Baked Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns, 叉燒麵包)

Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post!

Char siu bao (叉燒包, also spelled cha siu bao) were a staple of my childhood. I have fond memories of Mama Lin buying me char siu bao to eat after school. It felt like heaven biting into the pillowy soft golden brown bread that encased a sweet and savory BBQ pork filling.

There are two common varieties of char siu bao: steamed and baked. In this recipe, I am explaining how to make baked char siu bao. The baked version is often called 叉燒麵包: 叉燒 means barbecued or roasted pork; 麵包 is a term used to describe baked breads. I have seen this style of bun referred to as 叉燒餐包 (baked BBQ pork buns) or 港式叉燒包 (Hong Kong-style BBQ pork buns). The word 包 is a more general term that means bread or bun.

I’m very excited to partner with Bob’s Red Mill to bring you this baked char siu bao recipe. For the dough, you will need Bob’s Red Mill’s Artisan Bread Flour. If you are familiar with my other Asian bread recipes like Japanese milk bread or scallion bread, you’ll know that I use Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour in those recipes. The flours work very well for various Asian-style breads and are convenient for me to purchase. In this recipe, I decided to use bread flour because I wanted the dough to have more structure to hold the pork filling.

I tested this recipe 6 or 7 times, so I have a lot of tips below on how to bake a delicious batch of char siu bao. I’ve tried to anticipate some of the issues that might come up as you make them. Below, I’ve also provided photos and videos to give you visual references on how to make the bao. Hope you find all these tips helpful!

CHAR SIU BAO VS CHA SIU BAO

Char siu bao or cha siu bao is the Cantonese pronunciation of 叉燒包. Technically speaking, cha siu bao is a more accurate spelling of the Cantonese pronunciation as there is no “r” sound in Cantonese. However, since “char siu” is the more common spelling in English, I will use it throughout this post. For those of you who are curious, 叉燒包 is pronounced cha1 shao1 bao1 in Mandarin.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHAR SIU BAO (CHA SIU BAO)

TWO DOUGH-MAKING METHODS

In the recipes below, I explain 2 different methods for making the dough: one version uses tangzhong and the other doesn’t. Tangzhong (湯種) is a Chinese technique of heating flour and water into a paste that is then added to the bread dough. The consistency of tangzhong is similar to a roux. The tangzhong helps give baked breads a softer texture. 

I originally developed this recipe with only a tangzhong-based dough, which yielded char siu bao that looked great on the outside and were nice and soft when I bit into them. However, when I cut open the buns, I could see a large cavity inside (see photo below, left). Tangzhong yeasted doughs have a higher moisture content and creates more steam when it bakes. As a result, this type of dough rises higher, which explains why there’s a larger cavity inside the bao. 

Because the bao didn’t look perfect visually, I decided to develop another dough recipe that didn’t use tangzhong. It is simpler to make because you omit the step of making tangzhong. Once baked, the bao also looks fuller inside (see photo above, right). Although the char siu bao looked better with this second dough method, the texture of the bread was not as pillowy soft as the tangzhong-based dough. The crumb is chewier. 

Since I bake this style of bread all the time, I immediately noticed the difference in texture between both doughs. However, my husband couldn’t tell the difference until he ate the bao side-by-side. 

In the recipes below, I have included recipes on how to make both types of dough. Personally, I prefer the tangzhong method, but let me know which you prefer!

TANGZHONG DOUGH METHOD

In a saucepan, whisk 30 grams of Bob’s Red Mill’s Artisan Bread Flour with 115 grams of water. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once a paste starts to form, keep stirring until all the runny liquid absorbs into the paste. Transfer the tangzhong to a bowl. Let the tangzhong cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the dough. For microwave directions, see the notes to the tangzhong dough recipe. 

ACTIVATE THE YEAST

If you use active dry yeast for this recipe, you need to activate the yeast. Heat 135g whole milk in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Check the temperature of the milk; it should be somewhere around 110ºF to 120ºF. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the temperature with your finger. The milk should feel very warm but not scalding hot. If the milk isn’t warm enough yet, microwave the milk again for 5 to 10 seconds until it reaches 110ºF to 120ºF.

