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The Dumpling 100 · make it at home

Char siu bao (barbecue pork buns)

3 hr, about 1 hr hands-on · 12 buns

The fluffy steamed bun that splits open at the top to show sweet, glossy barbecue pork. Use leftover char siu or a good store-bought roast pork.

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The real one

You need

• For the dough: 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose or bao flour
• 4 g (1 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
• 40 g (3 tbsp) sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 160 ml (2/3 cup) warm water
• 15 g (1 tbsp) neutral oil or lard
• For the filling: 250 g (1/2 lb) char siu (Chinese barbecue pork), diced 1 cm
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock or water
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sesame oil

How to make it

1. Make the dough (10 min, plus 1 hr rise): Mix flour, yeast and sugar, add the warm water and oil, and knead 10 minutes until very smooth. Cover and rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (Add the baking powder in step 4.)
2. Make the filling (10 min, plus cooling): Heat the oil and soften the shallot 1 minute. Add oyster sauce, hoisin, sugar, dark soy and stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry until thick and glossy, then the sesame oil and char siu. Cool completely, then chill; cold filling is far easier to wrap.
3. Cut 12 squares of parchment, 8 cm (3 in) each.
4. Add the baking powder (5 min): Punch the dough down, flatten it, sprinkle with the baking powder and knead 2 minutes to work it in evenly.
5. Shape (20 min): Cut 12 pieces. Roll each into a 10 cm (4 in) circle, thinner at the edge. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center, gather the edges up in pleats and twist shut. Set each, pleated side up, on a parchment square. Rest 15 to 20 minutes, covered, until slightly puffy.
6. Steam (12 min): Steam over rapidly boiling water, 5 cm apart, for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait 2 minutes before opening the lid so they don't wrinkle.
7. Serve: Warm. Reheat leftovers by steaming 5 minutes.

Tips

• Very hot steam is what makes the tops burst open; keep the water at a hard boil.
• Leave the twisted top a little loose if you want the classic split.

Chef Amazing's own home version of char siu bao, in our words; not any restaurant's recipe.