How Xinjiang’s Crispy Baked Buns Are Made - Eat China (S3E6)

Throughout this series, most of the bao that we featured have been steamed. But today, we're in Xinjiang, where these angular buns are baked in an oven called a tandoor. When it comes to Chinese food, few dishes are as recognizable as the bao. Simply put, it's a dough wrapper with filling. But there are so many variations in China that you can do a whole series on it. So, for this season of Eat China, we'll look at 10 different baos and show you how they're made and the story behind them. Traditionally, baked buns are made in these clay ovens, which are common in Southern, Central, and Western Asia. But it's much easier to control the temperature in these gas-powered ones. This bao is a traditional Uyghur specialty, accented by the sharp flavors of chili peppers and cumin. It can be found across Central Asia and is usually sold in the street as a hot snack. We met this guy in the city of Urumqi. The main ingredient is wheat flour from Tianshan, a mountain range in Central Asia. It's combined with egg, water, salt, and oil. The egg is what makes the bun a bit yellow. It also acts as a mild leavening agent. Every day, these ingredients are mixed together, and the dough is left to rest overnight. Then, it's kneaded out by hand and divided into individual pieces, which are then rolled out into thin wrappers. The meat is made with chunks of fresh beef. The beef is seasoned with black pepper, cumin, salt, and two other types of peppers. Then, it's time to bake them. Because the walls of a tandoor are thicker than a regular oven, the inside temperature is much higher. Water is sprayed into the oven, and the buns are stuck on the top. The first step is to adjust the temperature of the bun. After adjusting it, we sprinkle water. After sprinkling water, we sprinkle salt water. After sprinkling salt water, we start to bake the buns. After baking, we sprinkle water on top of the buns. Then, we put the lid on and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Then, we open the lid and put it on the stove. Then, we put the lid on and bake for 5 to 6 minutes. In a tandoor, the surface of a bread that's stuck to the oven will cook to a crisp, while the other side fluffs up. In winter, the temperature is between 3,000 and 3,500 degrees. In summer, it's between 6,000 and 8,000 degrees. The difference between good and bad tandoor buns is the taste. What's the difference between good tandoor buns and bad tandoor buns? The taste is the same. The salt is the same. The meat and all the ingredients are the same. This is a good taste. The meat is less, the oil is more, and the salt is more. This is a bad taste. The people who support me the most are my wife and my wife. They get up with me in the morning, go to the store with me, and go home with me at night. When I'm not around, all the employees in the store take care of me. Most of the work is done by them. The most satisfying part is that I've succeeded. I've succeeded in this industry. Up next, we're going to Sichuan to enjoy a unique flaky bao stuffed with wild mushrooms. Stay tuned.