Steamed Bbq Pork Bun (3) 蜜汁叉烧包 Recipe
Soft, fluffy bun filled with tender BBQ pork.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Dough
Filling
Assembly & Steaming
Method
Dough
- 1
Activate yeast and combine wet ingredients
Warm the milk to about 38°C (100°F) — warm to the touch but not hot. Stir in the granulated sugar (25 g) until mostly dissolved, then sprinkle the instant yeast (2 g) over the surface and let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Mix and knead
In a mixing bowl combine the all-purpose flour (220 g) and salt (3 g). Make a well, pour in the milk + yeast mixture and vegetable oil (15 ml). Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. (If using a stand mixer, knead on low-medium for 6–8 minutes.)
- 3
- 4
Add baking powder
After the first rise, gently deflate the dough and sprinkle the baking powder (2 g) over it. Fold and knead briefly (about 1–2 minutes) to distribute the baking powder evenly. This gives the buns extra softness.
- 5
Divide and rest
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces (use a scale for accuracy). Shape each piece into a smooth ball, cover and let rest 10 minutes to relax the gluten before rolling.
Filling
- 6
- 7
- 8
Add sauces and thicken
Add hoisin (15 ml), light soy sauce (10 ml), oyster sauce (15 ml), sugar (10 g), sesame oil (5 ml) and Shaoxing wine (10 ml) to the pan. Stir to combine and let the mixture simmer gently for 1–2 minutes. Mix the cornstarch (5 g) with water (15 ml) to make a slurry, then stir the slurry into the pan and cook 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens and coats the pork. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped green onion. Cool filling to room temperature (about 10 minutes) before assembling.
Assembly & Steaming
- 9
Roll wrappers
On a lightly floured surface, take one rested dough ball and press flat with your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a 10–12 cm (4–4.5 inch) circle, slightly thinner in the center and thicker at the edges to make pleating easier. Dust with extra flour (10 g total) as needed to prevent sticking.
- 10
Fill and pleat
Place about 55–65 g of the cooled filling in the center of each wrapper (adjust so final bun is balanced — aim for ~1/3 filling by weight). Pull the edge of the wrapper up and pleat, rotating the dough and creating 6–8 pleats, then pinch at the top to seal tightly. Trim any excess bottom dough so buns sit flat if necessary. Place each finished bun on a parchment paper square (1 piece per bun).
- 11
Final proof
Arrange the buns in a steamer basket with a few centimeters between them. Cover and let proof for 25–30 minutes until slightly puffy (do not over-proof). Meanwhile bring about 500 ml water to a rolling simmer in a wok or steamer pot.
- 12
Steam
Place the steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam on medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes with the lid closed. After 10–12 minutes turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 2 minutes (this helps prevent the buns collapsing from a sudden temperature change).
- 13
Finish and serve
Carefully remove buns from the steamer. Optionally sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds (3 g) while warm. Serve hot.
