Steamed Bao Buns

[JohnT]

Does anybody have a tried and tested recipe for steamed Bao buns in English? I have tried a few recipes off the internet but, either I am not good at making them (highly possible) or the recipes I used are not too good. I have never seen a Bao bun, never mind them been made! And cannot find them offered in our local Chinese restaurants or would have asked for a recipe or lesson on making them.

[liuzhou]

52 minutes ago, JohnT said:

cannot find them offered in our local Chinese restaurants

 

I'm not surprised. They aren't really a restaurant dish. I don't recall seeing them in a restaurant here in China, either. Most are home made or sold from steamed breakfast   street food snack joints, to go. They are also sold frozen in supermarkets.

I don't have a recipe in English other than the one in my head, sorry.

Also, remember that they come with many different fillings. The ones I make most often contain pork and shiitake, but that's just my preference. Here are just three.

Edited April 3, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

I do have a Chinese language cookbook aimed at home cooks. It has nine variations.

 

I'll translate / paraphrase the basics of the bun and leave the filling up to you. Give me till tomorrow.

[JohnT]

@liuzhouThank you, it would be greatly appreciated.

[KennethT]

There's also the Hong Kong style - char siu bao, available at practically all Hong Kong dim sum (yum cha) restaurants.

[weinoo]

Does this help?
 

https://www.tastingtable.com/687131/how-to-make-bao-buns-chinese-steamed-buns/

[liuzhou]

18 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Does this help?
 

https://www.tastingtable.com/687131/how-to-make-bao-buns-chinese-steamed-buns/

 

Baozi are not stuffed mantou. Both are steamed, yes. Otherwise ...

[liuzhou]

Here is my summary translation of the recipe for baozi dough in a Chinese language cookbook. As ever with these cookbooks, they do assume a bit of prior knowledge.

 

Dough Ingredients

 

Flour                  250 grams

ter                      135 grams

Instant Yeast         3 grams

White Sugar         10 grams

Vegetable Oil    1 Small Spoon

 

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and form into a soft ball. Place in a bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until it doubles in size.

 

In the meantime, prepare your filling of choice.

 

Take the double-sized dough, punch out the air and knead thoroughly. Roll out and cut into even bun-sized pieces. Roll each out into circles, making them thicker in the centre and thinner at the edges*. Press the wrappers to together and twist at the top, making sure they are fully sealed. Do not overfill.

 

Place into a lined steamer basket above a pot of water and cover with a lid, but do not apply heat yet. Leave the buns there 15 minutes to rest.

 

Turn heat to high. When the water is boiling, reduce heat to medium and steam for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, but do not remove the lid until five minutes later.

 

Serve.

 

* Chinese stores sell special tapered rolling pins to make this easier, but they are not essential.

 

Here are some guide pictures to give an idea of sizes. Pics 1, 5 and 6  are of the dough.

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by liuzhou
error (log)

[liuzhou]

For size. The bun below (which I made) is sitting on a 6 inch diameter plate. Normal size bun.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[AAQuesada]

54 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Water                     3 grams

Just double checking -should that be 300 g water?

[liuzhou]

33 minutes ago, AAQuesada said:

Just double checking -should that be 300 g water?

 

It doesn't make sense, does it. I'll check when I'm home. Eating lunch in restaurant, now.

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

It doesn't make sense, does it. I'll check when I'm home

 

135 grams. Apologies. Have  edited.

[JohnT]

@liuzhouThanks for the recipe. I will give it a go, hopefully this next weekend, and do some pulled pork as a filling.

[liuzhou]

7 minutes ago, JohnT said:

@liuzhouThanks for the recipe. I will give it a go, hopefully this next weekend, and do some pulled pork as a filling.

 

I look forward to seeing your results!

[Dejah]

This is a recipe that my Mom made and passed onto me. I usual;ly fill these with Char Siu, or chicken, Chinese sausage and Shitaki Mushroom.

 

4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 TSP baking powder Mix well.

Add 2 cups MINUS 1 TBSP milk
Knead for 10 minutes. Add 2 TSP veg oil - Knead 10 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes.

 

Make into baos. Steam for 10 minutes, wipe off condensation inside lid, and steam for another 10 minutes.

OR my s-i-l's:

4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1 cup sugar

4 TSP baking powder

1 tsp salt.

Same process.

 

NOW, we use prepared bao flour from Asian supermarket

 

                                                                    

 

 

I made 3 doz Char Siu Baos yesterday

                                                                   

 

 

 

 

[JohnT]

@Dejah Many thanks for your recipe too. Something more for me to experiment with.

[liuzhou]

I would just add that it is very common in China to add a flour improver formulated specifically for steamed breads and buns etc.

 

Do you have a Chinatown in Capetown. I know Johannesburg does (I have a cousin living there). Amyway, they would proably have it.

 

If there is no English on the packaging, you can look for the characters 改良剂 or 改良劑 (both pronounced gǎi liáng jì, which means 'ímprovement agent'.

However, it isn't essential. I seldom use it.