Flavourful Steamed Laap Cheung Rolls
Cook: Sharon Yam (@yamsandchips)
Prep time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 buns
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Dim Sum
Difficulty: Difficult
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #hkersfood - we’d LOVE to see how yours turn out on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! You might even be featured by us ;)
I am obsessed with Chinese sausage (laap cheung). I am also obsessed with making steamed buns. This recipe combines both of them for a flavorful, classic dim sum dish. This recipe is adapted from The Woks of Life.
Steamed laap cheung rolls is a classic dim sum dish that has become increasingly rare in restaurants. You can think of it as a more classic Chinese style of the Hong Kong hot dog bun (腸仔包), or you may liken it to the Western appetizer pigs-in-blankets. It is yet another example of how hybridized Hong Kong’s food culture is.
For those abroad, except for the laap cheung, you should be able to find the rest of the ingredients in any regular grocery stores. Laap cheung is readily available in most Asian grocery sz stores as well.
Main Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp active dry yeast (3g)
1 tbsp granulated sugar (12g)
1 tablespoon canola oil (plus 1 teaspoon)
2 cups all-purpose flour (272g)
2 tbsp cornstarch (20g)
¼ tsp salt (3g)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder (1g)
8 Chinese sausages (laap cheung)
Method
Mix the water, yeast, and sugar together in a cup. Whisk the mixture together until the yeast has dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. The mixture is ready when there is a layer of foam on top.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture and the tablespoon of oil. Combine the dry and wet ingredients with a spatula.
Knead the dough on a clean surface, until it has a smooth surface.
Coat the dough with a teaspoon of oil. Place it back in the bowl, and cover the bowl with a towel. Place it in a warm place to proof. Depending the temperature, it will take approximately 30 minutes to an hour.
Punch down the dough, and knead it again for a minute or so.
Roll out the dough into a long log, and divide it into 8 even segments.
Meanwhile, heat up a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Once the pan is hot, fry the Chinese sausages for 3 minutes over medium heat, until the surface blisters.
Tip: If you want a bite-size version of this, cut your lap cheong shorter.
Roll each segment of dough into a long log, curl the log around a sausage. Place the sausage roll on a small piece of parchment paper inside your steamer.
Set up your steamer. Once the water starts to boil, turn the heat to medium, and steam the sausage rolls for 10-15 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and let the rolls sit inside the steamer for 5 more minutes.
Serve immediately.
Tip: You can refrigerate or freeze any rolls you don’t finish. They will last about three days in the fridge. To reheat, you can place them inside the steamer for 3-10 minutes, depending whether they are frozen. I am lazy so I often resort to the microwave method: cover the buns with a moist paper towel, and microwave until soft.
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