Kitchen Recipe Collection
Shengjian Bao (Pan-Fried Pork Buns)
Shanghai's most beloved breakfast. Small, yeast-leavened buns with incredibly thick, crunchy fried bottoms, filled with pork and a burst of hot, savory soup.
- Prep
- 120 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 135 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 300g ground pork (fatty)
- 1/2 cup pork skin aspic (or highly gelatinized chicken broth), finely diced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- Toasted black sesame seeds
- Chopped scallions
- Cooking oil
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet with a lid
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowls
Instructions
- 1
Make Yeast Dough
Mix flour, yeast, and warm water. Knead until smooth. Let it rest for 30 minutes (it should only partially rise).
- 2
Prepare Aspic
Ensure the pork aspic (gelatinized broth) is very cold and finely diced.
- 3
Mix Pork Filling
Mix the ground pork with soy sauce, wine, and ginger, stirring vigorously in one direction until sticky.
- 4
Fold in Aspic
Gently fold the diced cold aspic into the meat mixture. Keep it refrigerated until ready to wrap.
- 5
Divide Dough
Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
- 6
Roll Wrappers
Roll out the wrappers. Crucially, the edges must be thin, but the center must be quite thick to withstand the frying without breaking and leaking the soup.
- 7
Pleat Buns
Place filling in the center. Pleat the edges and pinch tightly to seal. Place them pleat-side down (or up, depending on regional preference).
- 8
Heat Oil
Coat a cold skillet with a generous layer of oil. Arrange the buns in the pan, packing them fairly close together.
- 9
Pan-fry Bottoms
Turn the heat to medium-high. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the bottoms are deeply golden brown and crusty.
- 10
Steam
Carefully pour 1/2 cup of water into the hot skillet and immediately cover with a tight lid.
- 11
Garnish
Steam for 6 minutes. Remove the lid, and immediately sprinkle the tops with black sesame seeds and scallions.
- 12
Fry until Crisp
Continue frying uncovered for 2-3 minutes until all water is gone and the bottoms re-crisp. Serve very carefully (the soup inside is boiling hot!).
Cooking Tips
- The dough for Shengjian Bao is only semi-leavened. You do not want it to double in size like regular Baozi, or it will absorb the soup inside.
- The aspic melts during cooking, turning into the delicious soup inside the bun.
Variations
- Shrimp Shengjian: Add small shrimp to the pork filling.
- Pleat Up vs Pleat Down: Traditional Shanghai style cooks them pleat-side down for a thicker crust, while modern variations cook them pleat-side up.
Nutrition Estimate
380 calories · 14g protein · 42g carbs · 16g fat · 2g fiber per serving
