Miso and Maple Pork Belly Bao Buns with Pickled Maple Cucumber - Maple from Canada

Ingredients

• For the bao buns:
• 3 ⅓ cups plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried yeast
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• 1 ⅘ cups whole milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for oiling your mixing bowl and brushing onto the buns
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• For the pickled cucumber:
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• ⅔ cup pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• ⅔ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• For the pork belly:
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 2 ½ tbsp ginger, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 ⅓ lbs pork belly
• ½ cup pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• 2 star anise
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup white wine
• For the salt and maple sugar mixture:
• ½ cup salt
• ½ cup maple sugar
• To serve:
• 2 green chillis, sliced
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 handfuls of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped