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I’m a long-time food obsessive with a particular love for Asian cuisine. As a blogger my goal is to demystify recipes and empower home cooks to create dishes they may have thought too difficult or reserved for restaurants. Today I’m excited to share how simple it is to make classic bao buns at home. These soft, pillowy steamed buns are commonly filled with braised pork belly, grilled chicken, or other savory fillings. You might be surprised how approachable and rewarding homemade bao can be.
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial on how to make Bao Buns by Chef Mark O’Leary of Shojo Asian Bar & Bistro in Boston — his instructions make the process approachable and straightforward.
Cook’s Notes
- This dough is one of the easiest yeast doughs to work with. For best results measure flour by weight (see the recipe) or use the scoop-and-level method: spoon flour into the measuring cup, level it off with a knife, and avoid shaking the cup. Weighing flour is faster and more accurate.
- Chef O’Leary prefers cultured buttermilk; if you don’t have it, plain Greek yogurt is a suitable substitute that provides similar texture and acidity.
- When rolling the dough, keep it about 1/2-inch thick. Thinner dough will still be edible but won’t produce the lofty, airy bao you’re aiming for.
- Cut circles close together and rest dough scraps before re-rolling. Minimizing handling keeps the dough tender and yields softer buns.
- No wok steamer? Use a stainless-steel vegetable steamer placed in a deep pan with about an inch of water. Set three heatproof ramekins upside down in the pan and rest the steamer on the ramekins so the buns sit above the water. Cover the pan with a lid left slightly ajar so steam can vent; don’t seal it tightly.
- Fill bao with whatever you like. A favorite combination is shredded pork tossed in Korean barbecue sauce with watercress, kimchi, pickled vegetables, or thin cucumber slices. It’s simple, impressive, and full of contrasting flavors and textures.
Make Bao Buns
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 12 3/4 ounces by weight
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk or Greek yogurt
- canola or sunflower oil
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
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Add the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or to a large mixing bowl. Whisk the sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and instant yeast into the flour until evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the warm water and buttermilk or Greek yogurt. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed (or with a sturdy wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms. If using a stand mixer, increase the speed by one level and knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm, draft-free place for 30 to 45 minutes.
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While the dough rests, prepare your steamer: assemble a wok with a stacked steamer or place a stainless-steel vegetable steamer into a deep pot (at least 5 inches high). Add about an inch of water—enough to maintain a simmer without touching the steamer so there’s space between the water and the bao.
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Liberally flour a counter or dough mat. Turn the dough out and dust the top with flour. Roll the dough evenly to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a floured round cookie cutter to press circles straight down, giving a slight twist to ensure a clean cut. Place cuts as close together as possible to minimize scraps. Gather scraps, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes before re-rolling.
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Coat the back of a spoon or a pastry brush with canola or sunflower oil and brush half of each round. Gently fold the uncoated half over the oiled half to form the bao shape.
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Line the steamer with a rectangle of parchment sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the folded buns on the parchment, leaving about 1/2-inch of space around each bun. Cover the steamer (or set the pot lid slightly askew to allow steam to vent) and steam the buns for 6 minutes. Carefully transfer finished bao to a plate and continue steaming the remaining buns.
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Fill the warm bao with your chosen fillings and serve within an hour of steaming, preferably while still warm.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients and portions you use.
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