Kitchen Recipe Collection
Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)
Fluffy, pillowy steamed buns filled with a savory, juicy pork and scallion mixture. A staple breakfast food found on every street corner in China.
- Prep
- 90 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 300g ground pork
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
Equipment
- Steamer basket
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- 1
Mix Dough
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix with flour to form a shaggy dough.
- 2
Knead Dough
Knead the dough on a flat surface for 10 minutes until perfectly smooth and elastic.
- 3
First Proofing
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it double in size (about 1 hour).
- 4
Prepare Filling
In a separate bowl, add ground pork, soy sauce, wine, oyster sauce, pepper, and sesame oil.
- 5
Season Filling
Add the scallions and ginger. Mix vigorously in one circular direction until the filling becomes sticky and pale.
- 6
Divide Dough
Punch down the proofed dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces.
- 7
Roll Wrappers
Roll each piece into a circle, making the edges thinner than the center.
- 8
Stuff and Pleat
Place a scoop of filling in the center. Pleat the edges together, twisting at the top to seal the bun completely.
- 9
Second Proofing
Place buns on parchment paper squares in the steamer. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- 10
Steam
Bring the steamer water to a boil. Steam the buns over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes.
- 11
Rest Before Opening
Turn off the heat. Do NOT open the lid for 5 minutes, or the sudden temperature drop will deflate the buns.
- 12
Serve
Carefully open the lid and serve the hot, fluffy buns immediately.
Cooking Tips
- Mixing the pork filling in only one direction develops the proteins, resulting in a springy, juicy meatball texture inside.
- Resting the buns with the lid closed after steaming prevents the buns from wrinkling.
Variations
- Vegetable Baozi: Fill with chopped bok choy, dried shiitake mushrooms, and glass noodles.
- Red Bean Bao: Fill with sweet red bean paste for a dessert version.
Nutrition Estimate
310 calories · 12g protein · 45g carbs · 9g fat · 2g fiber per serving
