Grind the sesame: Place the toasted black sesame seeds into a blender in batches. Blend each batch on high speed for about 2 minutes, until slightly oily and fine in texture. Repeat for 3–4 batches until you have 300g of ground sesame.

Mix the filling: Grind the sugar into a fine powder. Mix it with the ground sesame. Add 40g lard and stir with a spoon until the mixture clumps together. If it feels too dry, add 5–10g hot water.

Activate the yeast: Dissolve 5g yeast and 10g sugar in 260ml warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface.

Knead the dough: Add the flour to a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and 20g lard. Mix with chopsticks until shaggy, then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough, bowl, and your hands should all be clean.

First rolling: Roll the dough into a rectangle about 30cm long, 20cm wide, and 0.3cm thick.

Spread filling: Spread black sesame filling evenly over the middle third of the dough. Press it down firmly with a spatula.

Fold:

Fold the left side over the middle.

Spread more filling over this folded section.

Fold the right side over the top to seal.

Press the edges gently to seal. Pinch the seams closed.

Roll the dough gently to lengthen it slightly, then repeat the filling and folding process one more time. Pinch seams tightly.

Final rolling: Roll the folded dough into a large thin sheet about 0.2cm thick. Roll it up tightly into a log. Pinch the seam tightly to seal.

Slice: Cut the log into 5cm wide segments. Trim the uneven ends if desired.

Proof: Place the rolls on a steamer tray with 2cm spacing. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 30–40 minutes until doubled in size. A gentle press should bounce back slowly.

Steam: Once the water is boiling, steam the rolls over high heat for 15 minutes without opening the lid. Turn off the heat, let rest for 3 minutes before removing the lid to prevent collapsing. Serve warm for best texture.