The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

26 Apr 2020

Last updated by Wes Radez on | 26

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Baked pork buns are filled with the same roast pork, known as char siu, found in their more traditional steamed counterparts. This version is made with a slightly sweet and yellow-colored dough that is usually found in cha chaan teng (a type of Chinese diner) dinner rolls.

Baked pork buns are a quintessential Chinatown pastry —you’ll find them for sale alongside pineapple buns, butter buns and egg tarts at any neighborhood bakery. I also enjoy stopping to buy a baked pork bun to bring home and enjoy with a cup of tea.

This recipe uses a “sweet dough” that’s ready to start forming into buns after only an hour of rising time. If you invest an hour to make all 20 buns, you’ll be left with a freezer full that will last you for weeks to come.

November 7, 2019 Update: The recipe below has been updated to reflect reader feedback about the amounts of water and yeast necessary for the dough!

Can you share any expert tips from your experience making baked pork buns? Want to ask a question before you try making it yourself? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Baked Pork Buns Recipe

Makes: 20 | Prep Time: 3 Hours | Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Adapted From: Chubby Hubby

Ingredients

Dough:
2 cups bread flour
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup lard
1 egg
3/4 cup water

Filling:
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound char siu, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. If using dry yeast, take 1/4 cup of the water and warm it up. Pour the yeast into the warm water. Stir once and let it sit for 5 minutes or until the surface becomes foamy.

2. For the dough, combine the remaining ingredients together and knead until soft and elastic. The texture should be silky and smooth. Pat the dough into a ball. Oil a large bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Cover with cling wrap and place in a warm spot of your kitchen for an hour so that the dough can rise.

3. For the filling, in a small saucepan, mix together water, the sugar, the soy, rice wine, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Cook the sauce over medium heat until it bubbles. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring. The sauce should thicken considerably. Remove from the heat and add in the diced char siu. Cool to room temperature.

4. Divide the dough into 20 equal sized pieces. Work one at a time. Take one piece and knead to a round shape then press it flat. You should try and work so that the edges of the dough circle are thinner than the middle of the circle, which you want a bit thicker.

5. Take a heaping teaspoon of the char siu filling and place it in the middle of the circle. Pull the edges over the filling and try to pinch the dough together so that the bun is completely sealed. Bring the edges together, pinching gently and also twisting.

6. Set aside the buns on either a floured tray or tray with greaseproof paper on it. Place it so that the side with the pinched seal is at the bottom. Do this with all 20 pieces until you have 20 buns.

7. Set the buns aside for 30 minutes so that the dough can ferment a little more. Preheat your oven at this time to 350 degrees.

8. Before you put the buns in the oven, brush the surface of each bun with some of the egg wash (beaten egg). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. To check for doneness, tear one of the buns in half and see if the bread is baked through or if it is still doughy.

9. As soon as they come out of the oven, quickly brush the surface of the buns with a touch of sugar syrup. This gives the buns a lovely glaze. You can eat a couple of these now but if you want to store them, you can keep them in the fridge or freezer. If reheating from the fridge, warm them up at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes. If from the freezer, let them defrost first.

Learn more about Baked Pork Buns from these Experts:

Watch Baking with Mi make a great home recipe for Baked Pork Buns (VIDEO)
A Baked Pork Bun recipe from Dim Sum House in Indianapolis
Ang Sarap makes Baked Pork Buns topped with sesame seeds

HT: Photo by Jess Lander via Wikimedia Commons.

More From Dim Sum Central

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The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2)

About The Author
Hi! I’m Wes, a dim sum lover in Oakland, California. I launched Dim Sum Central as a hobby and I’ve loved watching it grow to become an online home for people around the world who are passionate about eating and making dim sum! Get started »

The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (3)

The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (4)

26 Responses

  1. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (6)
    Gin

    |Reply

    We need to know the exact measurements for the ingredients used in the videoez

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (7)
      Dim Sum Central

      |Reply

      Hi Gin, thanks for stopping by! I added this video because I thought it did the best job of showing the cooking technique. If you combine the video with the recipe above, you’ll have a dynamite combination.

