Make Char Siu Bao, Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Buns at home. The tender fluffy buns with moist pork filling are a classic of Chinese cuisine and a recipe you can make at home!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 35 minutesminutes
Cook Time 13 minutesminutes
Total Time 48 minutesminutes
Servings 16steamed buns
Calories 196kcal
Author Robin Gagnon
Equipment
bamboo steamer or steaming pan/appliance
Parchment paper
stand mixer with dough hook attachment optional
Ingredients
Bao Dough:
2cupsbao flour or cake flour
1cupwarm water
¼cupgranulated sugar
3tablespoonsvegetable oilany flavorless oil such as canola oil or avocado oil
2teaspoonsbaking powder
2teaspoonsinstant yeast
BBQ Pork Filling (Char Siu):
1poundsground pork
1small yellow oniondiced
3clovesgarlicfinely minced
⅓cupwater
1 ½tablespoonscorn starch
1 ½tablespoonsvegetable oil
1tablespoonhoisin sauce
1tablespoonsoy sauce
1tablespoonoyster sauce
½tablespoonfresh gingerfinely grated (optional)
1teaspoongranulated sugar
1teaspoonsesame oil
1teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Start the bao dough, by sifting flour into a large bowl.
Add water, sugar, oil, baking powder and dry yeast to the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Knead the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. If it’s a little sticky, add a little bit of flour. Keep kneading and folding and make a ball. Yes, feel free to use a stand mixer with dough hook, if you have one.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and put in a warm place. Allow to rise for about 20-30 minutes.
While your dough is rising, make your meat filling.
Pour oil into large deep skillet over medium high heat. Once it is hot, add your diced onions and minced garlic. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger (if using), sugar, sesame oil, salt, water and cornstarch to the pan and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.
Then add your ground pork to the pan and make sure it’s completely cooked. This can take about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat once the meat is fully cooked and let it cool off.
Return to your dough. Sprinkle some flour to your work table and put your risen dough on there.
Fold and flatten with a rolling pin a few times until you have a long rectangle. Then roll up and cut dough into 16 even pieces.
Using your rolling pin, roll out each individual piece of dough until you have a 3 inch circle.
Put 1-2 tablespoons of the pork mixture on each dough circle and start folding the edges towards each other, all the way around until the filling is enclosed.
Line bamboo steamer (or steamer pan) with parchment paper. Arrange the buns in steamer, leaving about an inch between them. Do not overcrowd them.
Add about ¼ inch water to a pan and bring to a boil. Then place your bamboo steamer in the pan and let it steam for about 12-14 minutes. Make sure there is always water in your pan. You can add a little more if all the water has reduced.
Remove the bao buns from the steamer and serve warm.