A tried-and-tested recipe for Char Siu Bao, a Chinese dim sum stuffed bun that’s famous for its fluffy, cotton-like wrapper and saucy Char Siu filling. A tutorial video are included.
350gbao flour/cake flour, or all-purpose floursee note 3
2tablespoonsugar
2teaspoonbaking powder
2teaspooninstant dry yeastsee note 5
1½tablespoonneutral cooking oil
180glukewarm water, adjust if necessarysee note 4
Instructions
Prepare the filling
Add oil to a pan. Fry onion until slightly golden.
Pour in water. Then add oyster sauce, Char Siu sauce and dark soy sauce. Leave it to boil for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion.
Turn the heat to the lowest. Mix the starch water very well then pour in. Stir constantly until the liquid turns into jelly. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Coarsely chop Char Siu into small pieces. Add to the jelly. Mix well and set aside.
Make the dough
IF USING HANDS: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast and oil in a bowl. Add water gradually while mixing with a pair of chopsticks/spatula. Combine with your hands to form a dough. Rest (covered ) for 10 mins then knead again until very smooth.
IF USING A STAND MIXER: Add all the ingredients for the dough into the mixing bowl. Knead on low speed for about 8 mins until a smooth dough forms.
Roll the wrappers
Divide the dough into 14 equal parts. Work on one piece at a time and make sure you cover the rest to prevent it from drying out.
With a rolling pin, flatten one piece into a disc-like wrapper, 9-10cm in diameter. Ideally, it should be thinner on the edge & thicker in the middle (See the rolling technique in the video below).
Shape the bao
Place a spoonful of filling (about 20g) in the middle of the wrapper. To ensure a “crack open” effect after steaming, follow the folding technique shown in the video below to seal the bao. Alternatively, pleat the bao using the regular method introduced in my recipe for “Steamed Bao Buns, A Complete Guide”.
Rest the bao
Repeat to finish all the wrappers and filling. Then place the bao into steamer baskets lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking (Alternatively, brush a thin layer of oil if using a metal/plastic steamer).
Leave to rest for 30 minutes or so until they become very light & plump (no need to cover).
Steam the bao
Bring water to a full boil in a wok/pot. Place the steamer baskets in. Steam over medium-high heat for 10 mins. Serve immediately.
Store & reheat
You can make extra filling for later use and store it in the freezer for up to three months.
It’s not recommended to store uncooked bao. Instead, cooked bao freeze very well. Consume within three months.
To reheat: Defrost in the fridge then steam for 3 mins. Alternatively, steam for 6 mins without defrosting.
Video
Notes
1. I use the Char Siu sauce from Lee Kum Kee/李锦记. It’s available in Chinese/Asian supermarkets. Skip it if unavailable and increase the oyster sauce to 3 tbsp.2. Follow my Easy Char Siu Recipe to make some yourself, or use shop-bought ones.3. To achieve an extra fluffy texture that Char Siu Bao is famous for, it’s best to use low gluten flour, such as cake flour or special bao flour (available in Chinese stores) which has 7-8g protein per 100g flour. If unavailable, you may use all-purpose flour which has 10-11g protein. In this case, you'll need to increase the water volume to 190ml.4. The flour-water ratio may vary slightly depending on the brand of your flour. Please feel free to adjust. The dough should be soft but not sticky.5. Instant dry yeast can be mixed directly with flour. If using active dry yeast which are larger granules, dissolve it in water first then mix with other ingredients.