Banh Bao

Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns)

Soft, pillowy white buns wrapped around a peppery minced pork filling with wood ear mushroom, Chinese sausage and a boiled egg. The dough is enriched with a little oil and sugar and steamed until glossy and fluffy.

Prep

45 min

Cook

25 min

Total

70 min

Serves

10 buns

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, or half plain, half cake flour for extra softness
• •60 g (2 oz) caster sugar
• •7 g (1 sachet (7 g)) instant dried yeast, or 14 g fresh yeast
• •160 ml (⅔ cup) warm water, about 35°C / 95°F
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• •1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice, helps keep the dough bright white
• •300 g (10½ oz) minced pork, about 20% fat for juiciness
• •15 g (½ oz) dried wood ear mushroom, rehydrated, or 60 g fresh
• •1 whole Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), about 45 g; substitute chorizo (sweet, not spicy) if unavailable
• •5 whole quail eggs, or 2 small hen's eggs, boiled and quartered
• •1 whole small onion, finely diced
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •1 tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce for a non-fish version
• •1 tsp caster sugar, for the filling
• •1 tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• •1 tsp sesame oil
• •1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch), mixed with 1 tbsp water

Steps

1. 1 Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and finely chop. If using fresh wood ear, rinse and chop directly.
2. 2 Place the quail eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer to cold water, peel, and set aside. (If using hen's eggs, simmer for 9 minutes for a fully set yolk.)
3. 3 Make the dough: in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and instant yeast. Add the warm water, oil and vinegar. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, soft and slightly tacky but not sticky. Alternatively, knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook on low for 6 minutes.
4. 4 Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or cling film, and leave in a warm spot for 45–60 minutes, until doubled in size.
5. 5 Meanwhile, make the filling: heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the Chinese sausage and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped wood ear mushroom and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
6. 6 To the cooled vegetable mixture, add the minced pork, fish sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, black pepper, sesame oil and the cornflour slurry. Mix well with your hands or a spoon until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Taste a small cooked pinch (fry a pea-sized piece) and adjust seasoning - it should be noticeably peppery.
7. 7 Punch down the risen dough and divide into 10 equal pieces (about 55 g each). Keep the pieces covered while you work.
8. 8 Roll one piece of dough into a circle about 10–12 cm (4–5 inches) across, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling (about 35 g) in the centre and top with a quarter of a quail egg (or a quarter of a hen's egg).
9. 9 Gather the edges of the dough up and around the filling, pinching firmly at the top to seal. Twist and pinch the seal closed, then place the bun seam-side down on a square of baking paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
10. 10 Set the buns in a steamer lined with baking paper or a damp cloth, leaving at least 3 cm (1¼ inches) between them - they will expand. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes while you bring the water to a boil.
11. 11 Steam over rapidly boiling water for 12–15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during the first 10 minutes, or the buns may collapse. They are done when the dough is puffed, glossy and bright white, and springs back when gently pressed; the internal temperature of the pork filling should reach at least 75°C / 165°F.
12. 12 Turn off the heat and let the buns sit in the steamer, lid on, for 2 minutes before removing - this prevents them from wrinkling. Serve warm. Leftover buns keep for 2 days refrigerated and reheat well for 5 minutes in a steamer.