Gladiator Bun Recipes

Steps:

• Puree the onions and garlic in a food processor until smooth, adding a splash of water if needed. Pour the puree over the beef and let sit it at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes. (This step is to tenderize the meat. If you are worried about leaving meat out, place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.)
• Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, corn syrup, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, cola, apple soda and 1/2 cup room temperature water until well incorporated. Pour the mixture over the beef and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Set a skillet over high heat and get the oil scorching hot. Drop in the beef and listen for a sizzle when it hits the pan. (We are looking for a sear on the bottom, so do not touch the meat for first 2 minutes; let the pan do the work.) Once the edges of the meat are brown, mix it up while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until the meat juices have reduced by half and been absorbed into the beef, about 10 minutes.
• Set up a steamer and steam the frozen gua bao buns until they have a soft, pillow-like texture, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully open the steamed buns and drizzle some spicy aioli inside. Add a layer of baby greens and then, with a spoon or tongs, place the beef on top of the greens. Garnish the beef with tempura onions.
• Mix the mayonnaise, hot sauce, sour cream, corn syrup, sambal, honey, sesame oil and garlic in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. (Add half the amount of hot sauce and double the sour cream for milder heat.)
• Heat the oil in a pot to 350 degrees F for frying.
• Season the buttermilk with salt and pepper and set aside. Whisk the tempura flour, sprite, and 1/4 cup ice-cold water to get a pancake batter consistency. Dip the onions in the buttermilk, then coat them with the batter. Fry the onions until amber brown, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the yeast, sugar and 1 cup warm water (100 degrees F to 105 degrees F) in a food processor and pulse once. Let sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the olive oil and pulse to combine. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, then add to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours.
• Make the rolls: Stretch the dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the marinara sauce on the dough all the way to the edge; top with the pepperoni and 1 3/4 cups mozzarella. Starting from a long side, tightly roll up the dough, slightly stretching as you go, to form a 14-inch-long log.
• Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking dish (preferably glass or light metal) with cooking spray, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Cut the log crosswise into 9 rounds. Arrange cut-side up in the prepared pan in 3 rows of 3, slightly touching. Cover with foil and set aside, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls, covered, until the cheese begins to melt and the rolls are puffy, about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown, about 20 more minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan; continue baking until the cheese melts, about 7 more minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan. Top with basil.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the outside of the bun top and bottom with the egg white. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds, onion, sesame seeds and salt. Place seasoned-side up on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

Steps:

• For the dough: Warm the milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over low heat until it is about 100 degrees F (but no more than 110 degrees F). Remove the saucepan from the heat, and sprinkle the yeast over the the liquid. Sprinkle a pinch of the sugar over the top, and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes. Then whisk in the butter and egg yolk.
• Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until you have a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface, and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball.
• Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Add the dough ball, turning to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough ball on the plastic and note the time. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form it into a ball, and return it to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap, and lay it on the dough. Cover the entire bowl tightly with the rest of the plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to let the dough proof.
• For the filling: Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl, and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to medium heat. Whisk the flour into the bacon fat, and cook, whisking, until light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue whisking until thickened, about 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, add the egg yolk, Cheddar, chives, cooked bacon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir to combine. Let cool completely. (The filling will firm up a bit, but if it's too warm, it will be difficult to form the buns.)
• To fill and form the buns: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface, and press it flat. Roll it into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle, with a long edge facing you. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on the side opposite you. Starting from the side facing you, roll the dough up into a tight roll. Lightly brush the 1-inch border with water, and continue rolling to seal the roll. Fold the ends in just a bit, and if any spots look thicker than others, even out the roll with your hands.
• Cut the roll every 1 1/2 inches with a serrated knife, to make 12 buns. Place the buns cut-side down (except for the end pieces) in the prepared pan, spacing them 1 inch apart. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place to rise until the buns double in size, leaving no gaps in between, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• For the topping: Stir the butter, chives and Parmesan in a small bowl; set aside.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the buns until they're golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed lightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Spread the topping evenly over the buns, and return them to the oven for 5 minutes more. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Dissolve the sugar, butter, honey, and mixed spice in the Dragon Stout on low heat.
• Mix flour, baking powder and fruit. Beat eggs and mix all ingredients together.
• Placed in greased and lined 8-inch square tin. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Serve topped with soft cheese.