Baked Char Siu Bao

Baked char siu bao is a popular bread item at both dim sum restaurants and Chinese bakeries. The filling inside is made of char siu pork and a sweet and savory sauce that's wrapped in a layer of fluffy, tender bread. Unlike the steamed char siu bao, the alternative, the baked version is perfectly golden brown on the outside and topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. These baked baos are great for snacks, lunch, and a perfect addition to dim sum, just like siu mai!

Instructions

For the filling:

In a measuring cup or bowl, mix together the water, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, dark soy sauce, and red food color until well combined.
In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until the onions turn translucent and fragrant, about 1 minute.
To the saucepan, add the prepared sauce and bring it up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and allow the sauce to cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Give the cornstarch slurry a good mix and slowly drizzle it into the sauce while stirring the sauce. Allow the sauce to cook until it's thick and looks glossy, stirring frequently. To finish, stir in the sesame oil.
Transfer the finished char siu sauce to a large, heatproof bowl along with the diced char siu pork. Mix until well combined. Set the filling aside to cool while you prepare the dough.
*If needed, you can chill the filling in the fridge. You can also spread out the filling to help it cool faster.*

For the dough:

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and give it a stir. Set aside to let the yeast dissolve and activate, about 3 to 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and give everything a good mix.
Drizzle the boiling hot water into the flour mixture while stirring with a rubber spatula or chopsticks. Then add the milk with yeast. Mix until a dough starts to come together, then knead for a few minutes until the dough becomes a ball and is mostly smooth. Cover and let the dough rest in a warm area for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, punch down the dough and knead briefly until it's smooth. Then add the softened butter and knead until the butter is absorbed. Cover and allow the dough to proof in a warm area until doubled, about 1 hour.
*You can also make the dough in a stand mixer. If using a stand mixer, follow the recipe as is and skip the 30 minute resting time. Mix the dough on low speed until it comes together, then increase the speed to medium high and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 to 15 minutes) before kneading in the butter.*

Assembly:

Optional: Once the filling has cooled, divide it into 12 equal portions and roughly round them up.
Once the dough has doubled, punch it down turn it out onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour. Knead the dough back into a ball and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and round each piece into a ball. Keep the dough covered when not using.
Working with one piece of dough ball at a time, roll the dough into a circle, about 4 to 5 inches wide. Place a portion of the filling in the center of the dough and wrap the dough around the filling. Pinch the seams to seal. Roughly round out the dough into a ball and place the finished char siu bao onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Keep each bao about 1 to 2 inches part. Repeat the process until all of the filling and dough are used.
*Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference of this process if needed.*
Once all of the baos are made, proof the baos in a warm area until 95 percent doubled.
*We like to proof in our oven with just the light on on warmer days and on colder days, we would briefly preheat the oven until warm before using it for proofing.*

Bake:

When the baos are about 95 percent doubled, start preheating the oven to 350°F and brush each bao with some egg wash and top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds if you'd like.
Once the oven is at 350°F, bake the char siu bao for 22 to 25 minutes or until the outside is a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and allow the baos to cool for a few minutes before handling.
Enjoy the char siu baos while they are warm! Do be careful — the filling can be very hot!

Ingredients

For the filling:

For the dough:

Optional garnish:

Instructions

For the filling:

For the dough:

Assembly:

Bake:

Notes

Nutrition

Baked Char Siu Bao

Ingredients 1x2x3x4x

For the filling:

For the dough:

Optional garnish:

Instructions

For the filling:

For the dough:

Assembly:

Bake:

Notes

Nutrition

Ingredients