Cha Shao Bao - 叉烧包

[Macarons&Mozart]

Hey all-

Cha shao bao (叉烧包) are one of my favorite dim sum items, so naturally, I tried to make them at home a few times. Each time around, the filling was great, but the dough was FAR off what I am served in restaurants. Mine are not nearly as fluffy, duller beige in color, and not as spongey. How do I get that great white, fluffy, airy quaility of restaurant bao? I've tried adding baking powder to the dough, but that doesnt help that much. It still comes out too similar to western-style bread that is steamed instead of baked.

Thank you!

-Robert Kim

[sheetz]

Don't use yeast. The ones served in the restaurants only use baking powder for leavening. You should also use a low protein flour--a 50/50 blend of cake and all purpose flours works well from my experience.

[Dejah]

Don't use yeast. The ones served in the restaurants only use baking powder for leavening. You should also use a low protein flour--a 50/50 blend of cake and all purpose flours works well from my experience.

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http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=59538&hl=

The URL above is a whole thread in the COOKING forum on making char siu baos. It's under "cook-offs"

I use only baking powder in my bao mix. Cake flour seems to produce whiter and lighter dough.

[sheetz]

I actually experimented with steamed bao a few years back and the problem I had with using only cake flour was that the dough lacked enough gluten and produced a "lumpy" looking surface after cooked. Blending in some AP flour provided enough gluten so that the skin was nice and smooth after steamed. If available, I recommend using a specialty flour like White Lily or Martha White, which are highly bleached flours with protein contents somewhere in between cake flour and regular AP flour.

[Dejah]

I actually experimented with steamed bao a few years back and the problem I had with using only cake flour was that the dough lacked enough gluten and produced a "lumpy" looking surface after cooked. Blending in some AP flour provided enough gluten so that the skin was nice and smooth after steamed. If available, I recommend using a specialty flour like White Lily or Martha White, which are highly bleached flours with protein contents somewhere in between cake flour and regular AP flour.

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I wonder if these brands are available in Western Canada? I have also heard that a 1/4 cup of vinegar in the steaming water will keep the baos white. I think I tried it acouple times, but I can't remember if it made any difference. I DO know that boiling vinegar will deordorize a room!

[sheetz]

I've also heard that using lye water (gan sui) will bleach the buns. I haven't experiemented with it to know, however.