Bao Buns

This is my third time making bao buns, and I actually can’t remember how my first batch turned out, but my second batch was not great. I followed David Chang’s recipe and I made the mistake of lifting the lid while steaming to see if they were fluffing up (this deflates them) and also I do not think that I kneaded them long enough.

This time I remixed the recipe a little based off of other recipes and videos that I found online. I also rolled the dough out and used a glass (I didn’t have a cookie cutter!) to cut the dough- this makes them a lot more uniform and smooth and fluffy in my opinion vs the David Chang way where he cuts them into balls and then rolls them out individually. I kneaded by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough was really smooth as well.

I really love the way that this batch turned out- I was very pleased! I’ll probably try again in the next 6 months to see if I can perfect them even more, but for now I think this is a great recipe. Enjoy!

BAO Buns

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Yield: 40-50

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Ingredients

• 1½ cups warm whole milk (100°F)
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• ½ cup (8 Tbsp) sugar
• 1/3 cup softened lard
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. Cut 40-50 4 inch squares of parchment paper
2. In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together warm milk, sugar, yeast, and lard. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic: 4–5 minutes in a stand mixer, or 8–10 minutes by hand The dough should be soft, supple, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
4. Form dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours, or until tripled in size.
5. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Use a 3½-inch round cutter to make circles.
6. Lightly brush one half of each circle with oil. Fold into a half-moon, gently flatten with a rolling pin. Place each bun on parchment square.
7. Place shaped buns on a baking sheet, cover (with plastic wrap and/or dampened towel), and let rest for 30–45 minutes, until puffed and airy.
8. Bring water to a boil in your steamer. Steam the buns over medium-high heat for 13 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the lid cracked for 5 minutes to prevent collapse.

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