Roujiamo

Method

1. 1 Knead the flour with yeast and water, let it rise for 1 hour, divide into portions, and roll each portion into a 1.5 cm thick loaf.
2. 2 Bake the pizza on a cast iron skillet for 4 minutes on each side, then bake in a 200-degree oven for 6 minutes until the inside is hollow and separates from the crust.
3. 3 Simmer lamb with cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and cumin seeds for 50 minutes until the meat separates from the fibers.
4. 4 Chop the meat on a cutting board along with the onion and dried chili peppers — chop, don't tear, so that the meat juices coat each piece.
5. 5 Slice the dough horizontally into pouches and stuff them with hot minced meat; the Xi'an version uses lamb and cumin, unlike the version with braised pork in five spices.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 1 hr 40 min

  Replace step 2: lightly spray oil on both sides of the pastry, skip the pan-frying step and place directly into a 215-degree hot air oven for 8 minutes, flipping at minute 4. The crust will be evenly crispy with less oil, but the basket is small so only bake one piece at a time.