Here's a collection of 3 Bao recipes.
Attribution ?
| Quantity | Item |
|---|---|
| ⅔ C | Water, warm (about 110°) |
| 2 t | Yeast, active dry |
| 2 T | Sugar |
| 1 T | Shortening or oil |
| 1 ¼ C | Flour, more if needed |
| 1 t | Salt |
| ¼ t | Baking soda |
| 3 to ½ C | Filling (see notes) |
In a small bowl, whisk together the water, yeast and sugar until the yeast dissolves. Let the mixture sit until the yeast starts to get foamy and bloom, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the oil and set aside.
Meanwhile, sift the bread flour, salt and baking soda together. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula. If the dough looks sticky, add 1 additional tablespoon of flour at a time until it is less sticky.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours. Punch the dough down to flatten it.
Portion the dough into balls that are 2 inches in diameter and let rest for 5 minutes. Flatten each ball into a disk 3 inches in diameter.
Fill the buns with your filling of choice and wrap by gathering the edge and twisting slightly. Cover with a damp kitchen towel to keep the bao from drying out.
Place the buns in a steam basket lined with parchment paper and steam until the buns have expanded, 7 to 9 minutes. Serve.
From Red House Spice Bao
My recipe for Bao bun dough requires five ingredients: all-purpose flour; dried yeast; sugar; cooking oil, and lukewarm water.
The flour & liquid (water + oil) ratio is 2:1 by weight. It may vary a little depending on the type and the brand of your flour. The water & oil ratio is 10:1 by weight. It’s better to choose the cooking oil which doesn’t have a strong taste (eg. rapeseeds, sunflower, canola, vegetable, etc.). For every 500g of flour, you will need 2 teaspoons of dried yeast. Add the same amount of sugar or a little less (but not more).
Dough
| Quantity | Item |
|---|---|
| 300 g | Flour, more if needed |
| 1 t | Yeast, active dry |
| 1 t | Sugar |
| 1 T | Shortening or oil |
| 140 ml | Water, warm (about 110°) |
| 3 to ½ C | Filling (see notes) |
Filling
| Quantity | Item |
|---|---|
| 150 g | minced pork |
| 1 t | light soy sauce |
| 1 t | oyster sauce |
| 1 pinch | ground Sichuan pepper, or Chinese five-spice powder |
| ¼ t | salt |
| 4 T | water, or unsalted stock |
| 1 T | cooking oil |
| 150 g | carrot, grated |
| 1 | small onion, finely chopped |
| 2 T | coriander, finely chopped |
Dough
Mix flour, yeast, sugar and oil in a bowl. Pour in water little by little while mixing. Combine and knead with your hands until a very smooth dough forms (see note 4). Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (It will take between 40 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the room temperature).
Filling
Put pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and Sichuan pepper/Chinese five-spice in a mixing bowl. Swirl constantly while gradually adding water/stock until no more liquid can be seen. Brief stir fry grated carrot and onion in oil until softened. Add to the pork along with chopped coriander.
Buns
Knead the dough until it goes back to its original size. Divide it into 12 equal portions. Roll each piece into a disk-like wrapper. Place some filling in the middle of a wrapper then fold into a bao shape. Leave all the assembled buns to rest for another 15 minutes or so.
Place the buns (with parchment paper underneath each one) in the steamer basket (see note 5). Leave 2cm space between the buns and the side of the steamer. Start cooking with cold water over a high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low when the water starts boiling. Cook for 15-18 minutes.
From Woks Of Life - BBQ Pork Bao
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 10
Dough
| Quantity | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 t | active dry yeast |
| ¾ C | water |
| 2 C | bread flour or all purpose flour |
| 1 C | cornstarch |
| 5 T | sugar |
| ¼ C | oil |
| 2½ t | baking powder |
Filling
| Quantity | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 T | oil |
| ⅓ C | finely chopped shallots or red onion |
| 1 T | sugar |
| 1 T | soy sauce |
| 1 ½ T | oyster sauce |
| 2 t | sesame oil |
| 2 t | dark soy sauce |
| ½ C | chicken stock |
| 2 T | flour |
| 1½ C | Chinese roast pork (cha siu), diced |
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (you can also just use a regular mixing bowl and knead by hand), dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Sift together the flour and cornstarch, and add it to the yeast mixture along with the sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting and let it go until a smooth dough ball is formed. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 2 hours. (I haven't forgotten about the baking powder. You'll add that later!)
While the dough is resting, make the meat filling. Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for a minute. Turn heat down to medium-low, and add the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and dark soy. Stir and cook until the mixture starts to bubble up. Add the chicken stock and flour, cooking for a couple minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the roast pork. Set aside to cool. If you make the filling ahead of time, cover and refrigerate to prevent it from drying out.
After your dough has rested for 2 hours, add the baking powder to the dough and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting. At this point, if the dough looks dry or you're having trouble incorporating the baking powder, add 1-2 teaspoons water. Gently knead the dough until it becomes smooth again. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for another 15 minutes. In the meantime, get a large piece of parchment paper and cut it into ten 4x4 inch squares. Prepare your steamer by bringing the water to a boil.
Now we are ready to assemble the buns: 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 inches in diameter (it should be thicker in the center and thinner around the edges). Add some filling and pleat the buns until they're closed on top.
Place each bun on a parchment paper square, and steam. I steamed the buns in two separate batches using a bamboo steamer (be sure the boiling water does not touch the buns during steaming process). Once the water boils, place the buns in the steamer and steam each batch for 12 minutes over high heat.