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Char Siu Bao

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Char Siu Bao are steamed pork buns. Soft, fluffy steamed buns filled with Chinese BBQ pork or char siu. Easy, authentic and the best char siu bao recipe!
Char Siu Bao are steamed pork buns. Soft, fluffy steamed buns filled with Chinese BBQ pork or char siu. Easy, authentic and the best char siu bao recipe!
Char sui bao in a steamer.

Cha Siu Bao Recipe

Cha Siu Bao (also spelled as Cha Siu Bao or Char Siew Bao) is one of the signature dishes in dim sum restaurants around the world.

Called 叉烧包, or cha shao bao in Chinese, they are a Chinatown classic!

Originated from Guangzhou in mainland China, Cha Siu Bao is a delicacy.

Steamed pork buns, ready to serve.

These Cantonese steamed pork buns are found in many Cantonese-Chinese restaurants serving dim sum.

Imagine soft, fluffy white steamed buns filled with savory char siu or Chinese BBQ pork filling in a sweet and savory char siu sauce; they are absolutely delicious!

Cha siu bao.

Other Recipes You Might Like

Char siu bao recipe made of char siu bao dough and pork.

How to Make Cha Siu Bao?

For soft and fluffy homemade steamed buns, you need a mixture of low-gluten flour and wheat starch.

The low-gluten flour is called Hong Kong Flour in Malaysia and you can get the flour from supermarket.

If you can’t find Hong Kong flour, you may use cake flour as the substitute.

The end result will be softer and fluffier steamed buns compared to all-purpose flour.

Steamed char siew bao buns with pork belly filling.

Cook’s Tips for Steamed Pork Buns

To make dim sum restaurant quality char siu bao or steamed pork buns, please following the cooking tips below:

  • If bigger bun is desired, divide dough into 12 equal portions.
  • There is no need to rest the char siu bao dough after adding in the baking powder. If time allows, rest it for 10 minutes to get fluffier buns.
  • Add Chinese hite vinegar into the steaming water to produce whiter buns. This is an optional step.
  • The steamer must be preheated before steaming the buns. They will not rise properly without the hot steam.
  • Spray the surface of the buns with water mist will help to produce steamed buns with beautiful and smooth surface.
  • DO NOT open the steamer’s lid during the steaming process.
  • If there are yellowish spots on the steamed buns, it means the baking powder is not properly dissolved.
Soft, fluffy and the best char siu bao steamed pork buns or cha siu bao.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Freeze Steamed Pork Buns?

I don’t recommend freezing but you can certainly keep them in the refrigerator.

Pack the leftovers in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

To serve, just reheat them in a steamer or microwave for 1 minute.

For the filling, use homemade char siu for the best results. You can also use char siu from restaurants.

How Many Calories per Serving?

Each bun is only 193 calories.

What to Serve with This Recipe?

Serve this dish with other Cantonese dim sum or Chinese appetizers. For a homemade dim sum meal, I recommend the following recipes.

Yield: 16 Buns

Char Siu Bao (Steamed Pork Buns)

Char siu bao

Char Siu Bao are steamed pork buns. Soft, fluffy steamed buns filled with Chinese BBQ pork or char siu. Easy, authentic and the best char siu bao recipe!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Char Siu Filling:

  • 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 250 g (9 oz.) char siu, diced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1-2 drops red food color, optional
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 150 ml water

Char Siu Bao Dough:

  • 280 g (10 oz.) low-protein flour (Hong Kong flour), cake flour or all-purpose flour
  • 100 g (3.5 oz.) wheat starch
  • 90 g (3 oz.) powdered sugar
  • 8 g (1 scant tablespoon) active dry yeast or instant yeast
  • 160 ml lukewarm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese white vinegar or lemon juice, optional
  • 30 g (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
  • 10 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
  • 10 ml (2 teaspoons) cold water

Instructions

Char Siu Filling:

  1. Heat oil in pan, sauté onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in char siu, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and red food color, if using. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and add salt to taste.
  2. Mix corn starch and water together, add to the filling. Simmer on low heat until the sauce is thickened.
  3. Remove the filling from pan. Let cool.
  4. Divide the filling into 16 portions. Set aside.

