We’re 11 weeks into sheltering in place and it seems not only are people over self-isolation, many are done trying to bake sourdough bread–either out of frustration over flabby or dead starters, flour shortages, one too many failed loaves, or simply because warmer weather is driving them outdoors and away from their ovens. I get it. When it’s already 75 degrees who the heck wants to fire up their oven to 500 degrees just to bake a loaf of bread that may or may not even be worth it? These days I bake a loaf once, perhaps twice a week (if there’s a demand), always in the morning before the weather warms up.

The rest of my days, as you have may have noticed, are focused on exploring other cooking methods like deep-frying and steaming. The latter, in particular, is a revelation. While I’ve owned Chinese steamer baskets (both bamboo and metal) for years, I rarely used them–that is until recently. Along with a wok, it’s an essential piece of kitchen equipment you must have to cook at least 90% of Chinese cuisine. Strange to admit it now, but I really never gave it much thought until I embarked on this current culinary adventure.

Safe to say, I haven’t put my steamer basket away in over 3 weeks. I unearthed it initially to make rice noodle rolls–then, of course, there were all those batches of dumplings. And, in the midst of all the steaming, I discovered that I could also use the steamer basket as a very effective proof box for yeasted doughs, which leads me to my latest culinary endeavor–bao.

White fluffy steamed buns, bao is the quintessential Chinese bread, thousands of years old, arguably one of the first “fast foods.” Whether served plain, called mantou, or filled with savory or sweet ingredients, the modern day bao or baozi is the blank canvass upon which both Asian and non-Asian chefs alike express their culinary creativity.

As a child, bao always held a certain mystique. It was something that you bought, not something necessarily made at home–at least not in our home. During our family’s Saturday dim sum lunch in Chinatown, my grandfather would get so impatient for the hot steamy char siu baos or bbq pork buns to make it up to the 2nd floor dining room (we always sat up there), he’d make a beeline straight to the dumbwaiter as soon as he spotted the cart rolling out of it, barely giving the server time to crack open the individual steamer basket lids before hauling off a short stack back to our table.

What makes the char siu bao so damn irresistible? Is it its insanely soft fluffy, almost cake-like texture? Or the delectably sticky savory sweet bbq pork filling? To be sure the magical combination of those 2 elements have made it the “gateway” dim sum dish for many non-Asians. But for me, I’d say the ethereal quality of the super white, cloud-like moist bun is what distinguishes a char siu bao from any other iteration of bao.

The perfect char siu bao, a Cantonese specialty, is not only bright white and fluffy, but bears the unmistakable split top which happens when the dough rapidly expands as it steams, characteristically rapturing into 3 cracks. A common method used by many dim sum restaurants to achieve the appropriate crackage is to add a small amount of ammonium bicarbonate and alkaline water to the dough which gives it that extra lift and expansion. You can usually find these ingredients at an Asian market, but I decided against buying more ingredients that I probably wouldn’t use much. Instead, I tried to find other methods to approximate the look of the classic char siu bao.

That decision invariably led me down a rabbit hole of char siu bao YouTube videos. 4 batches of bao later (well actually more like 5 if you count the detour I ventured down the steamed custard bun road), I finally came upon the formula that would produce a respectable homemade char siu bao. I went the extra step and made my own char siu for the filling–partly because I was too lazy to stand in line at the Chinese deli. I had a package of boneless country pork ribs in the freezer, which served as a halfway decent substitute for fatty pork shoulder, and a jar of maltose, an impossibly thick and sticky honey-like substance that’s traditionally used to glaze bbq pork. It’s not quite as sweet as honey, but its dense viscosity makes it ideal for creating a glaze that really sticks.

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I have a soft spot for maltose. When I was little my mom would dip a chopstick into a ceramic pot of maltose, pull out a small glob and twirl it around the chopstick to form a “lolly” for me to enjoy. It was my all-time favorite sweet treat. At room temperature the stuff is so stiff it can practically stand it on end like firm taffy–hence its nickname “pull you teeth candy”–so it’s easier to just zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up and make it pourable.

