Discover China: Bao

History

Bao or baozi is a common meal eaten all throughout China and has spread to other parts of Asia. Bao is a variation of the Chinese dish mantou – plain yeast-leavened steamed buns. Mantou originates from Northern China where wheat was grown and became more of a grain staple than rice in Southern China. Mantou used to refer to both steamed buns and filled steamed buns, but the word baozi originated in the Song Dynasty to represent filled steamed buns. Eventually, mantou came to only refer to steamed buns in some Chinese languages, but still refers to both filled and non-filled in the Wu Chinese languages.

The origin story of bao is quite unique as it stems from a tale about General Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period. On a return trip home after a victory over a group of rebels, General Liang faced the challenge of having to cross a dangerous river which was known to have a deity who demanded the heads of 50 sacrificed soldiers for safe passage in return. Not wanting to sacrifice his soldiers, the general ordered them to stuff some steamed buns (mantou) with meat from their cattle and to make them look like heads (a flat bottom and round top), and throw 50 of them into the river. The deity was pleased, meaning the general’s trick had worked, and the group gained safe passage. From there on, the steamed buns were called mantou meaning “barbarian’s heads.” In celebration of the victory, the dish became well known and eaten regularly.

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What is Bao?

Bao is a yeast-leavened bun filled with a sweet, savory, or juicy filling and steamed to perfection. The variations of this dish are quite endless. Many like to fill them with a sweet bean paste and eat them as dessert (called Doushabao), while others fill a giant bun with gelatinized soup broth that melts when steamed and can be drunk through a straw (known as Tangbaozi). There are two main types in China: Dabao (meaning “big bun”) which is about 10cm across and is usually served individually and Xiaobao (meaning “small bun”) which is about 5cm across and is commonly served in a steam basket containing 3-10 buns. Char siu bao is one of the most well-known adaptations which includes a filling of char siu (Chinese BBQ pork).

Adaptations of bao have been created in surrounding countries as well. For example, in Malaysia, pau is a form of bao that is stuffed with a chicken or beef curry and sometimes a quail egg. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia all have their own popular adaptations due to immigration. Baozi can be found in supermarkets in Japan where they are called nikuman and even the Netherlands (from colonial influence from Indonesia).

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About This Dish

Bao is a complete meal consisting of a warm, fluffy bun filled with a delicious, comforting filling. It is a dish that is fun to eat and filling at the same time. The steamed bun has a wonderful texture and mouthfeel while the fillings provide an explosion of taste in every bite. Baozi is commonly eaten as a breakfast, snack, or to-go lunch.

The type of flour used will affect the taste and texture of the bao. Typically, this dough is made with a lower-protein flour such as cake flour. There are specialized flours that can be found in Asian marts as well. If you do not have cake flour, all-purpose flour with cornstarch will work too! The cake flour will create a softer bun with a less floury taste. The all-purpose flour and cornstarch mix will provide a fluffier and chewier textured bun.

For folding the bao, I would recommend looking up some videos as this really helped me create the buns in a more traditional manner.

For those that are vegetarian or vegan, feel free to be creative with the filling! For mine, I used seitan for the first time. This had a wonderful flavor and took in the spice well.

Please enjoy a taste of China!

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Bao

Chinese steamed yeast-leavened buns filled with sweet, savory, or juicy fillings.

Notes: Makes 6 filled buns - feel free to double this recipe; Takes about 2 hours to make

-Cake flour results in a softer and less flour-tasting bun. All purpose flour with cornstarch creates a fluffier and chewier bun. Both are great!

-Instant yeast will help the dough rise quickly. Any yeast works fine, however.

-The temperature of the lukewarm water I used was about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. (I just let my sink run on warm for a few minutes to get this.)

Ingredients

Bao Dough:

• 150g cake flour (about 1 1/4 cups) or 120g all-purpose flour (about 1 cup) with 30g cornstarch (about 4 tbsp)* (see notes)

• 1/2 tsp yeast* (see notes)

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tbsp oil (neutral oil like canola or avocado)

• 80mL lukewarm water (for cake flour) or 85mL water (for all-purpose flour and cornstarch mixture)* (see notes)

Filling:

• 1/4lb minced or ground meat (pork or turkey work well) or 2-3oz vegan/vegetarian meat of choice (I used 3oz of seitan and minced it well)

• 1/4 tsp cornstarch

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tbsp minced ginger

• 1/4 tsp sesame seed oil

• 1 tsp oyster sauce

• 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 tsp Chinese five spice

• 1/4 white onion finely diced

• 1/4 cup shredded carrot

• 1/2 tbsp oil

1. To make the bao dough:

-Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, and oil together in a bowl. Mix while slowly adding the lukewarm water until a ball of dough forms. Knead the dough until a very smooth dough forms.

-Place the kneaded dough into a bowl and onto a warm surface (I turned my oven on and let my stove top get warm). Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the dough to proof and rise to about double its size. (This took about 1 to 1.5 hours).

2. While the dough is proofing, prep the filling:

-Mix the meat, cornstarch, sesame seed oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Chinese five spice in a bowl.

-Heat the 1/2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the shredded carrot, garlic, and ginger and sauté until fragrant and tender.

-Now stir this mixture into the meat mixture to complete the filling for the bao.

3. To make the bao:

-Take the dough (once risen and proofed) and knead it until it is back to original size. Cut the dough into 6 even portions. ( Here would be a great time to look up how to fold bao, it really helps!)

-Roll the dough portions into thin circles. (Be careful not to roll them too thin. Try to keep the middle portion slightly thicker, while rolling the outsides thinner to prevent a very thick build up on the top of the bun.)

-Fill the rolled dough with the desired amount of filling (I used about a heaping tablespoon per bun). Pleat the top of the dough together in a circle and press or twist closed. Set the buns on individual squares of parchment paper. (You can just rub oil onto your steamer pan if you do not have parchment paper).

-Allow the buns to sit and rest for another 10-15 minutes.

-Steam the buns for about 15-20 minutes until risen and fluffy. Start the buns with cold water in the steamer and bring to a boil.

Nutrition

Bao is a filling and complete meal. It is relatively low in calories and packs much needed protein and carbs. Adding vegetables to the filling helps add nutrients and flavor. By using a low-sodium soy sauce, the sodium levels stay at a lower amount per serving. This recipe can be made even more nutritious through the use of a leaner ground meat as well.

Nutrition for the pork filled bao

Nutrition for the seitan filled bao

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post and feel inspired to make some bao yourself!