Sugar buns with pork

Ingredients:

Pork

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp. l. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. grated ginger root
• 1.5 tsp Five Spice Seasoning
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 kg boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Dough

• 1 packet (2.5 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup + a pinch of granulated sugar
• 1 and 3/4 cups of premium flour + extra for working with the dough
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil + extra for greasing the bowl
• 1 large egg

Topping

• 2/3 cup premium flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg + 1 white
• Special equipment: 10cm diameter round cutter; pastry bag with a medium round tip

Preparation:

1. Fried pork:
   
   Combine honey, hoisin, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, ginger, five-spice powder, and garlic in a baking dish large enough to accommodate the pork. Stir and season with pepper. Slice the pork across the grain into 2.5 cm-thick slices. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top.
3. Remove the pork from the marinade (don't discard the marinade) and place it on the grill. Bake until the pork is browned on top, about 25 minutes. Flip the pieces over and bake until the other side is browned, about 25 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, pour a few tablespoons of the marinade into a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and stir until smooth and lump-free. Pour 2 cups of the marinade into a small saucepan (discard the rest) and heat over medium heat.
5. Add the marinade and starch to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
6. Let the pork cool, then cut into small pieces for the filling and place in a medium bowl. Add the cooled sauce and stir to coat.
7. Dough:
   
   In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the yeast, 0.5 cups warm water (35-40°C), and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and egg into the yeast mixture.
8. Add to the flour mixture and knead with a spatula until smooth. Switch to the dough hook on your mixer and knead the dough, adding a little more flour or water if necessary to keep the dough from pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until the dough is very smooth and elastic, 4-5 minutes.
9. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and continue kneading. Grease a large bowl and turn the dough over to coat it. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.
10. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and divide it into two pieces. Roll each piece out to a thickness of about 0.5 cm and cut out as many 10 cm circles as possible. Roll out the scraps to make a total of 9-12 circles.
11. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Roll the dough around the filling to form a ball. Place the balls, seam-side down, on a baking sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
12. Preheat oven to 175°C.
13. Topping:
    
    Combine flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until crumbly. Add the egg and egg white and pulse until smooth.
14. Transfer the glaze to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Once the buns have risen, pipe the topping onto each ball in a spiral pattern. Bake until the buns and topping are golden brown, 20-22 minutes. Serve warm.