PROSCIUTTO AND DATES SU-STYLE MOONCAKE

Ingredients

WATER DOUGH:
• 300 grams (2 1/4 cups) cake flour
• 130 grams (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) water
• 90 grams (6 1/3 tbsp) unsalted butter, soften
• 30 grams (2 1/2 tbsp) granulated sugar
OIL DOUGH:
• 180 grams (1 cup + 5 tbsp) cake flour
• 100 grams (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, soften
PROSCIUTTO AND DATE FILLING:
• 200 gram (7 oz) prosciutto, finely minced
• 240 grams (1 packed cup) pitted dates, finely minced
• 64 grams (3 tbsp) honey
• 1/2 tsp dark rum
• Small pinch of sea salt (about 1/16 tsp)

Instructions

1. MAKE THE WATER DOUGH: Combine cake flour, water, unsalted butter and sugar in a large bowl, and mix it with your hands until it comes into a dough. Transfer to a working surface and knead for a couple min until the dough is smooth and soft. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, then set aside to rest.
2. MAKE THE OIL DOUGH: Meanwhile, combine cake flour and unsalted butter in the same bowl and mix right inside the bowl until it comes into an even and smooth dough. It may feel slightly dry in the beginning but it'll come together. Transfer to a working surface and divide into 12 equal portions.
3. PUT THE DOUGHS TOGETHER: DO NOT dust with extra flours during the entire process unless necessary. You probably won't need to anyways. Take 1 portion of the water-dough and flatten it down with your hands. Press the edge down so it's thinner than the centre. Place 1 portion of oil-dough in the middle, then bring the edges of the water-dough up and wrap the oil-dough inside. You'll notice where the water-doughs gather at the top is thicker, making the top and bottom of the water-dough both thicker than the edges.
4. Now, press the whole thing down into an oval shaped disk. Roll the dough out in one direction only, moving from the centre upward and then downward, rolling the dough into a long and very thin oval shape, about 1/16" (2 mm) thick only. The thickness should feel like a flour-tortilla. THIN. Then roll it from one end to the other into a log, then tuck each ends underneath. Repeat with the rest. Place them on a tray and plastic-wrap thoroughly, then chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
5. MAKE THE FILLING: Divide the finely minced prosciutto in 1/2. Cook 1/2 of the prosciutto in a skillet over medium-high heat, until they're crispy and slightly browned. Drain well on a paper-towel, then transfer to a bowl along with the rest of the minced prosciutto, finely minced dates, honey, dark rum and sea salt. Mix evenly with hands or fork until completely integrated, then divide into 12 equal portions.
6. TO MAKE THE MOONCAKES: Preheat the oven on 400 F/200 C. Take the doughs out of the fridge. Place 1 portion of the dough (which looks like a rectangle from above) with the seam-side down, and facing you horizontally. Press it down with your hands, then roll it out upward and downward into a 3/16" (5 mm) thick disk. Flip it over so now the seam-side is facing up. Place 1 portion of the filling in the centre, then bring the edges of the dough up and wrap the filling inside. Gather the doughs at the top then pinch off the excess dough. Smooth the folds with your hands by pinching gently, or cupping it with a bit of pressure inside your palms for a few seconds, and let the heat of your hands do the job for you*. Set aside with the seam-side down, and repeat with the rest.
7. Shape each mooncake as round as you can, then press them down gently with something flat so they have a flat top. Now, you can write/paint/stamp whatever you like on top of the mooncakes with red food-dye. Or not. It's up to you. Bake the mooncakes with 2" (5 cm) space in between, in the preheated oven for 20 min until the bottom is browned (the top of the mooncakes will remain blond). If you need to bake in 2 batches, keep the rest in the fridge until needed.
8. Let cool slightly on the baking rack, if you can bear it. Best mooncake ever. XOXO.

Notes