Dai Bao Recipe (Steamed Pork and Chicken Buns)
Servings: 12 baos
Calories: 481kcal
Cost: $18
Do you know about Dai Baos? Learn how to make these large steamed fluffy buns filled with ground pork, pieces of chicken, Chinese sausage, and half of a hardboiled egg. It's Chinese dim sum item that is a hearty handheld meal all by itself. This recipe is not hard but since it's long, please read the entire recipe and the tips in the post for best results. You can prepare all of the filling in advance and refrigerate overnight, if desired. See the recipe note on how to incorporate mushrooms into this recipe.
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Equipment
- 1 large steamer
Ingredients
Dough ingredients
- 2 cups water warm (105°F to 110°F)
- 2 packets yeast 4.5 teaspoons
- 1/2 cup sugar granulated
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus 2-3 tablespoons for dusting later
- 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or other neutral oil plus more for the bowl
Filling ingredients
- 6 large eggs soft boiled
- 3 links lap cheong (Chinese sausages) pork and chicken, preferred
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 pound ground pork (or substitute with ground chicken)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 pieces chicken thighs boneless, skinless (approximately 0.9 to 1 pound)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Dough Instructions
- Combine 1 1/2 cup room temperature water plus 1/2 cup hot water in a 2 cup measuring cup. Check that the temperature is between 105°F to 110°F and adjust accordingly. Add the yeast and sugar and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture is foamy.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in half of the yeast mixture into the well and stir while gradually incorporating the flour. Add the remaining yeast mixture and 4 tablespoons olive oil and continue to stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Use a rounded dough scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl and to incorporate the rest of the flour in the bowl. If there’s a lot of flour, check to see if there are extra drops of oil or yeast in your measuring spoons or cups to add to the bowl. Continue to use your dough scraper or use your hands to knead the dough a few times in the bowl until it’s smooth.
- Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil around the bowl to coat the bowl, use the dough scraper to flip the dough over. Cover with plastic wrap or a large dinner plate and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 60 minutes until doubled in size. If needed you can allow the dough rise up to 90 minutes if it's a cold day, you are busy, filling prep takes longer than expected, etc..
Filling Instructions
- Eggs: You will need 6 soft boiled eggs. I recommend making more in case some of them crack. You can either cook them in an instant pot or steam them on a rack in a covered pot for 10 minutes and then put them in an ice water bath for 10 minutes. Peel the eggs, cut in half, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to fill the baos.
- Chinese Sausage: Slice each Chinese sausage on a bias (diagonally) into 8 pieces. Add the Chinese sausage into a cold frying pan and cook on low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the sausages releases some fat, stir-fry and flip each piece to cook on the other side. Add 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the pan and stir fry for 30 seconds. Turn the heat off, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and stir fry until the sauce carmelizes and coats the sausage slices. Transfer to a bowl to cool until ready to fill the baos.
- Ground Pork: Place ground pork in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add 1 raw egg, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, and stir until well-combined. Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch and continue to stir until the ground pork mixture sticks together, like a paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fill the baos.
- Chicken Thighs: Use scissors or a sharp knife to trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs. Cut each thigh in half lengthwise and cut each half into 6 pieces cross-wise. Place the chicken slices into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar, and stir. Add 1 teaspoon corn starch and stir some more. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fill the baos.
Bao Assembly Instructions
- Set up your bao assembly area. Take the filling ingredients out of the refrigerator and lay them out in a row from left to right, eggs, ground pork, Chinese sausage, and chicken thighs with necessary spoons or forks for scooping. Cut parchment paper into 4 inch squares, set aside. Gather your steamer baskets nearby to place your baos for proofing. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of flour into a small bowl for flouring your work surface and fingers.
- Divide and shape the dough. Place a large cutting board on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Dust a rounded dough scraper with flour and use it to scrape the dough onto the floured cutting board. Use floured hands to shape the dough into a rectangle and cut it into 12 pieces (3x4).
- Take one of the pieces and stretch it lengthwise and fold the top and bottom ends to the center. Then stretch the dough sideways and fold the left and right sides to the center. Roll the dough into a ball, set aside and repeat with all 12 pieces.
- Slightly flatten one of the dough balls slightly and stretch the edges into a 5-inch circle, thick in the center and thin at the edges. If the dough bounces back, allow it to rest a few more minutes and work with a different piece.
- Fill the dough. Place the dough circle on a floured and cupped hand, place half of a soft boiled egg yolk-side down on the center of the dough. Use a tablespoon to scoop approximately two tablespoons of ground pork and place a tablespoon on each side of the egg. Add two slices of Chinese sausage on each side of the pork. Place two pieces of sliced chicken thighs on top of the pork. Cup your hand holding the dough and filling slightly and gather the top and bottom edges of the dough circle (12 and 6 o’clock) and pinch. Gather the left and right edges of the dough circle (9 and 3 o’clock) and pinch. Gently gather and pinch the remaining edges together until the bao is sealed. If the edges separate and won’t pinch together, dip your fingers into the extra flour and pinch again. Place the filled bao seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper and place bao lined with parchment paper in a steamer basket.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough balls and fillings. Arrange the filled baos in the steamer basket with about 1 inch of space between the baos. Cover the baskets with a lid or a clean towel and allow the baos to proof for 20 to 30 minutes in a warm place.
Steam the Baos
- In the meantime, set up your steamer (see the post for more detailed instructions). Fill a large pot with at least 2 inches (preferably 3 inches) of water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil on low-medium heat.
- When the baos are done proofing, change the heat to medium, check that there’s enough water in the pot, and that the water is boiling. Add the steamer baskets to the pot, cover with a lid, and steam for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through.
- When the baos are ready, carefully lift the lid without dripping water on the baos. You can check that the baos are cooked through by using a digital thermometer to check that they have an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Prevent soggy bao bottoms. Remove the steam baskets and place them on a kitchen towel on a slightly uneven surface so any excess water will drain out. Or transfer the baos onto a cooling rack for a few minutes. The baos are best served hot or warm.
- Allow any extra baos to cool to room temperature and then store in large zippered plastic bags or large storage boxes with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. Reheat by steaming for a few minutes or you can wrap with a damp paper towel and microwave for a minute.
Notes
Dai Baos usually include shiitake mushrooms. If you want to add them to the recipe, you will need 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms, rinse and soak them in water overnight in your refrigerator. To prepare the mushrooms, squeeze out the excess water, remove the stem, and cut the mushroom in half. Saute them with the Chinese sausages and set aside until ready to wrap. Place half a mushroom into each dai bao.
Nutrition facts are calculated automatically and are an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bao | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 706mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3mg