Bao Down to Yummy Steamed Buns

I recently taught one of The Chopping Block's more popular classes, Dim Sum and Then Some. One of the recipes in this class is Bao, which is a steamed bun filled with chicken, pork, vegetables or other fillings.   

The dough for the Bao reminded me very much of a snack that I used to really love as a teenager called Siopao: a Filipino classic dish. The soft yeast dough is filled with a ground BBQ pork that is flavorful and sweet. 

I went to high school at Lane Tech here in Chicago. My friends and I used to walk over to Waveland Bowl for lunch where they made fresh Siopao. I've always wanted to make these at home, so I took this opportunity to try it. The filling came out very similar to what I remember and the texture of the yeast dough was simply fantastic! 

Siopao

For the dough:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 3/4 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons shortening, cut into small pieces

• To prepare the dough, mix together the yeast, warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam up, to ensure that it’s alive.
• Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and shortening and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. (You can also use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for this step.)
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, 5 to 6 minutes. (You can also use a stand mixer with the dough hook to kneed the dough in this step.)
• Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.

For the filling:

4 strips of bacon cut into small pieces

1 small onion finely chopped

1 carrot peeled and finely diced

1 stalk celery finely diced

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 pound ground pork

1 tsp minced ginger or 1/2 tsp dry ginger

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup teriyaki 

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tsp sambal

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons brown sugar or agave

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté the bacon until crispy and browned. 
2. Add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté a minute. 
3. Add the ground pork and ginger and cook, stirring frequently until the pork is completely cooked. 
4. Add the wine and simmer until almost all of the liquid is gone. 
5. Combine the soy, teriyaki, vinegar, sesame oil then stir in the sugar and cornstarch to dissolve.
6. Add the combined liquid ingredients to the pork and cook to a simmer.
7. Allow mixture to simmer for 8-10 minutes. The sauce should be thick like a BBQ sauce. If it is too thin, dissolve another tablespoon of cornstarch in an ounce of water and add to the pan. Simmer a few minutes to thicken.
8. Allow mixture to cool before filling the dough. 

To fill the Siopao:

Punch down the dough and gently form into a log. The dough will be very soft and a little sticky. Use some cake or rice flour as you work to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and work surface. Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, portion the dough into approximately ounce and a half portions.

Roll each into about the size of a golf ball. 

Flatten the ball with the palms of your hand into a disk approximately 4" in diameter.

Place a spoonful of filling in the center and pull the sides up around the filling to form a pouch.

Gently twist the top of the pouch to completely seal the filling inside.

Place each ball, seam-side down on a small circle or square of parchment paper. Be sure to spread them out to allow for expansion.

Place the filled siaopao in a steamer or double boiler, with the lid on.  The liquid should not touch the siaopao. They should be positioned on a steaming rack an inch or two above the water.

Steam for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from steamer and allow to cool slightly. Serve immediately. 

I hope you give this recipe a try. It is an awesome snack or part of a meal. It's a bit of work, but worth the effort because you can make a large batch and freeze them after you fill them. Take the buns out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge for a day before cooking.  

Come and learn this technique at our next hands-on cooking class, Dim Sum and Them Some this Sunday, September 25 at the Mart or Sunday, October 9 at Lincoln Square.