the cornstarch to create a slurry. Add slurry to the rest of the filling mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir continuously until the mixture thickens to a loose syrupy texture. Turn off heat.
3. For the eggs: in a heat-proof bowl (stone or porcelain is best), whisk together all ingredients. Place bowl in a larger pot and add 1 cup of water; cover with lid. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to simmer, letting eggs steam. They will cook slowly at first, but then thicken quite quickly. The process will take about 15 minutes in total.
4. Assembly: preheat oven to 375 degrees.* Punch down dough and divide into six portions. I like to use a kitchen scale to make sure each portion is equal. Then, pat a piece of dough into a disk and stretch it out a bit. Place 1 teaspoon of bacon mixture and 1 teaspoon of eggs into center of disk. Pinch edges together around the filling. Don't get stressed if some of the liquid leaks out in this process, but try to keep it contained. Place bun on lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough portions. Brush each bun with egg and sprinkle with a pinch of poppy seeds.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot. *You can also steam your buns in a steaming basket.