Name: Steamed Char Siu Bao Buns
Prep time: 5 h 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 6 h
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F; 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet); ¼ cup granulated sugar; 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter; 2 tsp baking powder; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; ½ tsp fine salt; 1 lb boneless pork shoulder, diced small; 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup hoisin sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp five-spice powder; 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water; 12 parchment squares, for steaming

Steamed Char Siu Bao Buns

Pillowy steamed buns pleated shut around a sticky hoisin-glazed pork filling — the dim sum cart, built at home.

Serves

Prep

45 min (plus 1.5 hour rise)

Cook

15 min

Written

August 5, 2026

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F

2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp fine salt

1 lb boneless pork shoulder, diced small

1 tsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup hoisin sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp five-spice powder

1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water

12 parchment squares, for steaming

Method

Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar together and let stand until foamy on top, about 5 minutes.

Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high and sear the pork until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.

Add the garlic, hoisin, soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, and five-spice, and simmer until the pork is glazed and the sauce has reduced to a syrup, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute, then let the filling cool completely.

Whisk the remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together, then stir in the yeast mixture and vegetable oil.

Knead by hand or with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, then cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces, rolling each into a ball.

Flatten each ball into a disc thicker in the center than at the edges, spoon in a heaping tablespoon of cooled filling, and pleat the edges closed at the top, twisting to seal.

Set each bun seal-side up on a parchment square, cover loosely, and let rise until visibly puffed, about 30 minutes.

Steam the buns in batches, spaced apart, over simmering (not boiling) water until the dough looks glossy and springs back when pressed, 12 to 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the buns sit under the lid for 2 minutes before uncovering, then serve hot.

Notes

Cutting the heat and waiting those two minutes is the step that gets skipped and the one that saves the buns — lift the lid straight off high steam and the sudden temperature drop wrinkles and collapses them before they’ve set.

Steamed, unfilled bao dough freezes well raw: shape, first rise, then freeze on a tray before filling, and thaw before the second rise. Leftover cooked buns reheat in the same steamer for 5 minutes, or the microwave under a damp paper towel — never the oven, which turns the crumb tough instead of pillowy.