  2. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (8)
    Sue

    |Reply

    This recipe does not seem correct. The dough is way too moist and the dough is watery and sticky. Any changes needed? I’ve tried it twice with the same results.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (9)
      Dim Sum Central

      |Reply

      Hi Sue, if that’s the case, I would suggest combining all of the dry dough ingredients together before drizzling the water in as you mix/kneed. The texture you want is “silky and smooth,” that is dry enough to be workable, just short of sticky. Hope this helps!

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (10)
      • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (11)
        Dim Sum Central

        |Reply

        Great tip, Jason. Thanks for contributing! I plan to make another batch of these buns soon, after which I’ll update this recipe again. ~Wes

  3. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (12)
    Ferne

    |Reply

    I tried the recipe last night. I’ve baked often enough to know that it has either too much water or too little flour. I realized this when Instarted adding the water into the flour mixture. In the end, I had to an extra add 1/3 cup A/P flour and an extra 1/2 cup bread flour, and use only 3/4 to 1 cup water. I also added an extra teaspoon of yeast. Once I made these adjustments, the subsequent bread turned out fine. I suggest this recipe is revised by the author or there will be many unhappy readers who will have tried this recipe and fail. Thank you.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (13)
      Dim Sum Central

      |Reply

      Hi Ferne, thanks for your comments. I plan to make a fresh batch of this recipe this month and I’ll update the quantities. I want everyone to be happy with the outcome! ~Wes

  4. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (14)
    dchow

    |Reply

    Thanks for recipe, Wes!!

    Just made batch and turned out great. Similar to others, dough is way too watery and sticky. Kept adding combo bread and apt in order to handle it from kitchenaid mixer, probably extra 1/2-3/4 cup. Think water should be reduced, maybe 2/3 or 3/4 cup. Otherwise, dough consistency is good, flavor complements char sui and sugar glaze really make difference in looks and taste.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (15)
      Dim Sum Central

      |Reply

      Thanks for sharing your experience! Working together, we’ll all nail the ratio of water to flour! ~Wes

  5. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (16)
    Cynthia

    |Reply

    To echo everyone else, I wish I had read the comments first! Once I poured in the water I realized I was making pancake batter. C’mon Wes , it’s been 3 years since you said you would change it. How many more unread victims do you plan to have?

    Jokes aside, the filling was delicious. The buns had a nice flavor, but a dry texture after I doctored the failed dough. I’m sure they will turn out wonderfully next time with less water to start out with.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (17)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      Thanks for the reminder, Cynthia! I’ve updated the recipe! ~Wes

  6. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (18)
    Anita

    |Reply

    Made this dough for char Sui pork buns. Hubby kneaded dough for 10 mins. Made the buns and sat for half hour. I did have to add more flour when mixing. Anyways, my point is that this is the best dough ever. Taste store bought and even looked professionally baked! Hope this gets submitted. Tried few times already. Thanks for recipe. Will be my recipe making ongoing fwd. Have tried others and no comparison.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (19)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      That’s terrific, Anita! I’m glad that the updated recipe worked well for you! ~Wes

  7. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (20)
    Cassie

    |Reply

    What can I substitute for the lard? Butter or Oil?

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (21)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      Thanks for your question, Cassie. In my experience, the best substitute for lard is butter. ~Wes

  8. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (22)
    Jeff

    |Reply

    Today is my second batch. First time I made exactly 20 but today it was 14 because I obviously made them a little larger or put more filling in. That’s okay.

    I don’t know if you’ve added anything here about substitutions for rice wine, but I looked up what to use and the recommendation is gin. I’ve done that twice now and it seems to work.

    Thank you for this easy to follow recipe. I miss dim sum restaurants in the Bay Area.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (23)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      Well done, Jeff. Really gratifying to know the recipe is being used! ~Wes

  9. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (24)
    David

    |Reply

    Do you cook the pork before putting it into the dough?

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (25)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      No, David, the char siu meat is already cooked. ~Wes

  10. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (26)
    Joe

    |Reply

    Do you cook the char siu before putting it into the dough?

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (27)
      Joe

      |Reply

      Also wanted to add that this is my first time making dim sum so might be a silly question but dont want to have raw meat inside

      • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (28)
        Wes Radez

        |Reply

        No worries, no silly questions! ~Wes

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (29)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      Yes, the char siu will be cooked beforehand. It’s roasted pork. ~Wes

  11. The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (30)
    John

    |Reply

    Could you add a printer friendly format….don’t see any printing options.

