Cantonese Cha Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun) — Baked and Steamed

Ingredients

• For the char siu filling
• 300 g char siu (BBQ pork), cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• For the baked bao dough
• 300 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 30 g lard
• 2 eggs, 1 for dough, 1 beaten for egg wash
• 60 g sugar
• 60 ml water, lukewarm
• For the steamed bao dough
• 300 g plain flour, low-protein or cake flour preferred for whiteness
• 7 g instant yeast
• 40 g sugar
• 160 ml water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp baking powder, added at second knead

Method

1. 1
   Make the filling. Combine the char siu pieces with the oyster sauce and honey in a small pan over medium heat. Stir until the glaze coats the pork and thickens to a consistency that just clings — the filling should read as savoury-sweet, not candy-like. Spread on a tray and cool completely before using.
2. 2
   Make the baked bao dough. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Rub in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sugar, one beaten egg, and lukewarm water; bring together into a smooth, pliable dough. Rest, covered, for 20 minutes. The dough should feel soft and yielding, not sticky.
3. 3
   Divide the baked dough into 6 equal portions. Flatten each into a round, place a portion of filling at the centre, and gather the edges upward, pinching firmly to seal. Place sealed-side down on a lined baking tray. Score three lines across the top of each bao with a sharp blade. Brush once with beaten egg wash. The scoring is the structural decision that allows the top to bloom open during baking — this is where the baked bao lives or dies.
4. 4
   Apply a second coat of egg wash over the scored tops. Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 18–22 minutes. The bao is ready when the top has split open into a petal pattern and is a deep, even golden-brown — the split should gape cleanly, not tear unevenly.
5. 5
   Make the steamed bao dough. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in lukewarm water and allow to activate for 5 minutes. Add to the flour and bring together into a smooth dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until the surface is entirely smooth. Cover and prove until doubled in size. Punch down, knead in the baking powder, then divide into 6 portions. Shape each around a portion of filling, sealing the base tightly, and set on small squares of parchment paper. Prove a second time until visibly puffed and light — a finger pressed gently into the side should spring back slowly. A flat bao at this stage is an under-proved bao.
6. 6
   Place the proved steamed bao in a cold steamer. Bring to maximum heat and steam on the highest possible heat for 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid. The bao is done when it has expanded, the surface is smooth and matte, and the dough feels set — not tacky — when a fingertip grazes the side.