If the temperature is within the range, add the sugar and yeast. You don’t want the milk to be too hot because it can kill the activity in the yeast. After about 5 to 8 minutes, the yeast should foam up like you see in the photo above. If the milk still looks flat, it can mean that the yeast is out of date or the milk was too hot.

INSTANT YEAST

If you are using instant yeast, you do not need to activate it. In other words, you do not need to stir the yeast with warmed milk. Simply add the instant yeast along with the other ingredients for the dough into the bowl of your stand mixer. That said, I still recommend warming up the milk in the microwave for 15 seconds so that the milk reaches room temperature. Then, start mixing and kneading the dough. 

MAKE THE DOUGH

While the tangzhong is cooling and the yeast is activating, gather all the other ingredients for the dough. Because of the amount of liquids and fats in the dough, I highly recommend using a stand mixer. I usually mix the dough on low until there isn’t much loose flour on the edges of the mixing bowl (see photo above). Then, I increase the speed to medium-low and let the mixer work the dough for 8 minutes. 

After 8 minutes, turn the dough over a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times. The dough should be smooth and supple. Then, shape the dough into a ball and place it inside a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic or a silicone lid, and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place, until it doubles in size (see photos below). If you are using instant yeast, the dough will not rise as high because the milk wasn’t warmed to 110ºF to 120ºF. 

NON-TANGZHONG DOUGH METHOD

For this dough method, you can omit the step of making the tangzhong and start with activating the yeast. You’ll need more milk and yeast for this dough method, but everything else in the dough making process is the same as I described above.

MAKE THE FILLING

The filling consists of mixing diced pieces of Chinese BBQ pork (char siu/cha siu) with a thick sauce for flavor. This is a good recipe for using leftovers you might have from my char siu recipe. 

First, mix sugar, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, paprika, and salt in a small bowl. Then, sauté shallots with garlic in a nonstick pan. Add the sauce to the pan along with some water and simmer for 2 minutes. 

Next, you’ll thicken the liquids with a cornstarch slurry so that the sauce can act as a paste to bind the pieces of char siu together. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water together to create a slurry and pour that into the pan. The cornstarch slurry will start thickening the sauce immediately, so make sure to stir the liquids as you pour the slurry into the pan. Keep stirring for about 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and mix in the diced char siu. Chill the filling in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape the bao.

MAKE THE BUNS

Before rolling out the dough, I like to divide the filling into 12 pieces (about 40 to 45 grams each) and shape each piece into balls. This makes the bao shaping a lot easier because the filling won’t move around as much.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. If you have any baking sheets that are the same size as the ones you have lined with parchment, I recommend stacking them below. Stacking baking sheets of the same size will help keep the bottom of the buns from browning too much. In the photo below, the bao on the left was baked with 2 baking sheets stacked while the bao on the right was baked on a single baking sheet.

Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 2 pieces, about 440g to 450g each. Place one half back into the bowl and cover the bowl. Take the other half and divide it into 6 equal pieces, about 70 to 75 grams each. Take 1 small piece of dough and knead it a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, shape the dough into a ball. I like to gather all the seams on one side of the ball of dough, leaving the other side completely smooth. That smoother side will be outside of the bao. Continue shaping the remaining 5 pieces of dough into balls. 

Take a ball of dough with the seam side facing up and the smooth side facing down. Roll out the dough into a circle of about 5 1/4 inches wide. I usually roll out the edges more than the center so that the center of the dough is thicker. See video below for visual reference.

SHAPE THE BAO ON COUNTER (EASIER METHOD)

Take a ball of filling and place it in the center of the rolled out dough. If your fingers get dirty, wipe them off with a towel so that you don’t stain the outside of the bun. Then, take 2 opposite sides of the dough and fold it up, like a taco. Next, take the remaining 2 sides of the dough and fold them up as well. You’ll see that the dough is starting to form an x-shape. Watch the video above for a visual reference.

