Barbecue pork buns

1. step 1
2. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas. Mix the sugar into the bread mix in a large bowl, then add water as instructed on the pack. Bring the dough together with a wooden spoon, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 mins until smooth. Put into a large bowl, cover with oiled cling film then leave in a warm place until doubled in size.
   5 minutes
3. step 2
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, then fry the bacon until crisp, about 5 mins. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 min until soft, then tip in the soy, honey and tomato purée and stir well. Can be made up to 3 days ahead.
   5 minutes1 minute
5. step 3
6. Turn out the dough and knead briefly, then pull into 12 even-sized balls. Flatten with your hands, then put a teaspoon-size blob of the filling in the middle. Draw the dough up and pinch it closed like a purse, then turn the bun over and sit it on a large baking sheet. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for about 30 mins until the dough feels pillowy. Brush with egg and bake for 20 mins until golden. Serve warm with dipping sauce. Can be frozen after second rise for up to 1 month or baked up to a day ahead and re-warmed.
   30 minutes20 minutes

Cooking notes

When scaling protein-led dishes, weigh the meat rather than counting pieces, and remember that the pan size limits how much you can sear at once.

For volume-to-weight conversions of any ingredient — flour, sugar, butter, salts — use the ingredient converter. To translate the recipe's oven temperature between °C, °F and gas mark, see the temperature converter.

When you scale this recipe up or down, remember that cooking time does not scale linearly. A doubled cake takes longer, but not twice as long; a doubled soup takes roughly twice as long. The cooking-time guide gives sensible starting estimates by dish geometry.