love those buns
Recipe: chinese char siu bao (barbecue pork buns)
Fork. Stick it to me. I am done. Done with the frenzied holiday baking schedule! And just in case you might be racking your brain for a few ideas, I wanted to share some of the other items we tucked into the gift bags for Jeremy’s wonderful staff. Supporting local businesses is pretty easy if you live in Boulder. We make a point of going to Savory Spice Shop on Pearl Street for creative and beautiful gifts. This store is perfect if you are looking for a variety of little items which you can taste to help you decide. They have something to suit cooks, non-cooks, and unknowns. You can also mail-order from them.
cute little jars of two kinds of cheese sprinkles
Just a few blocks east, we stopped by Atlas Purveyors so Jeremy could grab a latte (shopping makes him drowsy like… instantly) and pick a loose tea from their impressive selection. He went with the Carrington Blend of black tea, lemongrass, orange peel, eucalyptus, and wildflowers.
citrus and floral
Of course, we had to drop a mini bar of Chocolove into each bag. They’re local, make terrific chocolates, have love poems inside the wrappers, and are all around Boulderlicious.
A few weeks ago I made a double batch of char siu pork and I’m sure some of you knew where that double batch was headed (I mean, besides mah belleh). I love char siu pork, but what I really, truly, deeply love are the steamed Chinese barbecue pork buns, char siu bao.
the revered bao
I made one filling, but tried two different doughs because I didn’t care for the first dough. The first dough was cakey and sweeter than I’m used to, although it could very well be my elevation. The second dough was spot on to what I was looking for – a yeast-based dough that is delicate, elastic, fluffy, and less sweet. Let’s start with the filling.
it’s a lot of stuff, but comes together lickity split
dice the char siu pork
everything diced, measured, and ready to go
The filling recipe comes from Fine Cooking’s February/March 2011 issue (#109). If you eat it straight (yes, I tried some) it’s on the strong side and pretty saucy. However, wrapped in a soft bao, it’s pretty much perfect to me.
add pork to sautéed onions
pour in the sauce (broth, oyster sauce, ketchup, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, pepper)
when the sauce is thickened, stir in the sesame oil
When the filling is done, set it aside and let it cool. You can refrigerate this for up to a day in advance before using. Truth be told, I was so unhappy with the first dough and spent a couple of days searching for another dough that the filling sat in my refrigerator for 3 more days and it was fine. Nothing tasted off, no one keeled over. Now on to the dough…
round 1 dough: flour, baking powder, milk, oil, sugar, water
working the milk into the flour with your fingers
rest the dough under a damp cloth
The first dough is from the same recipe as the pork filling. I don’t consider myself an expert at baking (or anything for that matter), but I furrowed my brow when I noticed there wasn’t any yeast in the dough because all of my favorite bao had that yeasty flavor present. I thought I’d give it a try anyway.
cut the dough into segments
shape each piece into a disc with thinner edges than centers
place filling in center, pleat the edges around
I’m trying to be fair here, but this dough made me cuss. It broke when I worked with it and felt more like putty than dough. There was a little elasticity, but it was frustrating to manipulate. I kept telling myself it would be worth it in the end.
pinch the tops shut
set each bao on a square of parchment or wax paper
space them apart in the steamer (they will expand)
In the end it tasted good, but it didn’t taste right to me. Like I said earlier, the dough was cakey, dry, and too sweet. It seemed to get stuck in the roof of my mouth when I ate it. The filling was AWESOME and since I had extra, I saved it in the fridge. To be fair, Jeremy and I liked them well enough to snack on throughout the week.
steamed, but not what i was looking for
when i think of char siu bao i think of dim sum
I found another dough recipe from a Chinese Snacks book I picked up many years ago at a Ranch 99 in Southern California. It lists recipes in both English and Chinese (I can’t read the Chinese) and has the occasional Chinglish typo that makes me chuckle. I used this dough for another bao recipe, which I’ll post the step-by-step instructions for later and forward reference, but the main difference is the presence of yeast. So, let’s pick up where we wrap the filling because the treatment is pretty similar to the first dough.
