Description
Soft and fluffy steamed buns filled with savory pork, wood-ear mushrooms, onions, Chinese sausage, and boiled eggs. This recipe guides you through making a tender homemade dough, preparing a flavorful pork filling, and steaming the buns to perfection for a classic Asian comfort food experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 230 ml warm water (100°F to 115°F)
- 1 Tbsp yeast (13g)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (13g)
- 425 grams Red Lotus Special Flour
- 2 tsp double acting baking powder (7g)
- 1/4 cup sugar (55g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil (55g)
Filling Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork (454g)
- 1/3 cup chopped wood-ear mushrooms (57g)
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion (148g)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion (55g)
- 1 tsp fish sauce (6.5g)
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce (26g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper or white pepper (4g)
- 2 tsp sesame oil (9g) (optional)
- 3 whole boiled eggs (quartered)
- 3 links Chinese sausage (sliced)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Place the yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and warm water into your mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and bloom.
- Make Dough Mixture: Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar to the yeast mixture.
- Knead Dough: Using a dough mixer with hook attachment or by hand, mix knead the dough for at least 10 minutes on medium low until the dough is smooth and elastic. Slowly add in the vegetable oil during kneading. Form a smooth, rounded dough ball.
- Let Dough Rise: Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place (e.g., oven with light on) for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
- Divide Dough: Remove the risen dough and divide into 12 equal balls (about 64 grams each). Tuck and roll each ball to smooth surface, cover with damp towel, and rest 10 minutes.
- Roll Dough: Roll each dough ball flat with a rolling pin, keeping the middle slightly thicker than the edges to support filling and folding.
- Prepare Filling: Mix together ground pork, chopped mushrooms, yellow onion, green onion, fish sauce, oyster sauce, salt, pepper, and optional sesame oil until well combined. Portion into 12 equal parts.
- Prepare Additional Fillings: Have boiled eggs peeled and quartered, and Chinese sausage sliced and ready.
- Fill Buns: Place filling, a quarter of boiled egg, and a few slices of Chinese sausage in center of each rolled dough piece. Crimp sides around filling to seal and form a bun. Place each bun on a square of parchment paper.
- Proof Buns: Place buns in steamer, cover, and let proof for 30 minutes.
- Steam Buns: Steam buns over boiling water for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand with lid on for 5 minutes before removing to prevent deflating.
- Serve: Enjoy the buns warm for best texture and flavor. Store leftovers cooled, wrapped in plastic, in freezer up to 3 months or refrigerator 4-5 days. Reheat by steaming or microwaving.
Notes
- Use warm water (100°F to 115°F) to properly activate the yeast.
- If you don’t have a dough mixer, knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes.
- Adjust the thickness when rolling dough: thicker in the center to hold filling, thinner at edges to fold easily.
- Do not lift the lid immediately after steaming as buns may deflate; wait 5 minutes.
- Sesame oil in the filling is optional and can be omitted if you dislike its flavor.
- The buns can be frozen and reheated by steaming or microwaving while wrapped.
- Keep proofing environment warm and humid for best dough rise; oven light is a good method.
