Chinese Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)

If you feel that the steamed pork buns from the neighborhood Chinese place could be better, that the bread is not fluffy enough and there isn’t sufficient meat filling, perhaps it’s time that you try making this dim sum favorite at home.

Granted, the process is not for the faint-hearted. But when you succeed, the satisfaction of enjoying home cooked steamed pork buns is beyond words.

If you’ve made yeasted dough before, it shouldn’t be so difficult. The only difference really is that you steam these buns instead of baking them in the oven.

But making the dough is just the first step in cooking steamed pork buns. You will need to mix the filling too then stuff the pork mixture into flattened discs of dough before steaming the filled buns.

What is the correct order of doing these steps for efficiency and to avoid wasting time? Start by making the dough. While the dough rises, make the filling and let it rest. Before you begin flattening and filling the dough, prepare your steamer. While the filled dough rises, start heating water for the steamer.

Chinese Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)

Recipe by Connie Veneracion

Baozi, or simply bao, is a steamed bun. The filling may be savory or sweet. We're skipping the rather ubiquitous char siu filling (it seems to be the only baozi filling known in America) for a raw ground pork and vegetable mixture. As the filling cooks inside the bun (almost like pressure cooking), no juices are lost. Instead, meat and vegetable juices soak the inside of the bun making it even more delicious.

Use ground pork with at least 20% fat. Fatty pork binds (and tastes) better than lean pork.

To add a little crunch to the pork filling, chopped water chestnuts are traditionally added. If you can't find water chestnuts, jicama may be substituted. If using jicama, allow it to dry out for a day or two before using. Peel and chop, sprinkle with salt, squeeze out to remove excess water then add to the pork mixture.

A stand mixer makes it easier and faster to make the dough. It is not absolutely necessary, however. You may knead the dough by hand. The process will take longer but, if done right, the result will be just as good.

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Proofing the dough 1 hr 10 mins

Total Time 2 hrs

Course Snack

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 16 steamed pork buns

Print Recipe

Equipment

• stand mixer
• Steamer
• 16 2" x 2" greaseproof paper

Ingredients

  

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Dough

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 ¼ cups full-fat milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided

Pork Filling

• 250 grams ground pork
• ½ cup finely sliced chives
• ⅓ cup chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon chopped ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame seed oil
• ½ cup chopped jicama or water chestnuts

Instructions

 

Make the dough

• Disperse the yeast in the milk and set aside.
  
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, measure the flour, add salt and sugar and whisk.
  
• Make a well in the center, pour in the milk-yeast mixture and one tablespoon oil.
  
• Mix everything together with a wooden spoon just until no longer wet.
  
• Attach the dough hook and knead the dough until smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Pinch a piece of dough to feel if it is soft and elastic. If not, knead for another minute.
  
• Coat the inside of a large bowl with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
• Dust your work surface with flour, dump in the dough and form into a ball.
• Place the dough in the prepared bowl, rolling it around to coat the entire surface with oil.
  
• Cover the bowl with cling film and leave the dough to rise until double in volume, about an hour.

Make the pork filling

• While the dough rises, place the ground pork, chives, carrot, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl, and mix well.
  
• Add the ground coriander, five-spice powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame seed oil, and stir to combine.
  
• Add the chopped jicama and mix until evenly distributed.
  

Make the pork buns

• Punch down the dough, put back into the mixer and knead (at lowest speed) for about two minutes.
  
• Sprinkle flour on your work surface, dump in the dough and roll unto a log about a foot long and three inches wide.
• Cut the log into halves vertically then cut each half into eight equal pieces.
  
• Take a piece of dough and flatten into a disc about 1/8 inch thick using a rolling pin.
  
• Place the dough on the palm of one hand and drop a tablespoon of filling at the center.
  
• Using the thumb and forefinger of your free hand, fold and pinch the edges of the dough.
  
• With your other hand cupping the filled dough, turn it around slowly while your other hand continues folding and pinching the edges.
  
• Continue turning, folding and pinching until the filling is sealed.
  
• Lay the sealed dough on a piece of greaseproof paper.
• Repeat until all pieces of dough have been filled.
• Arrange the buns in steamer baskets, cover loosely with cling film and leave to rise for about ten minutes.
• Arrange the baskets over the steamer pot and cook the pork buns over briskly boiling water for 20 minutes.
  
• Serve your steamed pork buns immediately.

Notes

Suggested dipping sauces: sweet soy sauce, chili oil sauce and Chinese black vinegar.

Keyword Bread, dim sum

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