Transfer the bao to your right hand while you use the crook of your left hand to gather the dough together and start closing up the bao. Then, use your fingers to pinch the dough together and seal up the bao. If you see big folds forming along the side of the bao, use your fingers to pinch the dough together to seal up those folds. Transfer the bao to a parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam side of the bao facing down.

SHAPE THE BAO IN YOUR HAND

Once you have rolled out the dough to about 5 1/4 inches, place the dough on your left hand. Pick up a ball of filling and place it in the center of the dough. If your fingers get dirty, wipe them off with a towel so that they don’t stain the outside of the bao. Using your right hand start gathering up the dough around the filling. I usually use my left thumb to hold the filling in place while I gather up the dough. Once you’ve gathered all the dough, use the crock of your left hand to start closing up the bao. Use your fingers to pinch the dough together to seal the bao. Watch the video above for a visual reference. Transfer the bao to a parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam side of the bao facing down.

LET THE BAO RISE

After you have shaped all the bao, cover them loosely with plastic wrap. If you are making these during the winter, let the bao rise for 90 to 105 minutes, until the bread doubles in size. If you are making these during the summer or inside a warm kitchen, they should be ready to bake in 75 to 90 minutes. 

One way to check to see if the bao are ready to bake is to gently press the bao with a finger. It should leave a small indent and the dough shouldn’t spring back immediately. This dough can be a little sticky, so dip your finger in a bit of flour before you perform this test.

BAKE THE BAO

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Arrange the oven racks to the top third and lower third positions.

Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk for the egg wash. Using a brush, apply a thin layer of egg wash over the buns. You can brush the buns with a single layer of egg wash or give the buns the double egg wash treatment. If you are doing a double egg wash, wait 10 to 15 minutes before applying the second layer of egg wash. The benefit of brushing the buns with 2 layers of egg wash is that you can ensure the entire bun will get an even coating of egg wash. In the photo above, the bun on the left got a single layer of egg wash while the bun on the right got double egg wash. However, the double egg wash can occasionally cause bubbles to form on the surface of the bao (see photo below).

If you’d like to top the char siu bao with sesame seeds for garnish, sprinkle some on top after applying egg wash. 

Bake the bao for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops of the bao are evenly golden brown. You can swap the baking sheets around halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Let the char siu bao cool on the baking sheets for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They’re best eaten when they’re still a little warm.

Store leftover BBQ pork buns in an airtight container for 2 or 3 days.

CAN I MAKE THE DOUGH AND FILLING AHEAD?

Yes, you can make both the dough and filling a day ahead. 

FOR THE DOUGH

Right after you finish kneading the dough, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Transfer the bowl to the fridge and let it rise overnight. You do not need to let the dough rise before putting it into the fridge. When you are ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge. You do not need to let the dough reach room temperature before you shape the bao. Otherwise, you may run into the risk of overproofing the dough. 

When working with overnight dough, I noticed that the bao were slightly more difficult to shape inside my hands. Because the dough stiffens when chilled, it’s not as easy to wrap the dough around the filling with one hand without making a mess. It is a lot easier if you shape the bao on the counter if you end up chilling the dough overnight.

FOR THE FILLING

Once you mix the char siu with the sauce, transfer the filling into a container and refrigerate the filling overnight. You do not need to let the filling reach room temperature before using it. 

CAN I FREEZE CHAR SIU BAO?

Yes, you can freeze baked (not raw) char siu bao. Line large plates or a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, place the bao on top and freeze them for several hours or overnight, until the exterior of the char siu bao hardens. Then, transfer the baked bao to freezer bags and eat them within several months for optimal flavor.

When you are ready to eat the char siu bao, place the frozen bao on a baking sheet. You do not need to defrost the bao before baking. Bake the char siu bao at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes.

One thing to note is that the texture of the bao won’t be as soft when they are reheated. As a matter of fact, the exterior of the bao will be slightly crunchy. I still devoured the reheated bao in quick haste though. 

