A snow white steamed bun cracked open on top. Fluffy bao filled with a sweet - savory juicy BBQ pork filling.

How To Make Steamed BBQ Pork Bun

Learn how to make steamed BBQ pork buns that are cracked open on top! These steamed BBQ pork buns are one of the popular dishes you can find at Dim Sum restaurants! They’re often served as a dim sum during yum cha 饮茶.

How To Make The Perfect Char Siu Bao

The perfect steamed BBQ pork buns looks white as snow and cracked open on top. They are really fluffy and filled with a nice sweet/savory juicy BBQ pork filling. I will teach you how to make the Char Siu Bao sauce - the yummy filling for the BBQ pork and how to make the dough. To make them like the restaurant I will be using a special bun flour, which is more white and fine. Follow along with me to make the perfect bbq pork bun that cracks nicely open on top.

BBQ Pork Bun Easy Version

This recipe is a little bit complicated, but if you follow the instructions clearly you will learn how to make these delicious buns by yourself! See here for the video with step-by-step instructions. If this dough is too much work, you can check out this steamed bun dough recipe for the easy version of the dough which work as well.

Scroll down to check out the ingredients needed for the Steamed BBQ Pork Bun with step by step instructions!
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Click HERE to watch the step by step instructions on YouTube

Steamed BBQ Pork Buns | 叉烧包

Ingredients

Sauce:
✿ ½ Onion
✿ 1 Spring Onion
✿ 1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
✿ 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
✿ 3½ Tablespoon Sugar
✿ ½ Tablespoon Sesame Oil
✿ 1 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
✿ ¼ Teaspoon Salt
✿ ¼ Teaspoon Chicken Powder
✿ Red Food Coloring (Optional)
—
✿ 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch + ¼ Cup Water
✿ 2 Tablespoons Oil
✿ ⅓ Cup Water
—
✿ Piece Of BBQ Pork

Dough Day 1:
✿ Special Bun Flour / All Purpose Flour
✿ Starter Dough*
✿ Water
*To make the starter dough mix a little bit of flour (about 2-3 tablespoons) with a little bit of water until a non sticky dough forms. Leave it overnight on the countertop and it’s ready to use the next day.

Dough Day 2:
✿ Dough From Day 1 (Measure it!)*
✿ 1 Tablespoon Butter
✿ 1 Egg White
✿ 2 Grams Cream Of Tartar
✿ Special Bun Flour / All Purpose Flour *
✿ Sugar *
✿ Double Acting Baking Powder *
✿ Ammonia Baking Powder *

* These Ingredients Needs To Be Measured.

*For every 1000 Grams of dough you need:
232 Grams Bun Flour / All Purpose Flour
232 Grams Sugar
16 Grams Double Acting Baking Powder
1.6 Grams Ammonia Baking Powder

How to calculate?
Grams Of Ingredients / 1000 x You Dough

EXAMPLE:
If your dough from day 1 weighs 740 grams.
You want to know how much sugar you need ->
232 / 1000 x 740 = 171.68
You will need 171.68 Grams of sugar.

INSTRUCTIONS | Click here for the recipe video

Day 1:
Make the sauce for the BBQ Pork Filling. Cut half an onion and 1 spring onion in big pieces. In a bowl add all the seasoning for the sauce and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix 3 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ Cup of water to make a cornstarch slurry.

In a nonstick pan heat up 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and spring onion and cook until aromatic approx. 5 minutes or when spring onion turn slightly brown.

Add 1/3 cup of water and remove the onion and spring onions. Add the sauce and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
When sauce is boiling slowly add the cornstarch slurry. Keep stirring until sauce thickened until ‘jelly’ consistency.



Transfer it to a bowl, let it cool down and place in the fridge overnight.



Let’s make the dough. No measurements needed!
*I used 3 bowl of flour
Add starter dough to the flour, slowly add water
and knead until a non sticky dough forms.

*At this point you can save a piece of starter dough for the next time. Refrigerate for about 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Rest dough overnight at room temperature

Day 2:
Measure your dough you made on day 1 and the other ingredients. See Ingredient list how to measure.
or WATCH The Video




To make the dough first add the butter and sugar. Knead until the sugar is incorporated. Add double acting baking powder, ammonia baking powder, cream of tartar and the egg white. Mix until combined. Lastly add the flour and knead until dough forms. Add more flour if needed. Set aside while preparing the filling.




For the filling cut BBQ Pork in pieces. Add the sauce we made the day before and mix it in.





Let’s start making the buns! Knead dough a little and roll in a string. Cut or rip in equal pieces. Roll the side of the dough flat while keeping the middle thick. Fill with some filling and fold the bun.





To fold the bun: hold on to the side with one hand and keep sliding the dough together, while keep turning the bun and keep pressing the filling inwards.





Steam the buns for 10 minutes on HIGH flame.
*Don’t open the lid

TIPS & NOTES
✿ Starter Dough: to make the starter dough mix a little bit of flour (about 2-3 tablespoons) with a little bit of water until a non sticky dough forms. Leave it overnight on the countertop and it’s ready to use the next day.
✿ The dough you make on the 1st day can be used for next time as starter dough. Take off a little piece of dough and save it for next time. Stays good in the fridge for about 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer
✿ There are no measurements needed on the 1st day making the dough. On the 2nd day when making the dough you need to measure the ingredients.
✿ To make these buns you can use special bun flour or all purpose flour. Special bun flour is extra white and more fluffy.
✿ Optional: Add red food coloring to the sauce to make it look more red
✿ When making the sauce don’t add all the cornstarch slurry at once. Slowly keep adding until the right consistency.
✿ Don’t fill the bun with too much stuffing, if you do they won’t crack open/nicely.
✿ Add some vinegar to the steaming water to get whiter buns.
✿ You can also use the easy version bun dough to make these steamed buns.

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