Char Siu Bao Dough Recipe:

  1. Sift the flour, wheat starch and powdered sugar. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the yeast, lukewarm water and vinegar or lemon juice, if using. Gently dissolve the yeast with the water. Slowly bring together the flour mixture and add in the vegetable oil. Char siu bao dough ingredients.
  2. Knead with hands for 15 minutes or until a soft dough is formed. It should be smooth and shiny on the surface. Char siu bao dough.
  3. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise for 60 - 90 minutes or until it expands in size.
  4. Dissolve the baking powder with the cold water, sprinkle over the dough and knead until well combined. For fluffier buns, rest the dough for 10 minutes after baking powder is added.
  5. Cut and divide the dough to 16 equal portions. Cutting char siu bao dough into pieces.
  6. Using a rolling pin, roll and flatten each dough ball to a 3” circle. Place a portion of the filling in the middle. Char siu bao dough with char siu filling in the middle of the dough.
  7. Wrap and fold the dough up. Wrapping char siu bao.
  8. Pinch and twist to enclose the opening. Make sure the char siu bao is sealed tight at the top. Place it on a 2" x 3" piece of parchment paper. Repeat the same until you make 16 buns. Wrapped char siu bao ready for steaming.
  9. Arrange the buns on a steamer, leave about 1” gap in between buns. Spray water mist over buns, and steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 10 minutes. (You may add 1 teaspoon of Chinese white vinegar to make the char siu bao white.)
  10. Remove buns from the steamer, serve warm. Char siu bao

Notes

1. For homemade Char Siu, please try my recipes: Char Siu or Chinese BBQ Pork.
2. To make bigger buns, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
3. To make char siu bao white, add 1 teaspoon of Chinese white vinegar in the steaming water.
4. The water must be boiling in the steamer before you steam the buns.
5. Spraying water mist over the buns will ensure a smooth surface on each bun.
6. DO NOT open the lid during the steaming process.
7. If there are yellowish spots on the steamed buns, it means the baking powder is not fully dissolved.

Recipe Contributor: My Kitchen

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 193Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 12mgSodium 263mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 1gSugar 7gProtein 19g
© Rasa Malaysia
Cuisine: Bun / Category: Chinese Recipes

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Comments

  1. Caroline Jayasuriya

    Can I make the dough the day before or overnight?

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      It’s better to make fresh.

      Reply

  2. Lily Cua

    Hi! Is Wheat Flour different from Wheat Starch?

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      Yes completely different.

      Reply

  3. Graess

    Hi if I want to use double action baking powder what should I change for the recipe to work ? Thanks !

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      It should be fine.

      Reply

  4. julie wong

    All I can say is YUM! The bread came out so fluffy and delicious. I was a little hesitant adding the powdered sugar, but it works. I made mine a little bigger and steamed for 12 minutes. The tips were very useful, otherwise I would have totally peeked on them during the cooking process. Absolutely delicious and I will be making it again.

    Reply

    • Admin

      Thanks for your support!

      Reply

  5. Emeryn

    Hi,
    Is there a substitute for wheat starch?

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      Cornstarch is OK but it’s best to use wheat starch.

      Reply

      • Jenny

        My bao turns up not fluffy, a bit dense, is it i use room temperature water instead of cold water? I used corn starch as i don’t have wheat starch.

        Reply

        • Rasa Malaysia

          You can’t use corn starch.

          Reply

  6. LyLy

    The best dough I’ve tried! Some recipes calls for double proofing, poolish egg whites, or ammonium, but they don’t yield that smooth, fluffy delicious tasting buns like this recipe. I use this dough for everything, from Lai Wong Bao, Liu Sha Bao, Chicken, and plain mantou. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      Awesome thanks. You can also try my mantou recipe!

      Reply

      • Emeryn

        I found it! Best dough I have ever worked with. Thank you so much Rasa M’sia.

        Reply

        • Rasa Malaysia

          Awesome.

          Reply

  7. Sandra

    Hi, just made this but to my surprise the dough is brown I spite of putting white vinegar in the boiling water before steaming, so far so good except for the color

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      If it’s brown, it means you over steam the buns.

      Reply

  8. Lim theng theng

    Do I need to proof the bun before steam it?

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      Please follow the instructions on the recipe card!

      Reply

  9. Linda

    Hi, I try your recipe , according to your measurement, but my dough is so sticky and wet that I needed to add 2 cups of flour , is it normal?

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      No, it’s not correct. Your measurement must be way off.

      Reply

    • Donna

      Linda,
      My experience in twice making this : it’s better to also weigh the water (water 160ml = 160gr).
      By weighing the water, my 2nd attempt result is a flexible dough with a nice dough feel that is neither sticky nor dry (my 1st attempt result was a rather dry & tougher dough).

      Reply

      • Holly

        Hi! I made this tonight and it came out amazing! I did have a few little brown spots. How do you ensure the baking powder is fully mixed in? Also, can it be added when you first make the dough instead of after it’s risen?

        Reply

  10. Carrie

    Can you also bake these? In Hawaii, we eat these (aka manapua) steamed or baked. Our favorite is pizza manapua, which I’m trying to recreate.

    Reply

    • Rasa Malaysia

      You can’t bake this. You will need puff pastry for baked buns.

      Reply

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