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The Unusually Dark Siopao (dumpling)

I can now confirm it. Gold Medal in the US, and i can show you the proof here, is so much different from our Gold Medal back home in the Philippines. Mixing time is different. Proofing time is different. I can take that. I have a 20 quart heavy duty mixer. This guy can take it. Yeah, he is my friend so he deserves a different persona.

But wait till you get a look at the dough. It freaked me out. I tried at least 3 kinds of all purpose flours before, usually the ones my brother from Canada brings me and this was the darkest Siopao i have ever made, bar none.

It's like using oxidized water or something, it is not yellowish, it is grayish yellow. Ugly.
See for yourself. The only explanation i have is that New York or the US being so concerned about the health implications of BLEACHING with chlorine has banned it outright. Maybe so. Bleaching strengthens the dough, it improves machineability, dough tolerance, increases shelf life etc., but it is a chemical process. They banned trans fat here remember? Just my analysis.

The finished Siopao therefore will keep the purists heart at ease of course, still soft and fluffy, just forget about the pristine white dumplings we normally eat at Kowloon,Goldilock's or Mamon Luk.


Mixing the dough



Make up time



Filling and Sealing the buns

Our steamer is quite small, so i placed them on plates and used the oven to proof the buns, about 1 and half hours.

The recipe is in my website so do check it out. Everyone had some noodles after seeing the Siopao done, it's like Mamon Luk time, my mother said. Back in their days, it was the popular Mami house, Siopao buns and noodles, and i think i remember my parents bringing me into one of those noodle and bun houses. It is funny because i can still remember my father peeling off the skin from the bun like it happened yesterday. I picked it up from his plate and played with it thinking it was paper. I placed it in my mouth, and chewed on it, (i was 5 years old guys)at the same time thinking, "wow, ang galing, papel na pwedeng kainin". "wow, paper that you can eat".

To this day, i peel the skin off and eat it, just a habit of mine and i think i know why.

The color is not too obvious in the photos but compare it with the ones you see in the archives here and you will see the difference.

I will post some videos in my twitpic, for those who will attend the bread making classes, ebook buyers, you will get access to the baking videos in my flickr account.
www.breadmakinglessons.com

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