much easier to work with, this dough was elastic
bring the pleats together
twist and pinch
One of the reasons I like dough #2 so much better is the elasticity. It makes it easier and faster to work the dough and wrap the bao. If you live in a dry place (like I do) then I highly recommend using a slightly damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap to cover the dough when you aren’t working with it. Once the bao are wrapped, let them sit for 10 minutes before steaming.
place on parchment squares
into the steamer
Unless you have a dedicated steamer, you may be wondering how you’re going to steam the buns. If you own a wok (I still don’t – I know, I know…) boil water in the wok and set your steam basket over the wok. The conics of the wok should ensure nearly complete capture of the steam because the cylinder (the steam basket) has a fixed diameter and the wok has a range of diameters. [If you really want to get into it, they are both solids of revolution and so have an azimuthal symmetry. There will be a point of contact no matter what the shape of the wok. -Jeremy] If you don’t own a wok, then you can do what I did, which is to place a metal rack in a stock pot that my steamer fits nearly perfectly. Set the steamer on the rack when the water comes to a boil. The whole point is to cook the bao with steam and NOT let them submerge in the water.
my makeshift steaming set up
steam for 12 minutes
Breaking open a char siu bao fresh out of the steamer is a treasure, a joy. Jeremy and I stood in the kitchen, taking our first bites of these bao in silence, smiling at each other. Kaweah was standing between us wagging, ever hopeful. The dough was soft, fluffy, slightly stretchy, not too sweet, not crumbly, just perfect. Considering how impatient I am, it’s impressive that I tried a second dough recipe, but I’m so glad I did! I didn’t even have to make any adjustments for altitude. THAT’S how awesome this is. That’s the recipe. Booyah!
love!
Chinese Barbecue Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)
[print recipe]
*filling from Fine Cooking issue #109 (I don’t recommend using the dough from that recipe, so I don’t include it below)
*dough from Chinese Snacks by Huang Su-Huei
filling
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsps oyster sauce
2 tbsps ketchup
5 tsps granulated sugar
4 tsps cornstarch
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (this is not the same as regular soy sauce)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
pinch white pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsps peanut oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced (1/4-inch)
1 1/2 cups char siu pork, fine dice (I did 1/4-inch)
1 tbsps Shaoxing Chinese sherry
1 1/2 tsps sesame oil
Whisk the chicken broth, oyster sauce, ketchup, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Heat the peanut oil over high flame in a wok or heavy-bottomed saucepan. When the oil is hot, add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook (stirring often) until golden brown – about 6 minutes. Turn the heat to high and add the pork, stir-frying for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the sherry in from the edges of the wok (or drizzle in a circle over the saucepan as I did) and stir together. Reduce the heat to medium and pour the broth mixture into the center of the wok or pan. Stir together until the filling is thickened. This takes only a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Let cool and refrigerate the filling. Filling can be refrigerated for a few days before using. Do not freeze.
dough
1/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup warm water (105°F – 115°F)
1 tbsp yeast
6 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsps shortening
In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water and add the yeast. Let the yeast stand for about ten minutes or until it becomes foamy, floating to the top. Sift the flour (I never sift anything) into a large bowl. Add the baking powder, shortening, and the yeast liquid. Mix well. If the dough is dry, add a little water. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. Knead the dough until smooth (took me ten minutes by hand) Place the dough in a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for a couple of hours until it has tripled in size.
Do this: cut 24 squares of parchment or wax paper, 2 1/2-inches a side.
