Bao

Mix yeast, sugar, and salt with lukewarm water in a bowl. Once the yeast is dissolved, mix in the milk, oil, and rice vinegar. Add flour and knead the dough well (approximately 10-15 minutes). Let the dough rise under a cloth for 2 hours until it doubles in size. When the dough has doubled in size, knead it again. Flatten the dough with your hands and sprinkle the surface with baking powder. Then knead the dough again. Roll the dough into a long sausage shape about 3 cm thick. Divide the dough into 18 pieces, each about 3 cm, and roll them into balls. Let them rest for 5 minutes. Roll the balls flat to half their thickness (they should be oval-shaped). Brush the surface with oil before folding them in half and letting them rise on a baking tray with parchment paper for 1 hour under a tea towel. To steam the buns, I used our Silver Crest Monsieur Cuisine's steam function. I steamed 3 at a time for 7 minutes at 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit) steam. (We do not have a bamboo steamer).

Quick-pickled Vegetables

The quick-pickled vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for a week, so it is beneficial to make them a day ahead. You can choose which vegetables you want to accompany the dish. For example, kohlrabi and Chinese radish. Boil the sugar, vinegar, and salt together into a brine. Cool it down to refrigerator temperature before using. Slice the vegetables into fine thin pieces and place them in a bowl, then pour the cold brine over them. Let it sit and marinate for at least one hour, preferably longer.  

Bao filling (Sous Vide Duck Breast)

Marinate the two duck breasts with the sauce and sesame seeds. Vacuum seal it and cook it sous vide/water bath for 2 hours at 58 degrees Celsius (136 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove the meat from the vacuum bag and sear it over medium-high heat with the sauce in a pan for one minute on each side. Take the meat off the pan, slice it thinly, and place it on a serving platter. Let the marinade boil/simmer for a couple of minutes in the pan and pour it over the meat. Chop a bunch of fresh cilantro and sprinkle it over the meat and sauce. If you don't have a sous vide, you can marinate the meat the same way and cook it in a convection oven for 25 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). The duck breasts can be replaced with chicken if you prefer.   At the dining table, open your Bao bread with your fingers, spread the chili sauce and some of the marinade on the bread, and then add the meat, cilantro, and quick-pickled vegetables.