Description
A childhood favorite, these fluffy Vietnamese steamed buns/baos are filled with savory ground pork, onions, mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and a hard-boiled egg. This recipe shows you how to make the buns from scratch.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough
- 200 ml milk
- 100 grams granulated white sugar
- 3 grams instant yeast
- 400 grams self-rising flour (sift)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Filling
- 1/2 cup chopped white/yellow onion
- 3/4 lbs fatty ground pork
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup rehydrated Woodear mushrooms (mince)
- 1/4 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)
- 2 Chinese sausages (slice one at a diagonal into eclipse shape and dice up the other one into small cubes)
- 12 quail eggs (hard-boiled and peeled)
Other needed ingredients/equipment
- Large steamer
- Kitchen scale
- Kitchen towel
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- Parchment paper cut into 2×2-inch squares or 12 standard size cupcake liners
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat milk for one minute. Add sugar to the warm milk and stir until dissolved. Add yeast and give it a gentle stir. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Make the dough: Once yeast mixture is frothy, transfer it to a bowl of a stand mixer. Add flour and mix with a hook attachment on medium-low until dough comes together loosely. Add vegetable oil. Continue to mix on low until oil is fully incorporated and most of the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Proof the dough: Cover the bowl with Saran-wrap and transfer it to a warm spot. If you don’t have a warm spot, you can place the bowl inside the oven with the lights on. Allow the dough to proof/rest for one hour.
- Prepare the filling: In the meantime, prepare the filling. In a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on medium-high. Add diced white/yellow onions and saute until soft and aromatic. Set aside to cool.
- Form the pork filling: In a small bowl, marinate pork with sugar, black pepper, oyster sauce, stock powder and sesame oil. Gently mix in mushroom, frozen peas and carrots, sautéed onions, and diced Chinese sausage until fully incorporated (set aside the sliced sausage for now). Divide the pork mixture evenly into 12 balls. Insert a quail egg into the center of each ball so that it props up.
- Pre-cook Pork Balls/Quail Eggs: Pre-cook the pork balls/quail eggs in the steamer for 7-8 minutes.
- Portion and roll the dough: Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 117 grams each). Shape dough piece into a ball then roll it out into a circle (about 5-1/2 inches in diameter).
- Assemble the Banh Bao: Place cooked filling into the center of the dough. Top each off with a few slices of Chinese sausage. Pull the dough over the filling. Gently fold and pinch the dough around the filling. Give the top of the dough a gently twist and pinch to seal.
- Prepare for steaming: Place the fully assemble dough onto parchment paper or cupcake liners and transfer them to a steamer baskets, leaving about 1 inch room all around for expansion. Add vinegar to the water in the steamer (this makes the buns white) and wrap the lid of the steamer in a large kitchen towel to catch water from falling onto the buns.
- Steam the Banh Bao: Steam for 10 minutes. Banh bao is now ready for consumption. Don’t forget to peel off the cupcake liners/parchment paper before consumption! Paper doesn’t taste too good.
Notes
Adding vinegar to the steaming water helps the buns stay white.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Steam
- Cuisine: Vietnamese