Baozi (包子) — Steamed Filled Bun: Northern and Southern Traditions

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 500 g plain flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 270–290 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• For the northern pork filling
• 400 g minced pork, 20–30% fat
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp ginger juice, freshly pressed
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp chicken stock, added gradually
• To steam
• 8–10 squares parchment paper, cut to fit each bun

Method

1. 1
   Combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the neutral oil and 270 ml of the warm water. Mix to a rough dough, then add the remaining water by the tablespoon as needed. Knead on an unfloured surface for 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth, no longer sticky, and springs back slowly when pressed with a finger.
2. 2
   Shape the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl, and cover. Rest at room temperature for 1 hour. The dough is ready when it has doubled in volume and a finger pressed into the centre leaves a clean indentation that does not spring back.
3. 3
   While the dough proves, make the filling. Combine the minced pork with both soy sauces, the Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, ginger juice, and scallions. Add the chicken stock 1 tablespoon at a time, working each addition into the meat until fully absorbed before adding the next. The filling is ready when it holds together in a cohesive, slightly glossy mass that does not weep liquid.
4. 4
   Knock back the proved dough and knead briefly until smooth. Divide into pieces of 50 g each and roll each piece into a circle approximately 10 cm in diameter — the edges thinner than the centre.
5. 5
   Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the centre of each circle. This is where the dish lives or dies: gather the dough up around the filling and work 18–20 tight, even pleats around the rim, twisting and pinching the gathered folds firmly at the crown to seal without gaps. A loose or sparsely pleated seal will open during steaming and allow the filling to collapse outward.
6. 6
   Set each bun on a square of parchment and arrange in a steamer basket with room to expand. Cover and rest for 15–20 minutes. The buns are ready to steam when they are visibly puffed and feel light and airy — not dense — when gently lifted.
7. 7
   Bring the water in the steamer base to a full boil before loading the basket. Steam over vigorous boiling water for 15–18 minutes with the lid on. Do not lift the lid during steaming. The buns are done when the skin is smooth, matte, and dry to a light touch, with no raw-dough sheen remaining.