Assemble the bao : Knead the risen dough until it is smooth and elastic. Again, if it is too dry, wet your hand(s) and knead it – if it is too wet, add some flour and knead it in. Because I work on a finite area cutting board (i.e. not a long counter), I found it easiest to cut the dough into quarters and make a log from each quarter. Keep the unused dough under plastic or a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out. Cut each log into 6 equal pieces and flatten each piece with your hand to make a disc. Use your fingers to pinch the outer inch of the disc thinner than the center. Then shape a sort of well in the thicker center of the dough. Spoon a tablespoon (or more, if you can handle it) of the pork filling into the center of the dough. Pleat the edges together, with the intent of gathering the edges to form a sort of bowl from the dough (use your thumb or spoon to push the filling down). If you care about the presentation (hey, some people don’t) then wipe your fingers clean of any filling on a wet cloth before twisting and pinching the pleats together at the top. If there is excess dough, pinch it off. Set the bao on a square of parchment. Repeat for the rest and let them stand for about 10 minutes.
Steaming: Place the buns in a steamer with at least 2 inches between them as they will expand during steaming. You will not be able to fit them all in your steamer unless you have 1) a giant steamer or 2) a million layers – so be patient and don’t cram them together, just steam in two or three batches.
If you have a wok, bring 2 inches of water to a boil and set your steamer over the wok (make sure the steamer doesn’t actually sit in the water – that would be called boiling and we don’t want that!). If you don’t have a wok (I don’t) then this is what I did: I found a stockpot that fits my generic bamboo steamer perfectly. The fit doesn’t have to be perfect, just don’t use such a large pot that the steam escapes. I filled the stockpot with 2 inches of water and then placed a small metal rack (you can find these in random Asian grocery stores) in the center. Bring the water to a boil, place the steamer on the rack.
Steam for 10 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 24.
Storage: Once cooled, you can seal these in an airtight container or ziploc bag and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, either steam them again for a few minutes or do the ghetto method: place the bao in a bowl, cover with a plate, and microwave for a minute or two. You can also freeze the bao in a sealed bag and reheat them by either steaming or nuking (just add more time than if they were refrigerated).
December 15th, 2011 at 11:44 am
Want. Not showing to Mr. Liquid Diet, who might weep.
Happy belated birthday to Miss K!
December 15th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Oh, this is one of my absolute favorites at dim sum! Looks really delicious! :)
December 15th, 2011 at 11:53 am
These look soooo good!!!
December 15th, 2011 at 11:53 am
Drooling uncontrollably.
December 15th, 2011 at 11:59 am
These are my favorite when we go for dim sum. i could eat 10! I am so intimidated to make some at home, but maybe I can talk my mom into it :) Thanks for sharing!
December 15th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
The Big Guy wants to have dim sum items for Christmas eve, and I said ok, as long as we made them ourselves (big on those holiday family activities!). I will add this to our list, you make it sound so easy!
December 15th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Oh man, I need to start bookmarking these somewhere. You have a ton of recipes that I can make, even with one person being dairy-allergic. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these, and would never in a million years thought to make them myself. But you make it seem like it might not turn out to be a total disaster. (I’m still recovering from a Samosa Incident from 10+ years ago.)
December 15th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
i have had a love affair with these since my first experience with them in new york city when i was 20 years old. i can’t tell you how happy i am to see a recipe for them, as i now live back in the glorious south, where such a thing has not, until very recently, been anywhere to be had. turns out my local asian market has an awesome bakery that makes a baked version of these, but i will be REALLY glad to be able to make my own now, thanks to you!
ps–my butt doesn’t thank you at ALL, but my belly and my taste buds sure do! :)
December 15th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
they look lovely and sound delish!! :)
December 15th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
OHMYGARSHHH….. I have been looking for a perfect bao recipe for AGES!!!! you have literally made my day (: (: (:
yours came out looking perfect; the last time I attempted making these mine came out kind of yellowish, but they still tasted yummy.
and a happy belated birthday to Kaweah, who is the most adorable pup in the world <3
December 15th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I’ve been hoping to learn certain Chinese dishes in 2012, and my little family loves Dim Sum in particular, so this is going to be first on my roster! Thanks for posting such a specific and detailed recipe – I firmly believe I can make these!
