Samoan Buns

This is a favorite recipe Evan brought home from his mission to Australia. He learned to make them while serving in the Samoan Ward and some of his Polynesian flatmates told Evan that he made better Samoan buns than their mothers did at home. They are very similar to Chinese Buns and you could probably use the dough with a variety of other fillings.

Dough:
8 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups water

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and Tbsp of sugar. After the yeast foams, add flour and sugar and mix well. Add additional water until dough is the right consistency. The dough should be slightly sticky. Set the dough aside in a bowl covered with a towel to rise for approximately one hour. When you are ready to make the buns, remove a ball of dough (slightly less than a tennis ball) and pat it into a circle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Set aside and allow to rise slightly.

Filling:
2 onions
4 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup soy sauce

Saute onions in a heated skillet with a small amount of oil. When onions are tender, remove them from the skillet and add chicken and 1/4 cup soy sauce. Cook until chicken is done. Drain. Add onions to chicken and additional 3/4 cup soy sauce. Blend.

Take one circle of dough. DO NOT pat it down. it needs to be slightly raised. Place several spoonfuls of chicken mixture in center of dough. Fill as full as possible and then seal the bun closed around filling. Place a small square of wax paper over seam. Repeat with remaining dough and meat. Place buns in steamer, wax paper side down. Steam for 15-20 minutes or until dough is cooked. Do not make more buns than you can steam at one time. While one batch is in the steamer, you can prepare the dough for the next batch. Making the buns too far in advance of placing them in the steamer will cause them to leak.
Serve immediately. Store leftovers in fridge and reheat in microwave for one minute to obtain soft dough consistency.