    • The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (31)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      I would love to, John. Great idea for a future site project. ~Wes

Leave a Reply

The Best Baked Pork Buns Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between steamed pork buns and baked pork buns? ›

Steamed cha siu bao has a white exterior, while the baked variety is browned and glazed.

What is a pork bun called in Chinese? ›

Char siu bao is a Cantonese barbecue pork-filled bun. They are typically sold in Chinese bakeries. Likewise, they are similar to a type of dim sum. Char siu refers to the pork in the filling.

Which steamed or baked pork buns are a regular savory dim sum menu item? ›

Char siu bao – steamed bbq pork buns

It's made of a soft and fluffy steamed dough made of flour, starch, sugar, and sometimes milk and a sweet and savory stewed pork filling called char siu.

How to freeze char siu bao? ›

These buns are a grab-and-go street food in China. Use a multi-tray bamboo steamer can cook all the buns at one time. To make them up to two months ahead, fill the dough, and freeze unsteamed buns on a tray in the freezer before placing them in a freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag.

How do you steam pork buns without a steamer? ›

Steam Using a Sieve

You can replicate a steamer with very little effort by placing your buns in a common kitchen sieve or colander, then suspending it over boiling water. Creating a tower from plates and tea towels will stop the steam from escaping, causing your buns to steam cook!

Are steamed buns healthier than baked buns? ›

Overall, processing, including cooking method, had a greater impact on GI than ingredients. Thus, the A*STAR team concluded, steaming is a healthier way of making bread than baking.

What country invented pork buns? ›

Koah-pau or gua bao or cuapao also known as a pork belly bun, bao, or bao bun, is a type of lotus leaf bun originating from Fujianese cuisine in China. It is also a popular snack in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Nagasaki Chinatown in Japan.

What is a Korean pork bun made of? ›

Kimchi-ppang are jumbo, white, fluffy buns baked with a generous kimchi and pork filling inside which is spicy, savory, crispy, and meaty. They have a golden crunchy crust outside and a fluffy bread inside. One large bun with a drink will be a simple and quick light meal or snack.

Are Bao buns the same as pork buns? ›

Pork buns are traditionally baked or pan-fried, resulting in a slightly firmer outer layer. Because the buns are baked, they are drier and, therefore, are less sticky to pick up with your fingers. Bao is unmistakably steamed, which imparts its characteristic soft and airy texture.

Why are steamed buns so good? ›

The buns are soft, pillowy, and slightly sweet, complementing various fillings from savoury to sweet. The steamed dough has a tender, airy quality that pairs well with the rich and flavourful fillings.

What is the most popular dimsum? ›

Siu mai. The most famous of all dim sum, this pork, shrimp and mushroom dumpling also comes in a fish variety that is commonly sold as street food.

Are pork buns good? ›

Soft, fluffy, and pillowy buns filled with a savory roasted pork filling. My pork buns recipe features this classic Chinese barbecue pork – it's savory and slightly sweet. Steamed buns were a big part of my childhood, and I have fond memories of eating them. They're not only tasty but also economical and quick to cook.

What do you eat pork buns with? ›

While the buns are steaming, make the hoisin dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water and the vinegar. Serve with the buns.

What to serve with char siu pork buns? ›

Perfect as is, or served alongside slurpy noodles, steamed Asian greens or savoury rice. Yep, Chinese BBQ pork is probably the meaning of life.

Can I cook bao buns in the oven? ›

Place in a baking paper lined perforated steam container, 4cm apart. Prove bao in steam oven at 40˚C, uncovered for 20 minutes. Once the bao have risen, Steam at 100˚C for 15 minutes.

What is the difference between steamed bread and baked bread? ›

There are three main benefits of steaming bread. First, it keeps the crust moist preventing it from solidifying too soon and thus helping the bread expand more. Second, it promotes good crust coloration and shine. Third, it makes the crust thinner and crispier.

What is the difference between a steamed bun and a regular bun? ›

Steaming the bun adds moisture, meaning you don't have to worry about dry, stale bread getting stuck in the roof of your mouth. It's just better. Or as one Reddit user put it, "It's basically like the difference between a towel and a steamed towel — but for the tastebuds."

Are steamed buns and bao buns the same? ›

Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough. Made with a mix of flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, milk and oil, the bao is a tad sweeter than its closely related cousin, the dumpling.

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