Love Chinese dim sum? Then you will love these steamed char siu baos! These have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and it was always a treat to go out to the restaurant and get them. But now....NOW I can make them at home! I've been making Chef Jet Tila's Char Siu Pork for years, and have made a couple attempts at the buns, but I've finally nailed down the perfect recipe. The pork is so flavorful and the buns are soft, pillowy, and just melt in your mouth.
These are steamed buns, so you will need a bamboo steamer, which you can easily find on Amazon! I recommend the double decker steamer so you can make them all in one shot. You'll also need a large soup pot that the steamers can just sit on - measuring is your friend before you get started!
Here's how to make it:
Ingredients (Makes 10 buns)
For the char siu pork: (sure, I could come up with my own recipe but this one is perfection)
1 1/2 cups of Chef Jet Tila's Char Siu Pork diced into small pieces (be sure to reserve the extra marinade, you'll need this - about 1 - 1 1/2 cups)
2 TBS all purpose flour
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
For the buns:
1 TSP active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rice flour
5 TBS granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 TSP baking powder
Instructions
TIP: I recommend using an electric mixer but you can knead by hand.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, in your mixer bowl, or a large bowl if kneading by hand.
Sift the all purpose flour and rice flour into another bowl, and add it to the yeast mixture with the sugar and oil.
Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on to the lowest setting and knead the dough until a smooth ball is formed. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the sides. You can also knead by hand.
Remove the bowl from the mixer (and remove the dough hook) and cover it with a damp cloth or dish towel and let it rest for 2 hours.
While the dough rests, let's prepare the char siu filling: add the reserved marinade, chicken stock and flour to a pan and, stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until it's thickened, just a couple of minutes. ,
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the char siu pork. Set aside to cool or cover and refrigerate if using later..
After your dough has rested for 2 hours, move the bowl back to your mixer (if using one) and add the baking powder to the dough.
Turn the mixer on to the lowest setting again and start kneading. If the dough looks dry you can add 1-2 teaspoons of room temp water. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth.
Once finished, remove the dough hook and cover again with a damp cloth and let it rest for another 15 minutes.
While the dough is resting, get a large piece of parchment paper and cut it into ten 4x4 inch squares.
Add water to a large uncovered soup pot (enough to fill about 2/3 to the top) and place the steamer directly on top of the pot and put the top on it, then bring to a boil.
Let's assemble the buns (the fun part!): On a hard surface (I like to use my slipmat) roll the dough into a long tube and divide it into 10 equal pieces.
Press each piece of dough into a disc about 4 1/2" in diameter. The dough should be thicker in the center and thinner around the edges.
Add about 3-4 teaspoons filling and pleat the buns until they're closed on top. Here's a great video to show you how to pleat them - I still need to practice this!
Once the buns are ready to go, place each one on a parchment paper square and put them in the steamer and steam for 12 minutes over high heat.
Once done, carefully remove them from the steamer (it's hot!) and serve immediately!
Did you make them? Share pics in the comments!