Bao Zi (包子) Recipe
Adapted from May Lynn. Makes 10–12 bao.
Dough
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tsp active yeast
- ½ tsp baking powder
- A bit of salt
- //// 3/4 cup of water
- //// Some oil
Mix all the dry ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients while stirring. Dough should be soft and easy to work with. Form ball and knead until smooth. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes, longer is OK. When ready, split in 2 and roll out into a thin layer, then use a small bowl to cut each wrapper.
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Filling
1/2 pound of minced pork
3/4 of a regular cabbage (optional: soak in salt for 20 minutes to draw out water)
A few stocks of scallions
Salt, White pepper, black pepper, szechuan peppercorn
Sesame oil, soy sauce
Maybe an egg to bind everything
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Finishing Up
After bao’ing the buns, let them rest for 30 minutes so the dough can puff up more. Steam on high heat for 18 minutes. After shutting off the heat, keep the lid closed for 5 minutes so dough doesn’t get saggy.