WHY ARE THERE SMALL TEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BUN?

This is a sign that the bao were underproofed during the second rise. This is more of a visual thing, so the buns will taste fine. Next time, let the dough rise for another 15 minutes before baking (assuming your kitchen is about the same temperature).

MORE ASIAN BREAD RECIPES WITH BOB’S RED MILL FLOURS

• Japanese Milk Bread
• Pineapple Buns
• Scallion Bread
• Vegetarian Gua Bao

5 from 21 votes

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Servings: 12 Bao

Baked Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns, Cha Siu Bao, 叉燒包)

Char siu bao (叉燒包, Chinese BBQ pork buns, cha siu bao) are classic pastries from Chinese bakeries. The soft and light bun surrounds a mouth-watering sweet and savory filling made with Chinese BBQ pork, shallots, sauces, and spices. This recipe describes the tangzhong method of making the dough.

Prep Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Additional Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

Tangzhong

• 30 grams bread flour (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
• 115 grams water (1/2 cup)

Bread

• canola or vegetable oil for greasing bowl
• 135 grams whole milk (1/2 cup + 4 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 7 grams active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) , (see note 1)
• 420 grams bread flour (3 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 70 grams unsalted butter (5 tablespoons), melted
• 80 grams sweetened condensed milk (4 tablespoons), (see note 3 for substitution)
• 1 large egg

BBQ Pork Filling

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, (see note 2)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, any neutral oil works
• 1/3 cup finely diced shallots (50g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, (see note 4)
• 2 cups diced char siu (280g), (see note 5 for recipe)

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

Topping (Optional)

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, I used a mix of black and white sesame seeds

Equipment

• saucepan
• small mixing bowl
• large mixing bowl
• microwave-safe bowl
• stand mixer
• large baking sheets
• parchment paper
• brush
• plastic wrap

Instructions

Make the Tangzhong

• In a saucepan, whisk the flour and water together until the flour dissolves.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir the mixture frequently. In about 30 seconds to a minute, the flour will start to thicken. Start stirring constantly until the runny liquid absorbs into the paste. Turn off the heat and transfer the tangzhong to a bowl to cool. (See note 6 for microwave tangzhong directions.)

Prepare the Dough

• Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Set it aside. 
• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk in the microwave on high for about 30 to 40 seconds. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the milk. It should be somewhere around 110ºF to 120ºF. If the milk isn’t hot enough yet, heat it again for 5 to 10 seconds. If the milk is too hot, quickly whisk the milk and let it cool for several minutes.
• Add the sugar and yeast to the milk. Stir to hydrate the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. After 5 to 8 minutes, you should see a layer of foam on the top at least 1/4 inch thick. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the melted butter, condensed milk, egg, tangzhong, and foamy milk/yeast mixture. 
• Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix the dough on low until you don’t see any loose flour on the sides of the bowl. This should take 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, increase the speed to medium-low and work the dough for 8 minutes. 
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. If the dough is feeling tacky, lightly dust your hands with flour. 
• Shape the dough into a ball and place inside the greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic (or a silicone lid) and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size. 

Make BBQ Pork Filling

• In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, paprika, and salt. 
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they start to soften. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. 
• Pour the sauce into the pan. Then, pour in 1/2 cup of water. Make sure you still have 1/4 cup of water remaining in the bowl. Let the liquids simmer in the pan for about 2 minutes.
• Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of water. Stir the liquids in the pan as you pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan. The cornstarch slurry thickens the liquids very quickly, so stir constantly to ensure that the sauce thickens evenly. After about 2 minutes of stirring, you should have a very thick sauce. Turn off the heat.
• Add the diced char siu into the pan and stir to incorporate the char siu with the sauce.
• Transfer the filling into a bowl and chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape the buns. It is easier to shape the bao with chilled filling.

Roll BBQ Pork Filling Into Balls

• Once the filling has chilled, divide it into 12 portions of about 40 to 45 grams or 2 tablespoons each. I usually use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out a heaping scoopful of filling.
• After dividing the filling into 12 portions, roll out each portion into a ball. Rolling the filling into tight balls will make them much easier to wrap when you shape the bao.