During my deep-dive into the mechanics of making char siu bao dough, I found that nearly all the recipes called for “Hong Kong” or bun flour, which is basically a low-gluten flour that’s more finely milled and bleached than your average all-purpose or “plain” flour. I couldn’t find any at my neighborhood Asian market, which only carried a limited selection of Vietnamese bao and cake mixes, so I settled on good old Softasilk bleached cake flour (“bleached” being the operative word).

For my test runs I made fairly small batches of dough, not wanting to waste filling if the dough failed to live up to expectations. A standard batch should yield between 12-14 baos. A nifty hack for getting the right split on top without the use of ammonium bicarbonate and alkaline water is to pre-form the buns with 3 seams rather than pleated all the way around like you would with other kinds of baos and dumplings. Right before steaming, you take a pair of kitchen shears and snip open the seams to further encourage them to split. Yes, that’s cheating, but it works.

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The bun dough for char siu bao is unique to the whole Cantonese dim sum experience. You may find a more petite, delicate, refined product at a legit dim sum restaurant and conversely a more substantial decidedly less sophisticated version at a Chinese bakery/deli. What they have in common is a very specific texture that is almost exclusively reserved for that particular iteration of pork bun.

The other park bun (baozi) bears no resemblance to char siu bao, originating from Northern China and stuffed with a raw pork filling that’s cooked during the steaming process. What I love about this deliciously unassuming bao is that, in my opinion, it’s much easier to make, less fiddly. All you need is a solid steamed bun dough, some good filling and you’re good to go. For the most part you can just use plain all-purpose flour, though I like adding some cake flour to make the bao a little more tender and also more versatile.

The final result of much recipe testing and fine-tuning to come up with my Best All-Around Bao Dough was a lovely fluffy-textured bun that adapted effortlessly to both savory and sweet applications, either stuffed or steamed plain, serving as a tasty vehicle for sandwiching more intensely flavored components like roast duck, pork belly or spicy fried chicken.

For testing purposes, I stuck to the classic pork filling for my savory application. A proper bao should be able to hold in all the meat juices without getting soggy, while retaining its fluffiness. To make my pork filling extra juicy, I employed the technique of incorporating tiny cubes of jellied broth in with the ground pork–this is how soup dumplings are made–which liquified when heated. I did not, however, go through the more time-consuming process of boiling down pig’s feet to extract the collagen for the broth. Instead, I came up with a creative short-cut by simmering pre-made chicken stock with aromatics like fresh ginger, scallion and mushroom stems, along with a touch of rice wine, then adding in some gelatin powder softened in plain chicken stock. I poured the mixture into a shallow pan and set it in the refrigerator overnight.

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I rolled and filled my bao dough the usual way, making sure the outer edges were thinner than the center and carefully pleating the edges to seal in the filling.

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I placed half of the filled baos on parchment squares and steamed them for 12 mins. on high heat and pan-fried/steamed the other half in a well oiled skillet with about 1/4 c. water for around 9 mins. on medium heat. Both methods yielded the same tender, puffy bao.

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For a sweet application, I stuffed the bao dough with an indulgent yolk-based custard, firm enough to be pre-scooped into balls, then rolled them between my hands to create a smooth sphere and steamed them in shallow cupcake liners for 10 mins.

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Finally, I set aside some bao dough to roll and form into folded half-moon shaped plain buns.

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While dim sum purists will argue only the ultra white, tender cakey char siu bao can be considered authentic, I’m not quite so rigid. I think that if you’re, say, making a feast of baos at home, it really isn’t necessary to make different doughs. I vote for keeping it simple and going with the best all-around bao dough that will give you the flexibility to be as creative as you want to be.

But if you want to try your hand at making both bao doughs, I’ve included recipes for both.

