If you have a combi steam oven, or even just a bamboo steamer, there’s no better use for it than to make your own freshly steamed bao buns! We filled ours with sticky hoisin glazed pork tenderloin and a ponzu asian slaw, but these buns are amazing vessels for all your favourite bao fillings.
To make bao at home, you’ll need:
- 3 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp White Sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp oil
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cup
- Tea Towel
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
- Chopstick
- Parchment Paper
- Begin by mixing the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- In a measuring cup, stir together the warm water and butter until the butter melts, then add the milk.
- Pour the butter, water, and milk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured countertop and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will have a smooth texture with no lumps or graininess when it's done being kneaded.
- Rub oil around the inside of the large bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to proof for around 90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- While the dough is proofing, cut parchment paper into small 3” squares.
- After the dough is done its first proof, pour it out onto a floured countertop and knead for an additional 1 minute to knock out the large air bubbles.
- Divide the dough into 20 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a flat oval, approximately 2.5” wide and 5” long.
- Lightly brush the tops of each oval with oil before placing a chopstick across the middle of the dough and folding the dough in half over itself to create the bao.
- Place each folded bao onto one of the pieces of parchment paper and place them on a tray.
- Cover the tray loosely with a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap, and allow to proof a second time for another hour.
- When you’re ready to cook the bao, either heat up the combi-steam oven to max steam at 212F, or bring a bamboo steamer to a boil.
- Gently place the bao into the combi-steam oven or bamboo steamer and steam for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the steamer and allow the bao to cool on the counter for 2 minutes before splitting open and filling!
For the filling we did, all you’ll need is:
- 2 Pork Tenderloins
- 1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 cups Coleslaw
- 1/4 cup Ponzu (can substitute 1/4 cup soy sauce with 2 tbsp lemon juice)
- 2 tbsp Oil
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Basting Brush
- Large Ziplock Bag
- Start by mixing the hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and brown sugar together in a large ziplock bag.
- Add the trimmed pork tenderloin to the bag and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge is better.
- Heat a grill up to medium heat, or approximately 300F.
- Cook the pork tenderloin on the grill for 10 minutes per side and brush with any extra marinade while it cooks.
- While the pork cooks, in a medium mixing bowl mix the coleslaw salad mix with the ponzu and oil.
- Once the pork tenderloin is cooked, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Take your freshly steamed bao buns and split them open, stuff with a pinch of the asian slaw and a slice of pork tenderloin and enjoy while hot and steamy!