Divide and Roll Out Dough

• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
• Once doubled, punch down the dough to release excess air. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, about 440 to 450 grams each.
• Place one half back into the bowl and cover the bowl. Take the other half and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, about 70 to 75 grams each. 
• Take 1 small piece of dough and knead it a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, shape the dough into a ball. Make sure to gather all the seams on one side of the ball of dough, leaving the other side completely smooth. That smoother side will be the outside of the bao. Continue shaping the remaining 5 pieces of dough into balls. 
• Take a ball of dough with the seam side facing up and the smooth side facing down. Roll out the dough into a circle of about 5 to 5 1/4 inches wide. I usually roll out the edges more than the center so that the center of the dough is thicker. 

Shape the Bao (See video below for reference)

• Shaping the bao on the counter (easier method): Take a ball of filling and place it in the center of the rolled out dough. If your fingers get dirty, wipe them off with a towel so that you don’t stain the outside of the bun. Then, take 2 opposite sides of the dough and fold it up, like a taco. Next, take the remaining 2 sides of the dough and fold them up as well. You’ll see that the dough is starting to form an x-shape. Transfer the bao to your right hand while you use the crook of your left hand to gather the dough together and start closing up the bao. Then, use your fingers to pinch the dough together and seal up the bao. If you see big folds forming along the side of the bao, use your fingers to pinch the dough together to seal up those folds. Transfer the bao to a parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam side of the bao facing down.
• Shaping bao in your hand: Once you have rolled out the dough to about 5 1/4 inches, place the dough on your left hand. Pick up a ball of filling and place it in the center of the dough. If your fingers get dirty, wipe them off with a towel so that they don’t stain the outside of the bao. Using your right hand start gathering up the dough around the filling. I usually use my left thumb to hold the filling in place while I gather up the dough. Once you’ve gathered all the dough, use the crock of your left hand to start closing up the bao. Use your fingers to pinch the dough together to seal the bao. Watch the video above for a visual reference. Transfer the bao to a parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam side of the bao facing down.
• Continue shaping the remaining 5 pieces of dough into bao.
• Cover all the bao loosely with plastic wrap.
• Continue shaping the 6 remaining bao and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Once all 12 bao have been shaped let them proof for a second time. If you are making these in the winter, let them rise for 90 to 105 minutes, until they double in size. If you are making these during the summer or inside a warm kitchen, they should be ready to bake in 75 to 90 minutes. 

Bake the Bao

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Arrange the oven racks to the top third and lower third positions.
• Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk for the egg wash. Using a brush, brush a thin layer of egg wash over the buns, making sure the entire surface of the bun is covered with egg wash. See note 7 about double egg washing the buns.
• Sprinkle the tops of the bao with sesame seeds, if you like.
• If you don’t want the bottoms of the bao to brown too much, stack the baking sheets holding the char siu bao atop baking sheets of the same size. See note 8 for a further explanation.
• Bake the bao for 20 to 23 minutes, until the tops of the bao are evenly golden brown. You can swap the baking sheets around halfway through baking to ensure even baking. 
• Let the char siu bao cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They’re best eaten when they’re still a little warm.
• Store leftover BBQ pork buns in an airtight container for 2 or 3 days.

Video

Notes

1. If you are using instant yeast, you do not need to activate it. In other words, you do not need to stir the yeast with warmed milk. Simply add the instant yeast along with the other ingredients for the dough into the bowl of your stand mixer. That said, I still recommend warming up the milk in the microwave for 15 seconds so that the milk reaches room temperature. Then, start mixing and kneading the dough. 
2. You can omit the hoisin sauce or add another tablespoon of oyster sauce if you don’t have any in the house. 
3. You can substitute condensed milk with 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons instant milk powder.
4. You can substitute the cornstarch with tapioca starch or all-purpose flour. If using tapioca starch, I recommend using 1 1/2 tablespoons of it because it tends to be more viscous than cornstarch.
5. Here is my char siu recipe. 
6. Microwave tangzhong directions: Heat the flour and water mixture for 30 seconds on high. Take the bowl out of the microwave, stir everything and check the consistency of the mixture. If the tangzhong is still quite runny, microwave it for another 10 seconds and check the consistency. Then, heat the mixture at 5-second intervals, stirring in between, until you get a thick paste. If your tangzhong has already started to thicken after the initial 30 seconds of heat, heat the mixture at 5-second intervals and stir the mixture until you get a paste.
7. Double egg wash: The benefit of brushing the buns with 2 layers of egg wash is that you can ensure the entire bun will get an even coating of egg wash. However, the double egg wash can also cause bubbles to form on the surface of the bao. If you are doing a double egg wash, wait 10 to 15 minutes before applying the second layer of egg wash. I don’t cover the buns with plastic after the first application of egg wash.
8. I forgot where I learned this tip from, but stacking baking sheets of the same size seems to help reduce the browning under the buns. I tried putting a smaller baking sheet over a large jelly roll pan once, and it didn’t work as well. I think when you stack baking sheets of the same size, there’s a small gap between the bottoms of both pans. The bottom sheet protects the top one from direct heat. Note that this might not work as well if your pans are bent.
9. Freezing directions: Freeze baked buns for a few hours or overnight until the exterior hardens. Then, transfer the buns to a freezer bag. Reheat them by baking the frozen buns at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes. You do not need to defrost them. The texture of the bread won’t be as soft as freshly baked bao, but the taste is still great.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bao | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.3g | Protein: 12.3g | Fat: 14.7g | Saturated Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 382mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 8.3g

Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!

Cuisine: Chinese

Category: Dim Sum

5 from 8 votes

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Servings: 12 bao

Author: Lisa Lin

Baked Char Siu Bao (Non-Tangzhong Dough Method)

The recipe directions below only describe the mixing and kneading of the dough for the non-tangzhong method. Every other step is the same as outlined above. Note that the amount of milk, yeast, and flour in this method is different from the recipe above.

Prep Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Additional Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 240 grams whole milk (1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 10 grams active dry yeast (1 tablespoon), (see note 1)
• 440 grams bread flour (3 1/2 cups + 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 70 grams unsalted butter (5 tablespoons), melted
• 80 grams sweetened condensed milk (4 tablespoons), (see note 2 for substitution)
• 1 large egg

Instructions

• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk in the microwave on high for 40 seconds. Check the temperature of the milk to see if it is between 110ºF to 120ºF. If not, microwave it at 10-second intervals until the milk is warm enough. If the milk is too hot, whisk the milk and let it cool for a few minutes. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the milk with your finger. The milk should feel very warm but not scalding hot.
• Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the milk. Then, add the yeast and stir to hydrate the yeast. Let it sit for several minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. The yeast should start to foam up after 1 or 2 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the melted butter, condensed milk, egg, and foamy milk/yeast mixture. 
• Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Mix the dough on low until you don’t see any loose flour on the sides of the bowl. This should take 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, increase the speed to medium-low and work the dough for 8 minutes. 
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. If the dough is feeling tacky, lightly dust your hands with flour. 
• Shape the dough into a ball and place inside the greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic (or a silicone lid) and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size. 
• For the rest of the recipe, refer to the directions outlined in the tangzhong method.

Notes

1. If you are using instant yeast, you do not need to activate it. In other words, you do not need to stir the yeast with warmed milk. Simply add the instant yeast along with the other ingredients for the dough into the bowl of your stand mixer. That said, I still recommend warming up the milk in the microwave for 15 seconds so that the milk reaches room temperature. Then, start mixing and kneading the dough.
2. You can substitute condensed milk with 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons instant milk powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bao | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.2g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 14.7g | Saturated Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 385mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 8.7g

Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!

Cuisine: Chinese

Category: Dim Sum

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! To learn more about their products and to get more recipe inspiration, follow them on Instagram or Facebook.