Shengjian Bao (Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings)

FOR THE SOUP: Place 8-inch square baking pan in freezer. Pour water into saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit 2 minutes to hydrate. Add scallion, ginger, and bouillon. Bring to boil; lower heat to gentle simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into 2-cup liquid measuring cup. If liquid is more than ½ cup, return to saucepan and boil until reduced to ½ cup.

Add ice until liquid measures ⅔ cup (you will not need all of it). Stir until ice is melted. Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm and bouncy, about 20 minutes. While soup sets, make dough.

FOR THE DOUGH: Whisk flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in bowl of stand mixer. Add oil and water. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed, scraping down bowl if needed, until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape dough into ball and transfer to lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes. Remove any excess dough from mixer bowl but do not wash.

FOR THE FILLING: Whisk baking soda and water together in now-empty mixer bowl. Add pork and toss to combine. Add scallions, ginger, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Fit mixer with paddle and beat on medium speed until mixture is well combined and pork has slightly lightened in color and become stringy,

about 90 seconds.

Spray large plate with vegetable oil spray. Using fork, mash soup into 1/8-inch pieces.

Add to pork and mix on medium-low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Divide filling into 16 portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and arrange on prepared plate. Refrigerate until needed.

Press on dough to deflate. Transfer to counter and roll into 16-inch cylinder. Cut into 16 equal pieces (1 ounce/28 grams each). Roll each portion into ball. Place balls on lightly floured counter, dust with flour, and press each into 2-inch disk. Cover with damp dish towel.

Roll one disk into 3-inch round. Holding wrapper with one hand, continue rolling outer 1 inch of dough, rotating dough slightly after each roll to maintain uniform shape, until you have 4 1/2-inch round with tapered edges.

Re-cover wrapper and repeat with remaining disks. Do not overlap disks. Brush 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil. Place one wrapper on lightly floured work surface and place 1 portion filling in center.

Pinch outer edge of dough together with thumb and index finger and hold. Using other thumb and index finger, push edge of dough toward pinched portion to create first ¼-inch pleat.

Pinch pleat to seal and continue pinching to secure dough while creating next pleat. Push dough toward pinched portion to begin forming second pleat.

Repeat pleating motion, rotating dough with each pleat, until all of dough is pleated and dumpling has rounded shape.

Pinch top of gathered dough edges together and twist to seal dumpling.

Place dumpling pleated side down on work surface. Press gently to secure seal and round sides. Transfer to prepared skillet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Cover skillet with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Uncover and discard plastic wrap. Cook over medium heat until dumplings sizzle. Carefully pour water around perimeter of skillet (water and oil may spatter). Cover and continue to cook until water is absorbed, about 9 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until dumpling bottoms are deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with scallion and sesame seeds. Serve immediately, passing vinegar separately, if using. (Filling will be hot. The traditional way of eating shengjian bao is to nibble a small hole in the side of a dumpling, sip out some soup, pour a small amount of vinegar into the hole and continue to eat.)