Baozi (包子) — steamed buns with various fillings — are one of the most widespread and beloved preparations in Chinese cooking, appearing in every region in vastly different forms. The northern Chinese baozi (associated with Shandong and Tianjin's famed Goubuli baozi) tends to be larger, with a thick yeasted wrapper and a substantial filling; the Cantonese cha siu bao uses a softer, slightly sweet dough and is served as dim sum; the Shanghainese sheng jian bao uses the same filling as xiao long bao but is pan-fried. All share the basic structure: a yeasted dough wrapper pleated and sealed around a filling, then steamed.
The dough: 500g plain flour, 7g instant yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 270-290ml warm water, 2 tbsp neutral oil. Mix, knead 10 minutes until smooth. Rest 1 hour until doubled. Knock back. Knead briefly. Northern pork filling: 400g minced pork (20-30% fat), 2 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp dark soy, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp ginger juice, 3 scallions finely chopped. Add 3 tbsp of chicken stock gradually to the filling — this creates a juicier filling by allowing the proteins to absorb the liquid before steaming. The pleating: Divide dough into 50g pieces. Roll into circles (10cm). Place 2 tbsp filling in the center. Gather the dough around the filling with 18-20 pleats, twisting firmly to seal. Steaming: Place on parchment squares. Rest 15-20 minutes after shaping (second rise). Steam over boiling water 15 minutes.
Insufficient second rise: Baozi must have a second rise after shaping and before steaming. Without this, the bun collapses and shrinks during steaming. Under-steaming: At 15 minutes the filling is barely cooked through. The minimum steam time is 12 minutes for small baozi, 15-18 for large.
Fuchsia Dunlop, Every Grain of Rice (2012); Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking (2009)