vietnamese pork buns

If you&#039;re looking for a freeze-friendly meal that&#039;s perfect for lunchboxes, look no further. These Vietnamese Banh Baos are easily reheatable and taste just as amazing as day one!

Banh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns)

all-purpose flour

instant yeast

tsp sugar

mL / 0.3 US cup milk ((full cream))

75 mL / 0.3 US cup water

g / 1/8 US cup self-raising flour

sugar

lemon's juice

vegetable oil

g / 0.22 lb pork mince

pork paste ((from the frozen section in Asian supermarkets))

g / 0.006 lb rehydrated woodear mushroom ((finely chopped))

water chestnuts ((finely chopped))

Chinese sausage ((thinly sliced))

quail eggs ((sold fresh or in cans in Asian supermarkets))

red shallot ((finely chopped))

tbsp spring onion ((finely chopped))

tbsp fried onion

tsp pepper

chicken bouillon powder

salt ((or

tsp sugar ((or

oyster sauce

fish sauce

Combine the flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl then pour in the water and milk. Mix it in until incorporated then let it rest for 3 hours so the yeast has time to activate.Note: Depending on where you live, you may need to let it rest for another 1-2 hours. The warmer the climate, the quicker the yeast will activate.

Pour the remaining flour, self-raising flour, sugar, lemon juice, egg white and oil into the activated mixtue and knead it until a smooth dough forms.

Let the dough rest in a bowl for 30 minutes with a cloth or glad wrap over the top.

The Bao

Meanwhile, combine the pork mince and pork paste along with the pepper, chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar, oyster sayce and fish sauce.Tip: Use a pestal and mortor to mash the ingredients together which helps to give it a smoother consistency.

Mix in the wood ear mushroom, water chestnuts, shallots, fried onions and spring onions.

Roll about 1/4 US cup of the pork mixture into a ball, flatten it in your palm and place a quail egg in the center.

Wrap the mixture around the quail egg and roll it to form a sphere then push a sliced Chinese sausage on the surface.

Leave it to sit on a plate as you roll the rest of the mince. Depending on each ball size, you’ll get roughly 6 balls.

The Filling

Cut 15 cm x 15 cm (6″ x 6″) squares out of baking paper.

Divide the Banh Bao dough into equal segments and roll them into balls. Cover using a cloth as you work on each to avoid drying.

Flatten each ball into a circle approximately 20 cm (8″) wide using a rolling pin or a smooth cup.

Place a meatball in the center of the flattened dough.

Bring the top and bottom parts of the Banh Bao dough in and pinch to stick together over the meatball.

Repeat the same steps with the left and right sides of the rolled dough.

Where the openings are for each corner, push the tips in to form a heart shape. You&#039;ll end up with four hearts.

Pinch each heart&#039;s tips to close the openings.

Hold one pinched tip and pull it to the center, pinching it with the dough in the middle to allow it to stick. Repeat with all pinched tips.

Give the center one final pinch to seal all the dough.

Place the wrapped bun on a baking square.

Set up your steamer to a boil and steam the baos for 30 minutes or until the meatball is cooked.Note: Alternatively, steam the meatballs before wrapping and steam the whole bao for 10 minutes or until the Banh Bao dough is cooked.

Serve fresh as is or with a drizzle of Sirarcha!

Wrapping the Baos

Make your own soft and pillowy banh bao or Vietnamese steamed pork buns for breakfast or a quick snack on the go. These steamed buns filled with juicy pork, boiled eggs, and Chinese sausages are a classic nostalgic treat.

Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns)

pack (20 g) bean thread noodles

lb pork

shallots

baking soda

salt

black pepper

soy sauce

sesame oil

eggs

sausages

180 ml (3/4 cup) whole milk 110 degrees (110°F

(6 grams) active dry yeast

(15 grams) granulated sugar

(300 g) all-purpose flour

(100 g) wheat starch

+ 1 1/2 tbsp (70 grams) powdered sugar

(15 g) vegetable shortening

(5 g) lemon juice

(15 g) vegetable oil

Soak the bean thread noodles. Soak the bean thread noodles in hot water for 1 minute. Drain and cut the noodles into 1/2-inch pieces.

Mix the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground pork, shallots, vegetable oil, baking soda, salt, black pepper, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, and bean thread noodles. Mix until thoroughly combined. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Pork Filling

Prepare the yeast. Warm the milk to 110°For 43°C. Mix in the yeast and granulated sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and bloom for 5 minutes if instant yeast or 10 for active dry yeast.

Sift the dry ingredients and vegetable shortening. In the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, sift the all-purpose flour, wheat starch, powdered sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Then, mix on low until combined. Next, add the shortening and continue mixing until the shortening is broken up into small pieces.

Activate the baking powder with lemon juice. In a separate small bowl, combine lemon juice with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. Let it fizzle for 5 min.

Liquify the egg in oil. In another separate bowl, combine the room-temperature egg white with vegetable oil. Incorporate by pulling up the egg yolk with a fork a few times until combined.

Mix all the mixtures together. While the stand mixer is on low speed, add the milk mixture, then add the egg and oil mix, then lastly add the baking powder mix for 30 seconds.

Switch to a dough hook and knead the dough. After 30 seconds, switch out for the dough hook and mix on level 2 speed for 2 minutes or until it forms into a ball in the mixer and is no longer sticking to the bowl. The dough should be tacky but not overly sticky. Take the dough out and gently knead the dough by hand for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it into a lightly greased large bowl.

Proof the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (100°F or 38°C) for about 1-1.5 hours or until double in size

Bao Dough

Divide the meat. Divide the meat into 10 equal parts and form them into meatballs with one Chinese sausage piece in the center. Microwave the meatballs for 45 seconds and drain any excess juices. Place 1/2 an egg on top of each meatball. Set aside.

Divide and roll out the dough. Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate the dough and divide it into 10 equal pieces and roll it into smooth balls. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying. Then, roll out the dough into 6-7 inch discs using a rolling pin with thinner edges and a thicker center.

Add the filling and form the bun. Add the meatball and egg filling. Wrap the dough around the filling to form a ball. Tightly pleat by pinching the dough in a circle and seal. When you reach the end of the disc continue pinching around the center two or three times to fully seal the bao. Shape the bao into a round circle on your workspace.

Let the buns rest. Place parchment paper squares or cupcake liners underneath the buns, cover them with a tea towel, and let the buns rest for 15 minutes.

Steam the buns. While the buns rest, prepare add water to your steamer and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Steam the buns in batches 1-2 inches apart for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Assemble

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Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork B...

Top 2 vietnamese pork buns recipes from across the web

The most viewed vietnamese pork buns recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Banh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork B...

Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork B...

The most viewed vietnamese pork buns recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine