Char Siu Sausage Puffs

• all‑purpose flour↗225g g
• slightly salted butter125g g

  packaged in foil and chilled

• packet of pork sausages400g g
• five‑spice powder2 tsp tsp

  powder

• oyster sauce↗2 tbsp tbsp
• hoisin sauce↗2 tbsp tbsp
• ginger↗thumb-sized piece

  finely grated

• flour↗a little

  for dusting

• egg↗1

  beaten

• black and white sesame↗1 tbsp tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   The dough can be made ahead, up to 2 days. Weigh the flour into a bowl and add 1/2 tsp salt. Keeping the butter in foil (so it doesn’t melt), grate it directly into the flour on the coarse side of the grater. Occasionally dip the butter block back into the flour and mix the grated butter with the flour using a kitchen knife to avoid lumps. When the butter is evenly distributed, pour in 100 g cold water. Stir with the knife until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a work surface and briefly knead to bring the dough together—do not over‑knead or you’ll lose the buttery pockets that create layers. Wrap in film and chill for at least 30 min.

2. 2

   Pre‑heat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C with convection/gas 6 and line two trays with parchment. Squeeze the sausage meat out of its casings into a bowl. Add the five‑spice powder, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and ginger. Mix until fully combined.

3. 3

   Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll the dough to about the thickness of a 50‑cent coin, then use a 10 cm cutter to cut out as many circles as possible. Return the scraps to the dough without compressing, or you’ll lose the layers. Roll again and cut more if you can—aim for 18‑20 pieces.

4. 4

   Using a spoon, form the meat mixture into balls (about the size of cherry tomatoes) and place each ball in the centre of a dough circle. Brush the dough lightly with beaten egg, fold the three sides over the meat, sealing the corners to form a triangle. Brush the top with egg again and sprinkle with sesame. Place on a tray and bake for 25 min until golden. Cool on the trays, ready for picnic packing—or serve warm. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.