December 15th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
LOVE me some bao, but way too scared to make them myself! With your step by step instructions I think I may be able to make them!
December 15th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
so much beautiful food, so little time…..;)
You are a trooper on that dough. It’s so easy to just say, “To heck with it!” and exit the scene.
Now, when do I find the time to make these, and how quickly can I fetch all the necessary items before that sleigh pulls in? Do I share? Or should I keep this item all to myself? Ho, Ho, Ho…
December 15th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
bao-chickawowow
December 15th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Yum! I need to make this some time. The filling looks especially good. Love the pictures of the pleating being done on the buns.
December 15th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Everytime I visit your blog I start really craving Asian food. You are so good at it!
These pork buns look outstanding.
December 15th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Oh and PS, forgot to mention that I love Savory Spice Shop! I’ve ordered their black cocoa a couple of times, to be delivered to Australia. They’re such fantastic, friendly people.
December 15th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
First I love Savory Spice Shop; I shop at their store in Littleton and it’s fun all the way around, the charm of a main street shopping environment is perfect for the charm in their shop.
Second, do you know Rachael at lafujimama.com – she has often extolled the virtue of her homemade pork buns, she might be a good resource for you. I’ve only bought them at the HMart and I’m betting that even with the dough you did not like that yours were far superior. The fillings are almost non-existant in theirs…so I’m ready to try my own now. I think.
December 15th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Golly! Great post, thank you so much for an accessible approach to homemade pork buns! I read other recipes all the time and the unusual ingredients, even with access to Asian markets here in town, overwhelm me. I adore pork buns — I can’t wait to try this! I’m sticking it to Pinterest if you dont mind — so I can find it quickly!
December 15th, 2011 at 7:24 pm
why you gotta do this to me… now I need to satisfy my craving!
December 16th, 2011 at 2:16 am
Hi Jen! I LOVE char siu bao. My aunt is the absolute best at making these types of dishes. Sure, I might be a little biased but the woman’s a master. Per her suggestion, try using whole milk as the liquid component of the dough. Maybe it will help with the unsatisfactory dough? She says it adds the necessary fat and flavor to make char siu bao great.
December 16th, 2011 at 2:59 am
I love all forms of char sui bao but I generally like the baked versions more but the steamed ones are the ones we make at home so it has a real nostalgic feel towards them.
December 16th, 2011 at 7:38 am
I’m not sure that I can properly convey how excited I am to see this recipe on your blog. I’ve had char sui bao on my list of things to try making for a long time – this will get my ass in gear.
December 16th, 2011 at 8:00 am
I love the Savory Spice Shop! Took your advice and went there when we were in Boulder maybe a year and half ago. Since I’m from another state and came with a shopping list a mile long, they were a little curious how I found out about them. I mentioned that I read about the shop on a blog written by a girl who lives near Boulder. A man who worked there said, “Wow, you must be talking about Jen! We’ll thank her for sending you.” That’s when I had to confess that I had never even met you nor talked to you. I just read happened onto your blog after an Internet search of Boulder blogs several years ago following a nice vacation in that area. Boulder instantly earned a place a in my heart after my first trip out there, and the Savory Spice Shop is just another excuse to visit. Thanks for the great lead.
December 16th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Hi Jen
i love these buns so much, do you have any suggestions for a vegetarian option over the pork?
December 16th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
At a much younger age than I am now, I lived in Sapporo, Japan. The most enjoyable time of employment was whes I worked in Susukino (Sapporo’s Entertainment District) as a cook. Many a night, when I was heading home at about 2:00 A.M., I would stop by a shop that sold this particular type of steamed bun. Thanks for bringing back an altogether enjoyable flood of memories. I will be trying these very soon.
December 16th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Your char siu bao are beautiful! I’d love to make this soon – it’s one of my favorite dim sum dishes.
December 16th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
I have a whole freezer full of pork and I have never made char siu! How is that possible?
I am so making these next week. Thank you for posting!
December 16th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Any way to make these without one of those fancy steamers?
December 17th, 2011 at 12:09 am
Jen, wish I could have these right now, they look incredible!
December 17th, 2011 at 12:26 am
Char siu bao! I love this classic dim sum dish. I could never get enough of it when I was a kid. I still can’t! =) The second dough looks a lot better, smoother, and fluffier. I’m glad you found a better dough recipe. An inferior bao will ruin the char siu bao experience for me. I’m a picky bao eater. =)
December 17th, 2011 at 3:02 am
Oh my char siu, what more needs to be said? Any left?
The second dough look fantastic.
December 17th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Geek talk made me laugh out loud. I gotta to try these. Thanks for posting these Chinese dishes, your site is quickly became my go to for Asian recipe because based your writing, I think you have a refined palate.
December 17th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Looks delicious.
December 18th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Wow,,,,I am Chinese, it looks so authentic to me.
December 20th, 2011 at 10:36 am
OMG, your pleats are soooo beautiful and what’s better than pork? that’s right, nothing.
December 22nd, 2011 at 3:17 am
I wanted to make some char siu bao (but baked, since I don’t have a steamer) so I tried the filling recipe you used here. I was a bit skeptical about the use of ketchup, and I didn’t have the sherry or dark soy sauce (used some kecap manis instead) but omg it is delicious. :D Thanks for sharing!
December 29th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Kitt – thanks! :) Hope P is feeling better.
BigFatBaker – they’re quite doable, just set aside a day :)
Gudrun – I hope you guys liked them!
ARC – I personally find these easier to make than Chinese dumplings, but they are time-consuming. Helps to make the pork ahead of time, I think.
Virginia – thanks! I think they can look yellow if the filling gets mushed up with the dough? I had to wipe my fingertips a lot during the pleating because they kept getting into the filling.
Cheryl – oh girl, you will totally OWN these!
Margie – make 2 batches, that way it’s not as hard to share with others ;)
nichole – ha!!!
Y – thanks, sweetie! And yes, Savory is a GREAT shop and wonderful people!
Nisrine – ha ha! I think I just crave it so much that I’m sick of waiting for a proper restaurant to make it! :)
Barbara – yes, I think in making our own WE can control how much filling goes into a bun (a lot!!) :)
Sophie – thank you!
Andrew – ;)
Elle – hrmmm, thanks for the tip. I generally don’t have milk around the house since I’m lactose intolerant. But I really do feel the second dough recipe I used was spot on! :)
Bing Chou – it’s been on my list forever too. So happy I’ve finally made them because they really aren’t that hard!
Miss B – that’s so great to hear! You probably spoke with Dan, who is the owner and a wonderful wonderful fellow.
melanie – You could try tofu?
Carl – mmmm, that sounds so awesome.
Laura – if you have a steam rack or steamer insert, that might work?
keiko – awww, you’re so sweet. I’m sure if you made them they’d look like works of art :)
Sharon – ha ha! I guess I’m picky too!
Beans – thanks.
Michelle – yeah, I wasn’t sure about the ketchup either, but it’s great!
December 30th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
[…] was looking through food blogs the other day and my sister was with me. She saw this recipe for Chinese Pork Buns and immediately said, “Hey let’s make those!” I thought it […]
January 4th, 2012 at 4:05 am
Char siew boas are so popular in Singapore! These look so good, thanks for the step by step instructions!
January 10th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
You have become my go to for Chinese recipes and I have been secretly waiting for you to post a recipe for this because they are my favorite! They came out perfect and just like I remember at the dim sum restaurant I used to go to with my family. Do you have a recipe for those little sesame coated balls with bean paste in the middle, too???
January 11th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Zach – thanks! I don’t have a recipe for the sesame balls. I know exactly what you’re talking about. Maybe later? :)
January 16th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
After much deliberation, I decided to try this recipe. It was DELICIOUS! Definitely one for the books. Although, one issue i had was that my bao ended up more like an open face bao. I just could get it to close right. =/ its all because of my lack of experience. Hopefully a few more trys will yield better results. Thanks for the recipe!
February 8th, 2012 at 5:10 am
[…] Siu Bao (adapted from Use Real Butter) Yield: 24 […]
March 19th, 2012 at 2:34 am
I tried this last night with my own take on the fillings, and can say that the buns were absolutely spot on. Went down very well with everyone :) Thanks so much!
March 26th, 2012 at 6:52 am
Your bao pleating technique is great! Neat and pretty ^-^
May 8th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Made these tonight….the dough is wonderfully manageable. My 6 year old and I made about a dozen of these….not as artfully as you, but not bad. And they were delicious!
I made the remaining dough into a dozen burger buns ( brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds, 350 for about 25 mins) for tomorrow night’s dinner, and they look pretty great, too!
Thank you for doing the grunt work of trying different doughs for us. Much appreciated!
August 7th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Any substitute for shortening suggested?
August 7th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
TV – lard?
October 6th, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii,
Do you use active dry yeast or instant? My first try was too yeasty. :( Just made the filling tonight so I have time to perfect it like you did!
Thank you Jen.
October 7th, 2012 at 5:39 am
LCI – I used active dry yeast. It *is* a yeasty dough, but shouldn’t be that bad. Good luck!
October 8th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Hi, I am a chef and I do not recommend using 1 tablespoon of baking soda. That much will make your buns yellow and unbearably baking-soda-ey. Baking soda is slightly toxic and very high in sodium. Eating too much will neutralize all your stomach acid. For such a small dough, 1 tablespoon is too much!
October 8th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Ummm….I read the recipe wrong. Hahaha, baking soda isn’t even an ingredient. Hopefully no one else will read that incorrectly.
October 16th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
i have made these 2 times and they are delicious but i have a problem with the dough. I live in guadeloupe a french island and we can’t find cups anywhere so i convert the measures in grams and mL so i’m not really sure but is the dough supposed to be dry or a little sticky when handling it?
October 16th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
priscillya – it should be silky and just slightly sticky. I hope that helps!
November 20th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
I love BBQ Pork Buns, but if I wanted to bake these instead of steam them what would you recommend? Thanks!
November 21st, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Bernadette – I think the recipe for baking BBQ pork buns is different from this one. I’d just try googling for baked chinese bbq pork buns and see what comes up. You can still use this filling as opposed to some other (it’s really good!), but I think the dough will be different.
December 17th, 2012 at 10:31 pm
OMG! These turned out amazing! And it was my first time. My Chinese sister-in-law said they were wonderful .
I’m going to make them for Christmas.
December 17th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
P.s. I used a vegetable steamer in the bottom of a stock pot, and put each bao in a cupcake paper. I put a splash of white vinegar in the steaming water because I heard that helps keep them white. They were incredible !
December 17th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Pss… I used butter for the shortening without difficulty.
With regards to baking, I found this
http://jojokaya.hubpages.com/hub/Chinese-Baked-Barbecued-Pork-Buns-Recipe
I would still use your filling!
December 26th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Steamed pork buns are one of my all time favorite foods – my dad and I used to have them together all the time. I’d love to surprise him with these one day!
January 26th, 2013 at 5:35 pm
thank you!! my husband & i just made these & they were awesome! thanks so much for the recipe & for helpful tips.
January 30th, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Hi Jenyu, they look amazing. Do you think it will be ok if I leave the dough to rise overnight in the fridge?
January 31st, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Lee – I bet you can try it. Haven’t done it myself, but it will likely develop better flavor with a slow rise.
February 7th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is all about favourite foods from childhood. I do hope you link this lovely one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links. Have a great week.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:43 am
this look absolutely amazing… i will definitely try making it myself :)
xxx
February 11th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
[…] eater. For those interested in re-creating the classic filling at home, may I suggest you visit Use Real Butter. But for those who just want cutting edge snack knowledge, read […]
February 16th, 2013 at 6:53 pm
I get so inspired to cook & bake when I visit your blog! Am gonna try there char sui baos! Do you use all purpose flour for the buns?
February 16th, 2013 at 6:59 pm
sharon – Thank you, you’re very kind :) Yes, I use all-purpose organic flour. Worked great!
February 21st, 2013 at 12:52 pm
Lovely recipe! I used butter instead of shortening (this is what I think turned them a bit yellow-ish) and hoisin sauce instead of ketchup and they were delicious :D
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
March 21st, 2013 at 5:22 pm
[…] are friends. I’ll also make a dipping sauce for the dumplings. YUM. I’m using this recipe as a guide because I’ve used her potsticker recipe and a couple of others before. I enjoy the […]
March 28th, 2013 at 2:47 pm
Wow, these look amazing! I too am a lover of Chinese BBQ pork buns. I used to live in San Diego and hit up the Ranch 99 often! I will be making these and soon! Thanks so much for the recipe :)
PS What kind of pork do you use? it says char shiu but I’m not sure if you mean you buy it like this from the store already marinated? Thanks
March 28th, 2013 at 8:42 pm
Shannon – I use the recipe in the link (char siu in the recipe is linked to the one I used which is a separate post).
May 14th, 2013 at 7:13 am
[…] the recipe I used came from a blog called use real butter (a sentiment I can totally get behind). I realise that this type of bun is so popular that there […]
October 14th, 2013 at 7:26 pm
Hi…
I am happy to find this website. What type of shortening did u use? Lard?Crisco?
Thank you.
October 21st, 2013 at 10:28 am
Emilia – I think I used shortening, but if I could have found lard easily, I would have used that.
December 5th, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Thanks for this recipe I am doing a project in AP, and I need a Chinese dish because I am doing China. So thanks again!
P.S. I will make sure to site this as a source :)
Cheers,
Evan
December 26th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
[…] For complete recipe visit Use Real Butter […]
January 12th, 2014 at 2:53 pm
It’s been a little over two years since you first posted this recipe, but I just recently discovered your blog and made these pork buns. They are incredible! Thank you so much for sharing your process and your photos. I can’t wait to bring these to a party. :)
February 12th, 2014 at 4:17 pm
[…] Recipe from Use Real Butter […]
July 1st, 2014 at 12:52 am
Hi, Jennifer, the filling looks really tasty. I love the last photo shot, very elegant! Good job.
January 29th, 2015 at 8:39 am
[…] a taste of Hong Kong, check out Jen’s Char Siu Bau recipe on her blog Use Real Butter. Dai ga sik fan – everyone, let’s […]
March 24th, 2015 at 12:17 am
[…] just didn’t want to improvise and screw it up. I read several of them and decided to go with this one – I followed it as closely as […]
September 26th, 2018 at 2:16 am
I gave it I try and it tasted so good my friends love it! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
January 25th, 2020 at 4:30 pm
My family and I JUST made these and want to say THANK YOU! This was the perfect recipe for me, as I have most of the ingredients on hand and found the instructions very clear and helpful. Wish I could show you a picture!
February 24th, 2020 at 10:06 am
I can’t wait to try this can I copy it? Have you made a cookbook, if so how can I buy a copy. I have made a lot of your recipes over the years and love them Thank You Sherry
February 24th, 2020 at 11:14 am
Sherry – You may! Although there is also a [print recipe] link under the recipe title so you can download a PDF version of the recipe. I don’t plan on writing a cookbook. xo
April 22nd, 2020 at 8:28 am
what kind of flour did you use to make the dough?
April 22nd, 2020 at 8:37 am
karina – I used AP flour, but bread flour should work, too.