Photograph of the finished Char siu bao (steamed barbecue pork buns)

China · Bánh bao xá xíu

Char siu bao (steamed barbecue pork buns)

1 hr Hands-on time + 1 hr 40 min waiting
MediumDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Flour Flour 9.9 oz
  • Photograph of Dry yeast Dry yeast 0.2 oz
  • Photograph of Baking powder Baking powder 0.2 oz
  • Photograph of Sugar Sugar 2 oz
  • Photograph of Fresh milk Fresh milk ½ cup
  • Photograph of Oil Oil 2 ⅛ tbsp
  • Photograph of Pork shoulder Pork shoulder 11.3 oz
  • Photograph of Oyster sauce Oyster sauce 2 ⅛ tbsp
  • Photograph of Sweet black bean sauce Sweet black bean sauce 2 ⅔ tbsp
  • Photograph of Dried shallots Dried shallots 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Tapioca starch Tapioca starch 0.6 oz
  • Photograph of Five-spice powder Five-spice powder 2 g

Method

  1. 1 Mix the yeast with warm milk and a little sugar, let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy, then knead it together with the flour, baking powder, sugar, and oil until a smooth dough is formed.
  2. 2 Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour until it doubles in size.
  3. 3 Marinate pork shoulder with oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, and sugar for 20 minutes, then grill or pan-fry until cooked through, and dice.
  4. 4 Sauté the shallots until fragrant, add the meat and stir-fry, add a little water, season to taste, then mix cornstarch with water to create a thick sauce; let cool completely.
  5. 5 Divide the dough into portions, flatten each portion, add the filling, and seal the edges with a spiral. Place on parchment paper and let it rest for another 20 minutes.
  6. 6 Steam over medium heat for 15 minutes, then let it sit for 3 minutes before opening the lid to prevent the cake from collapsing.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 55 min

    Replace step 6: steam the cake under low pressure for 8 minutes, then release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes to prevent the crust from collapsing; steps 1–5 remain unchanged.

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