After speaking to the livestream audience, Gan Lan added the appropriate amounts of flour and yeast into a clean container and began kneading the dough.
"We’ve made BBQ pork buns before, so I won’t explain every single step this time," she said while working the dough. "I might move a bit fast, so if you can’t follow along, you can spend one Credit Point to watch the BBQ pork bun video and learn from that."
She wrapped the kneaded dough in plastic wrap and placed it into a high-tech appliance for rapid fermentation. Natural fermentation would take too long, and she was making quite a large batch today.
Next, she started preparing the fillings. Today’s menu featured savory meat buns and sweet custard buns—one savory, one sweet, a perfect balance.
The meat bun filling was simple. First, she needed to cure the salted egg yolks. Normally, this process took an entire day, but she had advanced tech on her side.
She spread a generous layer of salt at the bottom of a large bowl, making sure it was thick enough. Using an intact egg, she pressed small indents into the salt. Then, she cracked the eggs, separated the yolks from the whites, and carefully placed each yolk into the indents. Once all the yolks were in place, she layered more salt over them until they were completely covered. Making sure not a single speck of yellow was exposed, she sprinkled a little white liquor over the top, sealed the bowl, and placed it into the high-tech device. In just half an hour, the salted egg yolks would be perfectly cured.
With that done, she moved on to the filling for the mushroom and pork buns.
Captured by Number Nine: "Those egg yolks look way too salty. Are they really edible?"
Did You Eat Today: "Has the streamer ever made anything inedible? I’ll eat whatever she makes anyway. Everything she cooks is delicious!"
Gan Lan cut the washed pork into strips, then diced it. Using both hands, she rapidly minced the meat with her cleavers. She could have used a machine to grind the meat, but she firmly believed that machine-ground meat lacked the superior texture and flavor of hand-minced meat.
She drained the washed mushrooms and finely chopped them alongside some scallions and ginger. Adding them to the minced meat, she seasoned the mixture with cooking wine, salt, soy sauce, chicken bouillon, and a splash of oil. She stirred everything evenly and set it aside to marinate.
With the prep work finished, Gan Lan brought out the ingredients for cookies.
"The dough is proofing, the salted egg yolks aren’t ready yet, and the filling is marinating, so let’s make some cookies in the meantime." She took a sip of water and shook out her hands, which hadn’t stopped moving since she started, to relieve the tension.
She poured milk and white sugar into a pot and heated it over a water bath, stirring continuously until the sugar completely dissolved. After thoroughly softening the butter until there were no hard lumps, she used a high-tech mixer to whip it until it turned pale and incredibly smooth. Then, she gradually poured in the cooled sweet milk, whipping the mixture continuously.
Since she didn’t have any almond flour, she had found a suitable substitute. She sifted cake flour, the substitute powder, and a pinch of salt into the whipped butter. Using a spatula, she gently folded everything together until it formed a smooth batter.
Transferring the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle, she began piping shapes onto a non-stick baking sheet. The patterns she piped were identical to the ones from her original world, resembling delicate little flowers. In no time at all, she had filled the entire tray. She immediately started on the next one, continuing until every last drop of batter was used.
She slid the trays into the preheated ovens, baking them with both top and bottom heat for about twenty minutes.
Closing the oven doors, Gan Lan addressed the camera. "The cookies are baking and will be done shortly."
She then went to retrieve the fully proofed dough. It was time to wrap the buns.
She rolled a large piece of dough into a long log and divided it into small, uniform portions. She flattened each piece with a rolling pin, making the edges thin and leaving the center slightly thicker. Spooning the mushroom and pork filling into the middle, she deftly pleated the edges to seal the buns.
Sky Blue: "Junior, I was beaten up by the captain! I’m severely injured! The captain is truly terrifying, boohoo... I need to eat some delicious food right now to recover T^T."
Hot Pot Balls: "Poor child. If you don’t want to end up back in the Treatment Chamber, you better watch your mouth. Someone is keeping a close eye on you~"
Feiran: "They’re slandering me. I’m someone who wouldn’t even bear to step on an ant. How could I ever hit my little companion? ^^"
Immortal Barbecue: "When you came to our school for a brawl last time, didn’t you land every single kick with flawless precision? How come you suddenly can’t even bear to step on an ant now?"
