Char Siu Bao / 叉烧包

Char Siu Bao is one of the signature dishes in dim sum restaurants around the world. This irresistible little steamed bun is soft and fluffy, stuffed with slightly sweetened char siu filling.

It is a must order item whenever we visit a dim sum restaurant. My other half loves it too, but he usually eat only a quarter of a bun. He is a small eater, would not be able to eat other dim sums if he had a char siu bao by himself. Now, I am glad that I can share this yummy bun with my 14 month-old boy. Yes, I have made him a char siu bao lover too! 

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recipe updated March 2022

Char Siu Bao / 叉烧包

Ingredients (makes 16 buns):
Bun
4g instant dry yeast
160ml lukewarm water
½ tsp white vinegar or lemon juice (optional)

380g low-protein flour aka hong kong flour
50g icing sugar
20g shortening

10g baking powder
10ml cold water

Fillings
A
250g char siew, diced
½ tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp sugar*
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp oyster sauce*
1 tbsp soy sauce*
1 tsp sesame oil
1-2 drops red food colouring (optional)

B
150 ml water
1½ tbsp corn flour
Salt to taste

*Some store-bought char siu comes with the sauce, use it for preparing the filling. Omit sugar, oyster sauce and soy sauce.

Methods:
Fillings

1. Heat oil in pan, sauté onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in all other ingredients A, stir fry for 1 minutes.
2. Mix together water with corn flour, add mixture into the pan and stir well. Simmer until gravy is thickened.
3. Transfer to plate and allow to cool.
4. Divide filling into 16 portions if desired, set aside for later use.

Buns

1. Sift together the flour and icing sugar. Place sifted flour mixture in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
2. Fill well with lukewarm water, vinegar and yeast. Use a spatula, gently stir the water to dissolve the yeast then slowly bring together flour mixture.
3. Add in the shortening and knead for 10-15 minutes until soft dough is formed. It should be smooth on the surface.
4. Cover dough with damp cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes. I used bread maker’s dough mode to prepare my dough up to this step.
5. Dissolve the baking powder in cold water, sprinkle over dough and knead until well combined.
6. Divide dough into 16 equal portions and flatten with a rolling pin to make a 3” circle. Then place a heap teaspoon of filling in the middle, wrap and pleat the dough to seal.
7. Place it on a 1.5” square parchment paper, seal side up. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes or so.
8. Arrange the buns into a steamer, leave about 1” gab in between buns. Spray water mist over buns, and steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 12 minutes. Remove buns from steamer and cool on rack to prevent soggy bottom.

Cook's notes:

1. If bigger bun is desired, divide dough into 12 equal portions in step 5.
2. There is no need to rest the dough after adding in baking powder, but if time allowed, rest it for 10 minutes or so to get fluffier buns.
3. Adding a few drops of vinegar into steaming water will produce whiter buns, but this is optional.
4. Steamer must be preheated otherwise bun would not rise to the volume as it should be.
5. Spray the surface of bun with water mist helps to produce buns with smooth surface after steamed.
6. DO NOT open the lid during the steaming process.
7. If there are yellowish spots on the steamed buns, it means the baking powder is not fully dissolved.

Don't like char siew? Try red bean bao or meat bao.