Baked Bao Bun with Lamb Filling (羊肉烤包子)

How to make a delicious lamb filling

I’ve tested the filling for this baked bao bun recipe a number of times. Eventually, I’ve found the “perfect” formula that I’m super satisfied with. The flavour and texture are spot on!

• I use raw, small cubes of lamb so it stays moist and tender after baking.
• For the vegetables, I fry onion and carrot in lamb fat to bring out their sweetness and extract the excess liquid.
• In terms of seasoning, I use a combination of cumin powder and cumin seeds to highlight this best pairing spice for lamb. A spoonful of chilli flakes is also added to give the filling an extra kick.

Cut & marinate the lamb

I like lamb leg for this recipe as it’s a tasty cut and contains a reasonable amount of fat. Chinese dumplings and stuffed buns usually call for minced (ground) meat. For these baked lamb bao buns, I use diced lamb instead. This way, more moisture is retained in the meat. Also, it provides a nice bite. However, please feel free to use minced lamb if you wish.

Cutting meat into small cubes can be a messy, time-consuming job. Here are my tips to make it easier.

• Always sharpen your knife before cutting.
• It’s much easier to cut a firm piece of meat so freeze the lamb for 1-2 hours beforehand until it turns semi-frozen.
• Cut the lamb into strips then turn 90 degrees to dice.
• Prepare a big batch then bag it into small portions for later use. So the next few times when you make this dish, simply defrost a bagful.

To marinate the lamb, you will need cumin powder, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, corn starch & water. Mix until all the liquid is fully absorbed by the meat. If your kitchen is quite warm, refrigerate while preparing other ingredients. Otherwise, you can leave it on the counter.

Fry the vegetables

For frying the vegetables, I use lamb fat that is trimmed off the lamb leg. It adds a rich flavour to the filling. Cut it into small pieces then fry over low heat until oil appears and the pieces turn brown. You may either keep the remaining pieces in the filling or discard them.

Firstly add finely chopped onion. Fry until it gains a nice caramelised look. Then add cumin seeds, chilli flakes and grated carrot. Dish out when the carrot wilts. Mix with the marinated lamb once cooled down.

A quick & easy dough recipe

I use a quick & easy leavened dough for my baked bao bun (same as the dough I use for Steamed Plain Buns and Scallion Flower Rolls). No lengthened kneading or extended resting required so it’s perfect for novice bakers. For making 12 medium-sized bao buns, you would need:

• 250 g all-purpose flour (aka plain flour)
• 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 130 ml lukewarm water

In terms of leavening agent, the traditional bao buns dough calls for yeast only. It requires two sessions of resting: one before assembling the buns, another afterwards. My easy dough recipe includes baking powder which makes the proofing process less time-consuming (and no guessing game about “if the dough has doubled in size”). Here are two simple steps to follow:

1. Mix all the ingredients and knead to form a smooth dough. Start rolling the wrappers and shaping the buns right away.
2. Leave the buns to rest for about 30 mins then they are ready to be baked.

Kneading isn’t complicated for this recipe. Once all the ingredients are well combined and the dough becomes smooth, you are done.

• If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, simply knead all the ingredients on low speed for about 8 minutes.
• If you are kneading by hand, use my favourite “resting trick”: after combining all the ingredient into a rough-looking dough, leave it to rest for 10 minutes (covered) then knead again. It will take just a couple of minutes to make it smooth.

How to assemble the bao buns

Now let’s talk about the most fun (or intimidating) part of bao bun making: rolling the dough into round wrappers then stuffing them with filling and pleating into beautiful buns! It does take some practice to make good-looking ones. But the great news is no matter how ordinary your bao buns look, they will taste good!

Make the wrappers: roll & turn

After dividing the dough into equal sections, you roll each piece into a round disc, about 12 cm in diameter. I’ve introduced the “roll & turn” technique in all my dumpling and bao recipes:

Hold the dough with one hand and move the rolling pin with the other hand. Roll forward to the centre and come back. Then turn the wrapper a little. Keep repeating the roll and turn motion until the wrapper gains the desired look: thin on the edge and slightly thicker in the middle. My tutorial video in the recipe card below shows you how I do it.

To make the process a little easier, follow a few tips:

• Dust the work surface and the rolling pin with a little flour if the dough sticks.
• Always cover the unused dough to avoid drying out. This is particularly important if your kitchen is hot & dry.
• Use a Chines style slim rolling pin which is no bigger than 3cm in diameter. They are usually available in Asian/Chinese shops or some mainstream online shopping platforms.

Pleat the buns: feel free to improvise

It’s quite hard to explain how a bao bun is pleated. So if this is new to you, head over to my tutorial video (in the recipe card below) to see my technique. My images show the traditional look of a Chinese bao bun (baozi, 包子), but please feel free to fold your ones the way you feel most comfortable with.

• If you don’t think your buns look as pretty as expected, you can place them upside down to bake (make sure the wrappers are completely sealed). This way you have the round, smooth side on the top. Very nice too!
• Another solution is to seal the buns in other ways. I’ve shared a Guide on Dumpling Folding which includes ten different methods. You can use any of them to pleat your baked bao buns. For example, a half-moon dumpling-like bun works perfectly.

No matter how you fold your buns, please follow two simple rules for best results: 1. Make sure the filling, which becomes juicy after cooking, doesn’t leak out. 2. Avoid the dough gathering at one spot thus becoming too thick to cook through.

Bake the bao buns to perfection

Once your bao buns are assembled, place them into a baking tray (brush some oil or line with parchment paper if it isn’t non-stick). Leave to rest before baking. It takes me 30 minutes in a room at about 25°C/77°F. So if it’s cooler in yours, extend the time a little and vice versa.

After resting, the buns will expand a little (but won’t double in size) and they look smoother and fuller. Before you pop them into the oven, brush a thin layer of oil (any type) on top of the buns then sprinkle with sesame seeds. It takes two steps to bake these bao buns to perfection:

1. Preheat oven at 410°F/210°C/Fan 190°C. Place the baking tray on the middle rack. Cook for 18 mins.
2. Then turn the heat up to 480°F/250°C/Fan 230°C. Cook for a further 3-5 mins until golden.

If this is your first time making baked bao bun, be attentive during the final few minutes to avoid burning. Different ovens perform slightly differently, so please feel free to adjust the time if necessary.

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