Bao and Char Siu Bao from Pixar’s Bao

Ingredients

• 4 cup all-purpose flour (For the original bao dough)
• 0.75 tsp dry yeast (For the original bao dough)
• 500 ml water (For the original bao dough)
• vegetable oil (For oiling the bowl and sautéing pork; amount not specified)
• 1 carrot (Small; finely chopped)
• 2 scallions (Finely chopped)
• 1 Chinese cabbage (Small head; finely chopped)
• 1 lb ground pork (Use half raw and sauté the other half until golden brown)
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger (Source gives 1–2 teaspoons)
• 1 tsp oyster sauce (For the original pork filling)
• 2.5 tsp Chinese cooking wine (Source gives 2–3 teaspoons)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (More may be added according to preference)
• 2 tsp olive oil (Source corrects the amount to 2 teaspoons)
• 0.5 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• salt (To taste)
• black pepper (Freshly ground, to taste)
• 1 egg (Beaten)
• 2 tbsp white sugar (For the char siu marinade)
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (For the char siu marinade)
• 1 tbsp fermented red bean paste (For the char siu marinade)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (For the char siu marinade)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (For the char siu marinade)
• 4 garlic (Cloves, meticulously crushed)
• ginger (Preferably fresh and grated; dried ginger was used in the source; amount not specified)
• pork belly (Thick slices; remove the skin; amount not specified)
• 300 g all-purpose flour (For the char siu bao dough)
• 40 g white sugar (For the char siu bao dough)
• 2 tsp yeast (For the char siu bao dough)
• 185 ml whole milk (Heated to 110°F)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (For the char siu bao dough)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (For the char siu bao dough)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (For the char siu sauce)
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (For the char siu sauce)
• 1 tsp honey (Heaping teaspoon)
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (May be a heaping teaspoon)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (For the char siu sauce)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (For the char siu sauce)
• 1 tbsp fermented red bean paste (For the char siu sauce)
• vegetable oil (For oiling the grate and parchment; amount not specified)
• parchment paper (For lining the bamboo steamer; generously oil before placing bao)

Steps

1. 1

   For the original bao dough, combine the flour and dry yeast. Add the water and fold with a rubber spatula until a cohesive dough forms.

2. 2

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead, adding flour or water as necessary, until the dough is neither too sticky nor too dry.

3. 3

   Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside, cover it, and let it rest for 2 hours, until it has approximately doubled in size. Prepare the pork filling during this rise.

4. 4

   After the rise, turn the dough onto a heavily floured work surface and knead it briefly to reduce the stickiness.

5. 5

   Punch a hole in the center of the dough and stretch it outward using the windmill technique described in the source.

6. 6

   Cut the stretched dough into two pieces. Stretch each piece end-to-end, then divide them into pieces approximately 1 inch long.

7. 7

   For the original filling, finely chop the carrot, scallions, and Chinese cabbage.

8. 8

   Place half of the ground pork in a large bowl. Sauté the other half in a little vegetable oil until golden brown, then return the cooked pork to the bowl with the raw pork.

9. 9

   Add the cabbage, carrot, scallions, ginger, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, chicken bouillon powder, salt, pepper, and beaten egg to the pork.

10. 10

    Using optionally gloved hands, mix the filling until homogeneous.

11. 11

    Roll each dough piece to approximately 4 inches wide. Place about 1 tablespoon of pork filling in the center.

12. 12

    Pleat and twist the dough around the filling until it is enclosed and sealed. The source notes that this recipe makes about 24 bao, with leftover pork filling possible.

13. 13

    Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper and generously oil the parchment. Place the filled bao inside.

14. 14

    Steam the bao for 15 minutes, then let them rest undisturbed for 5 minutes before opening the steamer.

15. 15

    For the char siu variation, combine the sugar, hoisin sauce, fermented red bean paste, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, crushed garlic, and ginger to make a marinade.

16. 16

    Remove the skin from thick slices of pork belly. Place the pork in a sealed plastic parcel, pour the marinade over it, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Set the parcel on a plate or in a glass bowl to prevent cross-contamination.

17. 17

    For the char siu bao dough, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast. Add the milk heated to 110°F, soy sauce, and vegetable oil.

18. 18

    Knead the dough with a dough hook for 8 minutes, until a smooth, supple ball forms.

19. 19

    Remove the dough from the bowl. Oil the bowl, return the dough, cover it, and let it rest for 2 hours. Prepare the pork filling during this rise.

20. 20

    Make the char siu sauce by whisking together the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, Chinese five-spice powder, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and fermented red bean paste.

21. 21

    Lightly oil a grate set over a rimmed baking sheet and line the baking sheet with foil. Place the marinated pork belly on the prepared grate.

22. 22

    Divide the char siu sauce in half. Reserve one half for brushing the pork and the other half for tossing with the finished meat.

23. 23

    Roast the pork belly at 450°F for about 30 minutes, until it begins to char. Flip the pork, brush it with more of the reserved sauce, and return it to the oven for 5–10 minutes.

24. 24

    Continue flipping and brushing the pork as needed until it reaches 180°F internally and the exterior is caramelized and nicely charred.

25. 25

    Let the pork cool completely, then chop it into very small pieces and toss it with the remaining char siu sauce.

26. 26

    Roll out the char siu dough pieces, fill them with the sauced pork, pleat the edges together all the way around, and twist the top to seal.

27. 27

    Place the char siu bao on generously oiled parchment in the bamboo steamer. Steam for 15 minutes, then let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

The transcript presents two related preparations rather than one single batch. The original bao dough made about 24 bao with leftover pork filling; the source suggests doubling the dough if desired. Oil the parchment lining the bamboo steamer to prevent the delicate wrappers from tearing. The pork belly amount for the char siu version is not stated in the transcript.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• steamed
• dumplings
• Chinese
• pork
• dim sum
• make-ahead
• freezer-friendly