Description
Steamed Pork Buns with Chive are a traditional Chinese delicacy featuring soft, fluffy steamed dough filled with a savory mixture of ground pork, aromatic Chinese chives, and flavorful seasonings. These buns are perfect as a hearty snack or part of a meal, served warm with a tangy dipping sauce made from vinegar, soy sauce, and optional chili oil.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) boiling water
- 150 ml (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) warm water
- 4 g (1 teaspoon) sugar
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
- 300 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
Filling Ingredients
- 2” (5 cm) ginger, minced
- 300 g (11 oz) ground pork
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 8 stalks Chinese chives, sliced into 1/4” (0.5 cm) pieces
Dipping Sauce (Optional)
- Chinkiang vinegar
- Soy sauce (optional)
- Homemade chili oil (optional)
Instructions
- Make ginger water: Add the minced ginger to a small bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let cool completely. Then drain off the ginger using a fine mesh strainer and discard it.
- Mix the dough and 1st rise: Heat the water until warm (about 110°F / 43°C). Add sugar and dissolve, then add yeast and let sit until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Mix yeast water with flour using a stand mixer with dough hook or knead by hand until a smooth elastic dough forms (about 15 minutes). Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ground pork and the strained ginger water. Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Mix vigorously in one direction for about 5 minutes until the pork is streaky. Add toasted sesame oil and chopped Chinese chives, mix for another minute. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the steamer: Line the steamer with steamer paper or parchment paper with holes. For bamboo steamers, soak the bottom to prevent scorching. For stainless steel steamers, place a clean towel between the lid and the steamer to prevent condensation dripping.
- Form the buns and 2nd rise: Punch down the dough once risen, knead for 10 minutes to original size, then divide into two pieces. Roll one piece into a log and cut into six equal pieces (around 38 g each). Shape each piece into a round disk and roll it out as a wrapper about 4.5” (11 cm) wide, with thicker center and thin edges. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center, pleat and pinch edges to seal the bun. Place buns on the lined steamer with at least 1” (2.5 cm) spacing. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
- Cook the buns: Place the steamer over a pot of cool water, turn to high heat. Once steam appears, cook for 15 minutes on high. Turn off heat and let buns rest covered for 2 minutes before removing the lid.
- Serve: Serve the steamed pork buns hot with Chinkiang vinegar as dipping sauce. Optionally add soy sauce or homemade chili oil to taste. Leftover buns can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month. Reheat refrigerated buns in the microwave or steam frozen buns until heated through.
Notes
- Ensure the water temperature for activating yeast is warm but not hot (about 110°F / 43°C) to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky to the touch for best texture.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to remove ginger from the water to avoid excess fibrous bits in the filling.
- Steaming with a bamboo steamer soaked in water prevents scorching and helps maintain moisture.
- Placing a kitchen towel on top of stainless steel steamer helps prevent condensation water from dripping onto buns and making them soggy.
- Allow buns to rest and rise twice: once during dough fermentation and again after shaping to ensure light and fluffy buns.
- Keep spacing between buns in the steamer to allow for expansion during steaming.
- Use a round piece of steamer or parchment paper with holes to prevent buns from sticking to the steamer.
- The pleating technique seals the filling inside while giving buns a classic appearance.
- Buns can be paired with dipping sauces to enhance their flavor, such as vinegar, soy, and chili oil.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dim Sum
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: steamed pork buns, chive buns, Chinese buns, baozi, dim sum recipe, pork bao, steamed buns, homemade bao
