Baked Char Siu Bao
Golden Brown and Full of Baked Goodness
Baked char siu bao is an intricate little dish that is golden brown in color. It is a classic dim sum dish that combines Chinese – using ingredients common to Guangdong – and western – using western bread-making methods – cuisine. Its soft, delicious exterior and fragrant char siu (barbecued pork) filling provides a unique flavor. Baked char siu bao is a must-order dim sum classic at all restaurants across Guangdong.
Ingredients
- 4.4 ounces (125 grams) barbecued pork
- 1 ⅔ cups (200 grams) gluten flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup (115 milliliters) milk
Seasonings
- 2 scant tablespoons (25 grams) butter
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
- 1 scant teaspoon (3 grams) yeast
- 1 scant teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 1 ounce (30 grams) char siu sauce (Chinese Barbecue Marinade)
- 1 ½ teaspoons (10 grams) honey
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Activate yeast with a small amount of warm water. Let butter soften at room temperature. Discard egg white from egg, leaving yolk. Beat egg yolk well.
How to make the filling
- Dice barbecued pork. Add char siu sauce and honey. Mix evenly. This is the char siu filling.
How to make the dough
- Sprinkle activated yeast evenly over gluten flour. Add sugar, salt, and milk. Stir in one direction with chopsticks to create a flour with a smooth surface. Add butter and continue to stir into a smooth flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 2 hours so that the dough doubles in size.
How to assemble char siu bao
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Knead into balls, then press flat. Use rolling pin to press into circular dough wrappers of suitable thickness.
- Add appropriate amount of shar siu filling from step 2 to center of dough wrapper. Use the area between your thumb and index finger to pinch the edges of the wrapper, gradually closing it up. With the opening of the bun facing downward, let buns sit and ferment until they double in size. This is the uncooked char siu bao.
How to bake char siu bao
- Lay aluminum foil on baking tray. Place char siu bao neatly on aluminum foil, leaving ample distance between each bun. Brush a thin layer of beaten egg yolk on surface of buns.
- Preheat oven to 356° F (180° C). Place baking tray in middle rack and bake for approximately 13 minutes. Remove from oven and brush a layer of honey over buns, then cook for approximately 5 more minutes. Serve.
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Tip: There are two important things to be mindful of when brushing butter and honey on the buns.
1. Do not apply the butter or honey too thickly.
2. Brush evenly, or else the baked char siu bao will be discolored and have uneven thickness.
Why is Chinese Bread Sweet?
When western bread is brought up, one typically thinks of stiff English bread, French baguettes, or rye bread and the like. But in China, bread-makers typically make white bread that is soft and sweet, or Danish-like pastries that are exceptionally high in fat content.
The reason for the differences in breads between China and the west has to do with the importance of bread in the food culture of each respective area.
In western cuisine, bread occupies the same important position as white rice, mantou, and other rice and flour staple foods do in Chinese cuisine. Chinese very rarely eat rice or mantou alone – they typically pair it with other foods. In this way, the taste of these staple foods does not seem so plain. Similarly, westerners rarely eat bread on its own; rather they'll spread condiments on it or make sandwiches out of it with various jellies, cheeses, meats, and vegetables.
In China – aside from breakfast, when bread can replace food like steamed buns – bread is more commonly seen as a type of snack, more closely associated with pastries. Thus, it is no surprise that most Chinese breads are soft and sweet with different types of filling.