Feiran: "My junior was in danger. When I get anxious, I just lose control of myself. ^^"
...
Gan Lan wasn’t looking at the barrage of comments, completely missing Gao Haiyang’s tearful complaints. She was entirely engrossed in wrapping the buns and had even roped a reluctant Gulu into helping her. How could she let such a handy, versatile assistant go to waste?
Her two robot assistants had also stepped in to help. With all hands on deck, the wrapping progressed at lightning speed, and she soon placed a massive bamboo steamer full of mushroom and pork buns over the boiling water.
Next, she began making the sweet custard filling. Earlier, she had spent ages searching for custard powder, only to realize she was looking in the wrong direction. When she simply searched for "vanilla," she finally found it. Here, it wasn’t called custard powder; it was just known as vanilla powder. Fortunately, she had figured it out. Having to make it from scratch would have been absolutely exhausting.
Banan Star was famous for its abundant variety of desserts and pastries, which meant it produced a wide array of baking spices. Vanilla powder was one of the essential ingredients used in their pastry making.
Taking out the fully cured salted egg yolks, Gan Lan rinsed off the salt with clean water and placed them in a steamer to cook.
The sweet, buttery aroma of the cookies had already begun to waft through the air. She placed the lid securely over the steaming egg yolks. Walking over to the oven, she looked through the glass window and saw that the cookies were done. They were a beautiful golden-yellow, showcasing their intricate piped patterns in delicate, bite-sized forms.
After observing them for a moment, she opened the oven door and pulled out the baking sheets. An even richer, more intense fragrance immediately assaulted the senses. Out of habit, she reminded her livestream audience, "Don’t eat them just yet. The texture will be much better once they’ve cooled down."
She slid another tray of raw cookie dough into the oven to bake. She had made a massive batch, treating it as a form of compensation for the audience. Watching them suffer with swollen lips and puffy eyes from the fiery noodles had amused her immensely, so she felt a tiny bit guilty—though she still found the memory quite hilarious.
Imagining those comical scenes again, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve upward.
Sky Blue: "But I’ve already eaten one! It’s so hot! It’s still a bit soft, wonderfully sweet, and packed with a rich, milky flavor. It instantly healed the wounds in my heart."
Elderly Handsome Man: "Mhm! This is excellent and perfectly suited for older folks. Everyone, hurry and eat it while it’s hot. It’s truly delicious!"
Flower Cakes Are True Love: "Liars! The streamer clearly said they taste better cold! But my hand has completely lost control. It grabbed a piece on its own, and even though it burned, I couldn’t let go. I tossed this adorable little cookie straight into my mouth. Ah! So delicious!"
...
Seeing the barrage of comments showing that her audience had already started devouring them, Gan Lan knew she couldn’t stop these foodies. Even she had almost grabbed one herself. The aroma was just far too tempting. She hadn’t even eaten breakfast, and it was nearly afternoon now.
She removed the fully steamed salted egg yolks and crushed them into a fine paste, setting them aside for later use.
Into a clean container, she poured the appropriate amounts of vanilla powder, caster sugar, and full-fat milk powder. Adding melted butter, she stirred the mixture until it was completely smooth. She gradually added milk while continuously stirring, then folded in the crushed salted egg yolks. After passing the mixture through a fine sieve, she placed it into the high-tech appliance to chill.
In another container, she combined all-purpose flour, baking powder, and lard. Slowly pouring in yeast water, she stirred it into flaky clumps before kneading it into a smooth dough. She wrapped it in plastic wrap and left it to proof for about ten minutes.
By now, the cookies had completely cooled, and the mushroom and pork buns were nearly done steaming. Gan Lan picked up a cookie and popped it into her mouth. Crisp, fragrant, and melting instantly on the tongue, it was sweet without being cloying—a truly soul-healing treat.
Unable to resist, she ate another, and then another, and then one more...