I’ve been fascinated with Chinese buns (bao) for years, and when I was writing the “Stuffed Buns” chapter of Asian Dumplings, I wanted to pen a much longer piece on the hows and whys of bao. I know it sounds crazy but I’m a geek over Asian dough. Truth be told, I’ve struggled with bao dough for a long time and finally found a solution for wonderful dough that hasn’t failed me. It doesn’t collapse during cooking, is resilient yet soft, and has the sweet goodness of wheat.
I told Russ Parsons, editor of the Los Angeles Times “Food Section,” about my doughy adventure and discovery and he resoundingly said “yes!” to an article on bao. I’ve experimented lots over the years, and even tested out flour bought at Chinese markets and overseas. The photo at the top of this page is from one round of experimentation where I made five bao dough from five different kinds of flour.
When I felt like I had the perfect dough, I put it up to the test against commercial bao. On the most recent taste test (see the photos below), it was Okami brand of Asian-style bao filled with Chinese bbq pork purchased at Costco vs. my homemade steamed char siu bao. The Okami is light, nearly white in color whereas mine is ecru in color from unbleached flour. What you don’t get is the taste (I need to figure out web-scratch-and-sniff technology!) and the Okami brand is on the sweet side with an odd smoky edge and very soft, marshmallow-like dough. There’s an audience for commercial bao, but I prefer the soft warmth of homemade bao as I can pick and choose my fillings and cooking methods. I can even freeze my bao to create a homemade convenience food.
Costco (Okami brand) bao vs. my homemade bao
The LA Times story has a couple of filling options and also a pan-fried bao (sheng jian baozi) recipe for you to try out. Many thanks to Deputy Editor Betty Hallock and the LA Times test kitchen team for putting their energies into the piece. It was published today with how-to photos too(!), and here’s a link for your perusal:
"The Trick to Making Bao? Starting with the perfect dough" – LA Times, 10/ 7/09
Additional information:
There's a slide show on the LA Times story for shaping the buns. For a video of how to pleat the dough, watch the demo I did on San Francisco’s View From the Bay TV show.
Very nice article, Andrea! I have ordered the book and can’t wait to get our hands on it!
You’re the best! I can finally make the Asian the foods that I crave for. I always wished that I had paid more attention the way it is made while growing up. Everything I have made from your book has come out exactly as I remember. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Marilou — Thank you! I know that I’ve done my job when cooks like you validate the recipes.
I think your off white bao looks better. And I’ll tell you why. My eyes have decieved me many times when I see the big white puffy bao and I would bite into it and find myself disappointed because the dough would taste like chalk to me. Over many years of being tricked, I look for the homemade-looking version because it just taste better.
Andrea,
I just bought your book and read it cover to cover – it is the best asian dumpling book on the market! I had a question – could I make the steamed bun dough in my bread machine on dough cycle? It would be so great if I could.
Thanks again for a great cookbook!
Darlyne
Thuy — Totally agree with you. But some folks like Wonder Bread. I used to when I was a kid!
Darlyne — I don’t know. I suppose you could. You don’t want to over knead this dough so if there’s a way to control the time, I think it may work. Would you report back?
I agree 100% about your fa mian recommendations and am so glad to see them in print! If only I had had your recipe 10 years ago… when I started to learn Chinese cookery I followed a lot of bad bao dough recipes and made a lot of sad bao.
Eventually I started experimenting on my own. I have since made fa mian with everything from stone-ground whole wheat flour (chewy and nutty but slow to rise and makes weird bao!) to White Lily self-rising biscuit flour (surprisingly successful, very white, and the Cantonese part of my family loves it). But the version I ended up sticking with is a lot like yours, just AP flour and quick-acting yeast. Simple and straightforward. And makes *great* sesame-scallion bread, too.
those costco bau pleats look unnervingly regular…those weren’t made by human fingers, I bet.
You seem to have got the niche from the root, Awesome work
The omni boas were probably made by machine. They now have machines that can make dumplings, bao and mooncakes, hence, the perfect pleats.
Where where these machines when we needed them =)
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Hi Andrea,
Thank you for sharing your experieces with the world. I enjoyed reading your colums.
Here are the tool to get equally perfect Baos that I bought from Vietnam for about 2-3 USD. Some of the Chinese/Vietnamese markets in Little Saigon/CA sell them now – But, I still like the old fashion way! My kids use say: “Mommy’s Baos”
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4932/img56460.jpg
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/307/img5645j.jpg
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They are very thick, but I believe that they are tasty!
It’s so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.
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i fell in love with dumplings about a year ago in shanghai, where you have them even for breakfast. recently in london i made the plan to make them at home. finding the right recipe wasn’t easy but yours caught my eye instantly. the dumplings came out gorgeously, the fluffy texture and the sweet taste where there just as i hoped for it. the filling, taken from your la-times recipe, chicken shitake, was amazing. thanks for making our new years eve dinner such a success. happy new year! bob, zurich, switzerland.