Fluffy Steamed Pork Belly Buns (Char Siu Bao)

⏱ 150 min · Serves 4

Cloud-soft white buns hiding a sticky-sweet, savoury pork filling. They take a little patience while the dough proves, but the moment you lift the steamer lid and that cloud of fragrant steam hits you, you'll understand why these are worth every minute.

Per serving: 610 kcal · 27.0g protein · 78.0g carbs · 21.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g plain flour (or Hong Kong bao flour for extra white buns)
• 30g caster sugar
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 150ml lukewarm whole milk
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for greasing
• 350g pork shoulder, cut into 1cm dice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 spring onions, whites and greens separated, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 150ml water or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
• 8 squares baking paper, about 8cm each

Method

1. Make the dough: whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the lukewarm milk and 2 tbsp oil, then mix to a shaggy dough.
2. Knead on a lightly oiled surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and springy. Return to an oiled bowl, cover, and prove in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the diced pork for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the spring onion whites and garlic, cook 1 minute, then stir in the hoisin, oyster sauce, soy, brown sugar, sesame oil and five spice. Pour in the water or stock.
5. Simmer, partly covered, for 20-25 minutes until the pork is tender. Stir in the cornflour slurry and bubble for 1 minute until thick and glossy, then add the spring onion greens. Cool completely (spread it on a plate to speed this up) — warm filling will tear your dough.
6. Knock back the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, then flatten into a 10cm disc, keeping the edges thinner than the middle.
7. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of cold filling into the centre of each disc. Gather and pleat the edges up around the filling, pinch firmly to seal, then sit each bun seam-side down on a square of baking paper.
8. Space the buns well apart in a steamer basket, cover, and leave to prove a second time for 25-30 minutes until visibly puffy.
9. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait 3 minutes before lifting the lid — a sudden temperature drop makes the buns wrinkle.
10. Serve hot, with chilli oil or extra hoisin for dipping. Leftovers freeze brilliantly; re-steam from frozen for 8 minutes.