Steamed Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns)
A quintessential Chinese dim sum dish, these steamed Chinese BBQ pork buns (Char siu bao) yield a light dough with a delicious BBQ pork filling. The buns have cracks and fissures, which are characteristic of restaurant-style bbq pork buns.
Servings 10
Calories 173kcal
Ingredients
Roasted BBQ pork filling:
- 75 g white onion diced
- 5 g garlic (about 2 cloves) minced
- 150 g char siu roasted BBQ pork diced
- 2 g Chinese 5-spice powder
- 3 ml Chinese rose wine or dry sherry
- 7 ml hoisin sauce
- 7 ml ketchup
- 2 g cornstarch
- 2 g all-purpose flour
- 60-85 ml cold water
- 2 ml sesame oil
For the dough:
Starter:
- 113 g cake flour
- 2 g active dry yeast
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 62 g room temperature water
Dough:
- starter dough from above
- 2 g baking ammonia dissolved in 2 teaspoon of water
- a few drops lye water
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 75 g cake flour
- 40 g wheat starch
- 10 g baking powder
- 20 ml whole milk
- 27 ml coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 15 ml white vinegar
For steaming:
- water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
Cook the BBQ pork filling:
- In a large frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, about 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
- Add in the diced BBQ pork and continue to sauté until the pork is heated through.
- Next, add in 5-spice powder, Chinese rose wine, hoisin sauce, and ketchup.
- Prepare the cornstarch and flour slurry by adding 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon flour into a small bowl with 4-6 tablespoon cold water. Mix with a spoon until the starch and flour dissolves.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot and stir to coat the BBQ pork mixture. Bring to a boil and lower the heat.
- The mixture will begin to thicken and become glossy.
- Remove the BBQ pork filling from heat, stir in a little sesame oil, and transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with a lid and let cool.
- Refrigerate the pork filling for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to divide the BBQ pork mixture into 10 portions, about 25-30g each.
- Place the scoops onto a plate and chill in the fridge until just about ready to assemble. (Don't keep it at room temperature).
Make the starter: (the night before)
- In a small bowl, add in 113g cake flour, 2g of active dry yeast, 15g of sugar and 62g water.
- Knead together until it forms a dough. (It will be on the drier side).
- Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight.
Make the dough:
- Transfer the starter mixture from the night before in to a larger bowl.
- Add 2g baking ammonia dissolved in 2 teaspoon of water + a few drops of lye water. (Be careful, it will smell!)
- Knead in the 60g granulated sugar, until it dissolves a little.
- Add in the cake flour, wheat starch and baking powder.
- Add in the milk, coconut oil, and vinegar.
- Knead until the dough comes together.
- Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and leave it to rest for about 30 minutes in a warm location.
- When the dough shows some bubbles and has risen a little, lightly dust the work surface with some wheat starch and divide the dough into 10 equal portions. (About 45-50g each).
- Roll the portioned dough into a flat disc and place a scoop of char siu BBQ pork filling (about 25-30g) in the centre.
- Gather the dough up in 3 places, forming a triangular shape (like a samosa).
- Gently press the centre down, and gather the sides up, forming a "bulb/tulip."
- Pinch the 3 seams together on the sides.
- Place the bun onto a piece of parchment paper or muffin liner.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Cover the buns with some plastic wrap and leave to rest in a warm location for about 20-30 minutes.
Steam the buns:
- Fill a large wok or pot (that can fit a steaming rack) with water and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to it.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water is vigorously boiling, place 3-4 buns onto the steaming rack and transfer it to the pot or wok.
- Cover with a lid and ensure that any steam vents are covered (I used a wet cloth), and place a kitchen towel over the rim of the lid, to help trap in as much steam.
- Steam the buns for 12-13 minutes, until buns have formed cracks.
- Remove the buns and repeat with the remaining buns.
- The buns are best served immediately, hot and steamy.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg