It was Chinese New Year last weekend, and I was coincidentally craving something asian. I had toyed with bao a while back (unsuccessfully) and put some more work into researching the best method to get the right level of fluff and bounce. Besides, I realised I had big unfulfilled plans for my bamboo steamer. I had been slacking recently with my asian-inspired cuisine and it was getting too comfortable just sitting there occupying space.

Anyway, I was in a conversation with my Chinese friend where I was trying to convince her to come and try out my dish; and I said “I made bao buns”… which is what everyone calls them right? No. Apparently, you’ve been saying it all wrong if you’ve been calling them bao buns. Because she told me that Bao means buns in Chinese. So really, what you’ve been saying is buns buns… which if you’ve been following my recipes, you should know is very much on brand for the Nigerian in me (remember puff puff, chin chin, moi moi…. haha).

Anyway, I was super grateful for the detail I learnt and also quite happy with the outcome of the dish in all its iterations. The spicy pork belly filling is already a staple in my kitchen, and thankfully I finally have a trusted method for the buns. So you’re welcome in advance.

You know I’m all about the light, not too dense dishes. We gotta make room for dessert every time! So here’s my recipe for hot & fluffy bao with a spicy pork belly filling.

Prep Time: 90 mins (+ 2 hours meat marinade & dough rising time)

Cook Time: 60 mins

yield: 12 portions

Ingredients:

For the Bao:

3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried active yeast
1 cup warm water
2.5 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sunflower oil
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the spicy pork belly filling

1 kg pork belly slices (fat and skin trimmed off)
4 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
1 teaspoon paprika/ dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons sunflower oil

For the garnish/ to serve

sesame seeds
cucumber, thinly sliced
spring onions, thinly sliced
sriracha chilli sauce, as desired

Instructions:

Marinate the Pork Belly: Mix all the ingredients for the Pork Belly filling and store in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
Start the Bao dough: Mix the sugar, yeast and warm water and set aside until the mixture starts to froth and smell like bread. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of oil.
Mix just enough to combine, then on a floured surface or using a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead until you achieve a smooth, soft dough.
Turn the dough into a large oiled bowl, ensure the entire dough is coated in oil, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, roast the Pork Belly: Remove meat from marinade, lay flat on a wire rack atop an oven tray half filled with water. Roast in oven at 180 degrees celsius for 1 hour, turning the meat and basting with the marinade sauce at 20 minute intervals. Cover and keep warm.
After the dough has risen to double its size, punch the air out and on a floured surface, knead and flatten it out, gently sprinkling with the baking powder. Fold the dough over and knead until the baking powder is fully incorporated. Cover again and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll out each piece of dough into an oval shape, using flour to reduce stickiness as you handle.
Place each piece on a small piece of baking paper, brush one side with oil and fold gently in half using the paper, ensuring the oiled side is folded in (to be opened later for the filling).
Steam the Bao Dough: Place a large steamer in a larger pot/ pan over medium heat and steam the buns in batches for 8-10 minutes or until puffed and cooked through (you may test with one of the buns after the 8-minute mark). Be careful to place them separately as they can easily stick together.
Slice the pork belly pieces and once the buns are ready, open the oiled portion and place the pork, add cucumber and spring onions, a few drops of sriracha sauce and sprinkles of sesame seeds. Serve immediately
Enjoy!
See below for some photos of the process:
Did you try this recipe? Let us know in the comments or continue the conversation on Instagram, using the hashtag #goodlivingwithmae