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The Dumpling 100 · make it at home

Shengjian bao (pan-fried soup buns)

5 hr including jelly and rising, about 1 hr hands-on · 16 buns, 4 people

A yeasted soup dumpling fried in a covered pan: steamed on top, crackling on the bottom, with sesame and scallion scattered over. Shanghai's breakfast.

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The real one

You need

• For the jelly: 200 ml (3/4 cup) strong chicken stock plus 2 tsp powdered gelatin
• For the dough: 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3 g (1 tsp) instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 140 ml (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) warm water
• For the filling: 300 g (2/3 lb) ground pork, 25% fat
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• To fry: 3 tbsp neutral oil, 120 ml (1/2 cup) water, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• To serve: black vinegar and chili oil

How to make it

1. Set the jelly (2 hr): Heat the stock, whisk in the gelatin until dissolved, pour into a small dish and chill until firm.
2. Make the dough (10 min, plus 1 hr rise): Mix flour, yeast, sugar and baking powder, add the warm water and knead 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and leave in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Make the filling (10 min): Stir the pork with soy, wine, sugar, salt, pepper, sesame oil and ginger in one direction until sticky, 2 minutes. Dice the jelly into small cubes and fold in. Chill until you wrap.
4. Shape (25 min): Punch the dough down, roll into a rope and cut 16 pieces. Roll each into a 9 cm (3 1/2 in) circle, thicker in the middle. Fill with a heaping tablespoon, pleat shut like a xiao long bao and pinch firmly. Set pleat side down on a floured tray, cover and rest 15 minutes.
5. Fry (12 min): Heat the oil in a large heavy nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid over medium. Set the buns in, pleat side down, 1 cm apart. Fry 2 minutes until the bottoms start to color.
6. Steam in the pan (8 min): Pour in the 120 ml water (stand back, it spits), cover tightly and cook over medium for 7 to 8 minutes until the water is gone and you hear frying again.
7. Crisp and finish (2 min): Uncover, scatter sesame and scallions, and fry 1 to 2 minutes more until the bottoms are deep golden and crisp; lift one with a spatula to check. Serve straight from the pan, warning everyone to bite a small hole and sip first.

Tips

• A heavy lid matters: steam escaping means pale tops and burnt bottoms.
• Pleat side down gives the classic smooth dome; pleat side up is fine too and shows off your folds.

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