Char Siu Bao Dough

Yield: 12-14 baos

• 2 c. + 2 T. cake flour (bleached)
• 1 T. wheat starch or corn starch
• 2 t. shortening
• 2 t. instant yeast
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 1/2 c. lukewarm water
• 2 t. white vinegar

1. Place the flour, starch and shortening into a mixer bowl. Evenly distribute the shortening by using your hands to work it into the dry mixture.
2. Attach a dough hook to the mixer and blend in the remaining dry ingredients.
3. Combine the water and vinegar. With the mixer speed on medium low, gradually mix the liquid into the dry ingredients to form a shaggy dough. If the dough seems a little too dry, sprinkle in water a teaspoon at a time until dough begins to come together. Conversely, if the dough seems overly sticky and wet, sprinkle in more cake flour a tablespoon at a time as needed.
4. Increase the speed to medium high and continue mixing until dough comes together into a smooth mass and no longer sticking to the sides of bowl.
5. Use your hands to form the dough into a smooth tight ball, lightly oil the mixer bowl, and place the dough back in seam side up, rotating it around to coat entire surface with oil, then let it proof smooth side up for about 45 mins-1 hr., covered with a damp cloth.
6. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and deflate by pressing out into a rectangle. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll dough out into a long rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Fold the dough in half, then repeat the process of rolling and folding.
7. Rotate the dough so that the length runs horizontally in front of you.
8. Starting from the edge closest to you, roll dough into a tight log, then divide the log into 12-14 even portions. Keep the unused portions covered lightly with a damp cloth as you roll and form each piece.
9. Flatten each piece cut side up into a disk, then rotate and roll out the edges, keeping the center thicker, into about a 3″ disk.
10. Place a rounded spoonful of bbq filling in the center, leaving at least 1/2″ border around the edge. Pinch and seal in the filling on 3 sides. Make an indentation in the center with your thumb then push the 3 corners up together. Gently pinch to seal the 3 seams.
11. Place the formed baos on small parchment squares and transfer them into a steamer basket, spaced about 2″ apart, and cover.
12. Let the baos proof again for about 40-45 mins. (should’ve expanded at least 50%). Snip open the 3 seams on each bao.
13. Bring about 2″ of water to a rolling boil. Steam baos covered on high heat for 10 mins. *If you are using a metal steamer, wrap the lid in a dish towel to prevent condensation from dripping back onto the baos.

Char Siu Filling

Yield: enough for about 12-14 baos

• 2 T. finely chopped onion
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 T. neutral cooking oil
• 1 T. hoisin sauce
• 1 T. oyster sauce
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 t. light soy sauce
• 1 t. dark soy sauce
• 2 t. rice wine or sherry
• 1 t. sesame oil
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 3 T. water
• 1 c. 1/4″ diced char siu

1. Saute the onion and garlic in oil on medium heat until soft and translucent.
2. Stir in the sugar, sauces, rice wine, and sesame oil. Cook everything until bubbly.
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in water and stir into the bubbly mixture. Cook for about a minute to thicken, then stir in the char siu.
4. Cool filling completely before using.

Char Siu

• 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. five-spice powder
• 2 T. rice wine or sherry
• 1 T. dark soy sauce
• 2 T. hoisin sauce
• 1 T. oyster sauce
• 1 t. sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T. maltose or honey

1. Cut the pork into 2-3 large chunks and place into a gallon size zip loc bag.
2. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the maltose, and pour into the bag to marinate the pork, reserving 1/4c. for the glaze.
3. Place the pork in the refrigerator to marinate overnight or at least 6 hours. Let the pork sit out at room temperature for about 30-45 mins. before roasting.
4. Set the pork on a rack over a foil-lined baking tray and roast on the upper 3rd shelf of a pre-heated 400 degree oven.
5. Whisk together the reserved marinade and maltose for the glaze.
6. Roast for about 30 mins., then take the pork out and brush it liberally with the glaze. Continue roasting for another 20-25 mins., brushing on more glaze after 10 mins.
7. Remove the pork from the oven, brush on more glaze, then set the oven to broil. Broil the pork for a few minutes just to char the surface a little.

