Take a Bao Pork Steam Buns (Char Siu Bao)

My husband and I have watched The Great British Baking Show (also known as the Bake Off) since it’s debut a few years ago. Last season, our daughter started getting into it, and it has become a family affair.

The last episode we watched was “Japan Week.” One of the dishes the bakers had to make were steam buns. I briefly lived in Japan during college, and don’t really think of steam buns–or bao–as a quintessential Japanese dish. I think of them as more of a Chinese dim sum kind of deliciousness, but maybe they are a Japanese thing too. Who knows? I never had one when I lived there, but then again, I wasn’t looking for them either. Regardless of their origin, they got my daughter excited and she asked me to make some at the weekend.

I’ve made bao buns before, but I’ve only made the “sandwich-y” type that you would fill with ingredients after the fact. I’ve never made filled ones, but I was up for the challenge.

During the pandemic, making new dishes and learning new techniques become a thing for me. We actually stopped eating out last December (pre-pandemic) and challenged ourselves to head to the kitchen instead of getting takeout. While takeout appeared the easier option, the reality was, I could have an entire meal on the table in less time than it took the delivery person to arrive.

With Oregon going into “pause” mode next week to try to get the pandemic under control, it was time to recommit to making everything at home. No lazy runs to the local restaurant for Italian. No Chinese takeout nights (my daughter’s favorite!).

So when my daughter asked for steam buns, I decided, why not? She LOVES Chinese food and it was something a little different.

If you do any research on steam buns, they come with a variety of fillings. Chinese barbecue pork is probably the most common, but you can also fill them with beans, fish, chicken, and anything else you can think of.

I decided to go with ground pork for my bao. I don’t make a lot of pork, so it was kind of a treat. Plus, ground pork sounded easier than making a pork tenderloin. The sauce I used is made with what I call a 3-2-1 of Chinese flavor: 3 parts Hoisin, 2 parts rice vinegar and 1 part soy sauce. If Chinese cooking had a holy trinity, I think this would be it!

The dough itself was relatively easy to make, however it was a firmer dough than I am used to working with. I admit I had my doubts after the rise because the dough seemed to have layers that wouldn’t come together, but once I got the rolling pin out, it was a nice dough to work with.

The steamed buns were MUCH bigger than I thought they would be. I ended up over crowding my bamboo steamer on my first batch which meant they weren’t the prettiest buns in the world, but they made up for it in flavor.

I placed my steam buns directly on the bamboo steamer, which worked. However, next time I will place a small square of parchment paper under each bun to make them easier to remove from the basket.

In the spirit of take out, I made some sweet and sour chicken and rice to accompany the steam buns. However, these buns are large enough to be a meal on their own.

I listed this recipe as intermediate, but don’t let it scare you off! If you’ve ever made any kind of yeasted bread or dough, you will be fine! Give them a try next time you are considering takeout. They are a bit more work than dialing the local Chinese restaurant, but I promise they are far tastier (and a whole lot healthier!).

Take a Bao Pork Steam Buns (Char Siu Bao)

Recipe by Kacey Baxter, Oven and SpiceCourse: DinnerCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

10

servings

Calories

366

kcal

Steam buns (aka Bao) have a long history in Chinese cuisine, with some historians dating them as far back as 700-400 BC. While their history may be long, they are a relatively new favorite to Westerners. In large cities, you’ll find restaurants and food carts dedicated to these deliciously filled buns. If you don’t have access to one of these bao specialists, no fear. You can now easily make them at home! This recipe is for a ground pork bao, but you can easily change the filling to your favorite protein.

Ingredients

• Filling

• 2 tsp canola or vegetable oil

• 1 pound ground pork

• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions

• 3 tbs hoisin sauce

• 2 tbs rice vinegar

• 1 tbs soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1 tsp ginger paste

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• ¼ tsp salt

• Dough

• 1 cup + 2 tbs warm water (100° to 110°)

• 3 tbs sugar

• 1 package dry yeast (2¼ tsp)

• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tbs canola or vegetable oil

• ½ tsp sesame oil

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1½ tsp baking powder

Directions

• In a skillet heat 2 tsp canola oil over medium heat. When warm and shimmery, add ground pork. Sprinkle Chinese five-spice over meat. Cook meat until browned, crumbling as it cooks. About 7-10 minutes
• As meat cooks, in a bowl stir together remaining filling ingredients–onion through salt. Mix sauce into meat once it has browned. Stir to combine, then place entire mixture back into the bowl. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Begin preparing dough by combining 1 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer; let stand 5-10 minutes. Yeast should begin to bloom and create a froth.
• To the stand mixer, add flour, oils and ¼ tsp salt. Place dough hook on mixer and turn on low. After 5 minutes, check the dough and if it is still crumbly and not coming together, add up to 2 more tablespoons of water. Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes total.
• Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85-90°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. See note below.
• Punch dough down and let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a clean surface and knead in baking powder. Let dough rest 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 10 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time (cover remaining dough balls to keep from drying out), roll ball into a 5-inch circle using a rolling pin. Place 1/4 cup filling in center of dough circle. Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top. Pinch and seal closed with a twist. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling.
• Arrange the buns seam side down, 1 inch apart, in each tier of a 2-tiered bamboo steamer. You may need to make in batches, depending on the size of your steamer. To keep them from sticking, consider placing each bun on a small square of parchment paper, making sure there is still space for the steam to rise through. Stack tiers and cover with lid.
• Add water to a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place steamer in pan and steam 15 minutes or until buns are puffed and set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Place the covered dough in a cold oven. Shut the door and turn on the oven light. This is enough gentle heat to allow dough to rise. When dough appears to have doubled, gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.

Adapted from a recipe in the May 2008 issue of Cooking Light.