Bao buns with halloumi and spicy gochujang slaw

How do you make bao buns with halloumi and spicy gochujang slaw?

1. Combine 300 g plain flour, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 0.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp baking powder in a large bowl. Add 160 ml lukewarm water (around 35°C — no hotter or the yeast will die) and 1 tbsp sunflower oil. Knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until you have a smooth, supple dough that is just barely not sticky. Well-kneaded dough springs back when you press a finger into it. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
2. Meanwhile, make the gochujang slaw. In a bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey and a pinch of salt until smooth. Shred 150 g red cabbage very finely, cut 1 carrot into thin julienne strips and halve 100 g radishes. Toss the vegetables through the dressing until everything is well coated. Cover and refrigerate: the longer the vegetables sit in the dressing, the more tender they become and the deeper the flavours develop.
3. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 8 equal pieces of around 60 g each. Roll each piece into an oval roughly 10 by 7 cm. Brush the top of each oval lightly with sesame oil so the bun opens easily after steaming and the two halves don't stick together. Place a small square of baking paper on each bun, fold it in half over a lightly oiled wooden spoon handle, then carefully slide the handle out. This gives you the classic half-moon shape.
4. Place the shaped buns on pieces of baking paper and cover with a tea towel. Leave them to prove for 20 minutes at room temperature. This second rise is short but important: the dough relaxes and the buns will be lighter after steaming. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil.
5. Make sure the water is at a rolling boil before placing the steamer basket over it. Arrange the buns in the basket with space between them — no more than 3 or 4 at a time so they have room to puff up. Steam for 10 minutes over medium-high heat with the lid firmly on. Don't lift the lid during steaming: every second you do, you lose steam and heat. At the end of the cooking time, tilt the lid slightly to one side so any condensation doesn't drip directly onto the buns. Repeat in batches for the remaining buns.
6. Remove the buns from the steamer basket and leave to rest for 2 minutes. They're done when they feel light and airy, are no longer sticky, and spring back when you press them gently. Keep them covered if you're not serving them straight away so they don't dry out.
7. Slice 400 g halloumi into slices about 1 cm thick and pat them thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. A dry surface browns better and spits less in the pan. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat with no oil. Fry the halloumi for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the slices are golden brown with crispy edges. Halloumi has enough fat of its own — extra oil will only make it greasy. Work in batches if the pan isn't large enough and keep the first slices warm under a sheet of foil.
8. Gently open the steamed buns. Place one or two slices of warm halloumi in each bun, spoon over a generous helping of gochujang slaw and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a wedge of lime. Serve immediately — warm halloumi and fresh buns are at their very best the moment they come together.