Best All-Around Bao Dough

• 3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. cake flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• 3 T. + 1 t. sugar
• 2/3 c. lukewarm water
• 1 T. + 1/2 t. active dry yeast
• 1 c. whole milk
• 2 T. neutral oil

1. Whisk together yeast, water and 1 t. sugar. Set aside for 5 mins.
2. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and remaining 3 T. sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
3. Combine the yeast mixture with milk and oil. Gradually add liquids to the dry ingredients with the mixer running on medium low speed.
4. Continue mixing on medium low speed for a few minutes until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass. If the dough seems a little on the dry side, sprinkle in more water a teaspoon at a time until it begins to come together. Conversely, if the dough seems too wet, sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough tightens up a bit. *Don’t overdo it on the flour!
5. Increase the speed to medium high and mix for another 6-7 mins. until the dough is smooth, pliable and no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.
6. Use your hands to form the dough into a smooth tight ball, lightly oil the mixer bowl, and place the dough back in seam side up, rotating it around to coat entire surface with oil, then let it proof smooth side up for about 1 1/2 -2 hrs., covered with a damp cloth, until the dough doubles in size. *Might take less time depending on ambient temperature.
7. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and deflate by pressing out into a rectangle. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll dough out into a long rectangle about 1/4″ thick.
8. Rotate the dough so that the length runs horizontally in front of you.
9. Starting from the edge closest to you, roll dough into a tight log, then divide the log into 24 even portions. Keep the unused portions covered lightly with a damp cloth as you roll and form each piece.
10. Roll each piece of into 4″ rope, then fold it into 3rds and roll it out again into a rope. Fold into 3rds again, then form it into a smooth ball. Keep the dough balls covered until you’ve finished shaping all the portioned dough.
11. Proceed to roll and fill each dough ball as desired.

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Juicy Pork Filling

Yield: enough for about 12-14 dumplings.

• 8 oz. ground pork (not lean)
• 2 t. fresh grated peeled ginger
• 1 medium scallion, finely chopped
• 1/4 t. white pepper
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 T. light soy sauce
• 2 t. dark soy sauce
• 1 T. oyster sauce
• 1 t. sesame oil
• 1 T. rice wine or sherry
• 2 t. corn starch
• 1/2 c. jellied chicken broth cubes*

1. Combine the everything except the jellied broth cubes in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with by hand or with chopsticks until everything looks homogenous.
2. Fold in the jellied broth cubes.

Jellied Chicken Broth

• 1 c. chicken broth
• 2 slices fresh peeled ginger (1/8″ thick)
• 3-4 shiitake mushroom stems
• 1/2 scallion, coarse chopped
• 1 t. rice wine or sherry
• 2 t. unflavored gelatin powder

1. Soften gelatin powder in 2 T. chicken broth.
2. Combine the remaining broth with the ginger, scallion, mushroom stems and rice wine in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 mins.
3. Strain the hot broth into bowl, then stir in the softened gelatin.
4. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased flat bottom shallow pan and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until completely set.
5. Score the jellied broth into tiny cubes with the tip of a paring knife.
6. Store unused broth cubes in an airtight container in the freezer.

Custard Filling

Yield: enough for about 12 balls

• 3 large yolks
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 3 T. cake flour
• 3/4 milk
• 4 T. unsalted butter
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1. Whisk together yolks and sugar until slightly thick, then whisk in cake flour.
2. Combine the milk, butter and salt in a sauce pan. Heat through to completely melt the butter.
3. Carefully whisk the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, then transfer everything back into the sauce pan.
4. Whisk the mixture on medium low heat until very thick.
5. Transfer the custard into a shallow container and press a layer of plastic wrap against the surface. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
6. Scoop the set custard into 1/2 oz. balls. Keep the custard balls covered and chilled until ready to use.