Chinese Steamed Pork Buns
Pork Buns (鲜肉包子 or bao buns) are a Chinese dim sum tradition consisting of soft steamed buns with a juicy and flavorful pork filling inside. They're a great grab-and-go snack, and also fit nicely into any Asian-themed meal or potluck. So good!
Servings: 24 buns
Calories: 222kcal
Ingredients
Chinese Sweet Bread Dough
- 1 cup warm water 105-110°F / 36-38°C
- 1 tbsp dry active yeast 2 envelopes
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 cups all-purpose flour about 14 2/3 ounces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Pork Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs ground pork or minced pork tenderloin
- 1 tbsp soy sauce low sodium recommended
- 2 tbsp sherry or cooking sherry - optional
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce or oyster sauce
- 3 tsp sugar optional
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup green onions minced
Instructions
Chinese Sweet Bread Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together warm water, yeast and sugar until dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a large wooden spoon until a dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, or into a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand, or 5 minutes in the stand mixer.
- Return the dough to the large bowl and rub thoroughly with vegetable oil.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm, draft-free area to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size (see note 1). [Meanwhile, make the pork filling.]
- Punch down the dough with your fist and turn onto a clean work surface.
- Sprinkle the baking powder on top and knead for 5 minutes until incorporated. Set aside.
Pork Filling
- In a medium bowl, add ground pork, soy sauce, optional sherry, hoisin sauce, sugar and salt. Mix with a fork and set aside for 10-20 minutes to marinate.
- Place a large skillet on medium heat. Add oil, garlic and ginger and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add pork mixture to skillet and saute 5-7 minutes until no longer pink. Add water and bring to a boil, simmering for 5 more minutes.
- Add the cornstarch/water slurry to the pork, and stir for a minute to thicken. Then stir in sesame oil and green onions. Remove from heat and set aside.
Pork Bun Preparation
- Take your dough - if it has risen, punch it down again - and cut in half. Then cut each half in 10-12 equal pieces. Cover lightly with a towel to avoid drying out.
- Form a piece into a ball with your palms. Then place on a floured work surface and roll into a 4-5 inch circle using a mini rolling pin if available.
- Place 2 tbsp pork in the middle of the circle. Pull up the edges with your fingertips and pinch several times in the middle to seal.
- Repeat previous two steps for remaining pieces. Once you have 10-12 pieces, you can steam the first batch.
- Cut 2-inch/5-cm square pieces of parchment or wax paper. Place one beneath each bun and arrange 1/2-inch apart on a steamer basket.
- Place one quart of water in wok and bring to a boil over medium-high meat. Cover steamer basket with lid and place on wok to steam for 15 minutes until puffy.
- Remove steamer basket from wok. Add more water and repeat for second batch.
- Let buns cool for several minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- The dough is ready if you poke it with two fingers and indentations remain.
- Avoid overcrowding the steamer by leaving a 1/2-inch / 1 cm gap in between the buns to allow for expansion during steaming.
Nutrition
Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1.8mg | Net Carbs: 27g