Spring onion, chive and mushroom bao

Begin by preparing the bao filling. Finely chop the mushrooms, chestnuts, Chinese chives, spring onions, ginger and garlic and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the stir fry sauce, pepper, sugar and sesame oil and mix well. Set aside for later

On a well-floured work surface, roll out the bao dough until is is approximately 5mm thick. Use a cookie cutter (or glass) to cut out 7cm circles of dough

Working with one circle of dough at a time, place 1½ teaspoons of filling into the centre of the dough

Lift up the sides of the dough and squeeze the edges together, as if you are forming a drawstring money bag. Holding the pastry in your dominant hand, use your other hand to twist the top tightly and continuously, ensuring the filling does not leak out

Continue until the pastry is completely sealed and you have a slightly swirled effect at the top and a well-rounded dumpling below. Once well-sealed, lightly roll the bao in your hands, so that it is an even ball shape, then set aside on a well-floured tray and cover with a slightly damp cloth so they don't dry out

Do the same for all the circles of dough and the rest of the filling. Allow the uncooked bao to rest for 30 minutes in a warm, draught-free, humid place, like a room temperature oven

To cook the bao, fill a wok to a third of the way up with boiling water. Line 2 bamboo steamer baskets with either School of Wok silicone steam mats, dim sum steamer paper, or simply greaseproof paper pierced with holes to let the steam through. If using paper, brush with a little vegetable oil. Place the bao into the baskets, with the twisted-side down. Put the baskets in the wok, cover with a lid and steam on high for 8 minutes, making sure not to open the lid

Once steamed, remove the bao from the baskets and bring a large frying pan to a medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and once hot, carefully place the bao into the oil, with the twisted-side down. Once the bao have touched the oil, immediately turn them once and fry until the other side is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Flip and fry the opposite side until it is golden brown. Serve piping hot