Chinese Steamed Pork Buns

Steamed pork buns are a comforting and filling breakfast item that can be found in many Chinese bakeries next to the steamer. With its fluffy skin and delicious savory pork filling, each bun has the perfect balance of flavors. 

A steamed pork bun along with a cup of milk tea or hot coffee is a great way to start the day. And they’re not too hard to make at home! Make a batch, eat as many as you want, and freeze the leftovers.

• This recipe makes steamed pork buns that taste exactly like the ones you’d get in a Chinese bakery. Each ingredient works together in harmony, delivering tender baos with a subtly spiced filling. 
• The key to the filling is all about how you mix it! Stirring the pork filling in one direction while scooping it up and throwing it back into the bowl a few times helps give it a bouncy texture.  

• All-purpose flour. I prefer to use bleached all-purpose flour, which has a lower protein than unbleached flour. This results in a tender and lighter-colored bun, while the unbleached flour produces one with an ivory hue. Both can be used interchangeably. 
• Soy sauce. I’ve tested the recipe with and without dark soy sauce, which affects the color of the pork filling, but not the flavor. Feel free to omit the dark soy sauce if you cannot source it.
• Seasonings. Ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorn add a subtle heat and spice to the filling. 

1. Make the ginger water. Start out first making the infused water with ginger and spices, which will steep and cool down in time when the filling is made. 
2. Make the dough. Prepare the dough by mixing all the liquids with the yeast to bloom, and then mix all the dried ingredients together with the yeast mixture. The dough will be soft, and not sticky. 
3. Make the filling. Mix the pork filling in one direction for a tender filling. As you work the filling, throw the pork against the bowl a few times; this will keep it bouncy. 
4. Assemble the buns. Roll each piece of dough into a large round with the edges thinner than the center and make pleats to seal in the pork filling. Place on a parchment square or a perforated parchment circle. 
5. Steam the buns. Proof and steam covered over hot water until fluffy and doubled in size. Buns can be steamed in different ways: on a plate that fits your steamer setup, on a plate above a steamer rack, on a folding steamer basket, or with a bamboo steamer basket.

There are a few substitutions that can be made with this recipe.

• Ground chicken can be swapped for ground pork as long as the chicken is dark meat and has a high portion of fat. 
• If you can get your hands on garlic chives, they can be substituted for scallions in this recipe as long as there is 1/4 cup worth of garlic chives. There will be a stronger onion flavor due to garlic chives being more pungent. 
• The dough and the filling can be made in the stand mixer. Knead the dough on medium-low speed with the hook attachment, transfer the dough to another bowl for proofing, then mix the filling in the stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment on low speed until sticky. 

I don’t recommend making ahead with this recipe due to the nature of yeast. That said, you can make the recipe entirely and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze the buns in a single layer without touching each other for up to 2 months.

• If you are looking for a side option, smashed cucumber salad completes the meal.
• A comforting bowl of egg drop soup or wonton soup is also a great complement.
• If the steamed pork buns are appetizers, pair it with sesame noodles with lots of sautéed veggies.