There many different types of steam buns. Some are filled with bbq pork, chicken, veggies, or even sweet-filled. The Vietnamese variation of this snack typically showcases a ground pork mixture, Chinese sausage, and a piece of hardboiled egg (or whole quail egg). I made this batch to give to a friend as a thank you gift, these little buns bring back so many memories for me as they were always a favorite growing up.
You can absolutely make this dough from scratch (which I have in the past and usually would do) but I wanted to test out a flour mix packet to compare results. You can find packages of bánh bao flour mix at your local Asian market or here. This packaged flour mix offers all the dry ingredients needed, and comes pre measured in one easy baggy.
Like most dough, it is important to give it time to rest in a warm place. We live in Southern California so I usually can leave the covered bowl anywhere in the kitchen to rest, but when I lived in Washington, I found places like the laundry room with a dryer going was an extremely suitable climate.
In a traditional filling, there is a mixture of ground pork, shallots, wood ear mushrooms, and bean thread noodles. I kept my filling a bit more simple. I used red onions (because that’s what I had on hand) and did not use noodles or mushrooms. For me, I don’t really find the noodles to be a significant part of the filling or dish so I omit them. For the mushrooms, I rather do enjoy; however, Scott insists that he’s “allergic” so I went without.
Chinese sausage is a dried sausage (typically pork) that is fatty and sweet. It is my favorite bite in these steamed buns. The best part about making these as home is you can add more sausage if you like! Sometimes in store bought buns people add peas and carrots; I prefer mine without these, and prefer extra sausage instead.
I steam them in the same metal steamer I used in my bánh bèo post. These metal steamers are inexpensive and are extremely versatile. Just make sure you get one that is heavy duty metal – I’ve purchased one before that was an aluminum material and it began to leak after a few uses. Not ideal when you’re steaming with a pot full of boiling water.
These taste amazing fresh out of the steamer, with a dollop of Siracha. If you are not eating them right away (or giving them away to your friends) wraps these buns up tight in plastic wrap and they can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don’t forget to peel off the parchment paper off the bottom before digging in!
- Dough::
- 1 bag steamed bun flour
- 1 cup milk
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pork Filling:
- ¾ pound ground pork
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 Chinese sausages (lạp xưởng), sliced thinly
- 5 boiled eggs, each cut into 4 pieces
- To Steam:
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 20 cupcake liners or 20 pieces parchment paper cut into small circles
- In a large bowl, pour in the bag of flower mixture. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and all but 2 tablespoons of the milk. Keep 2 tablespoons of the milk on the side only to add if the dough appears too dry. Mix well with a wooden spoon until combine, making sure to add more of the reserved milk if needed.
- Dump the contents out on a lightly floured surface. and begin to knead the dough.
- Knead for 5 minutes, dough should be soft and should not stick to your hands. Add oil and knead for an additional minute.
- Cover the dough with a damp towel and leave in a dry place to rest for 2 hours.
- After the dough has rested, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, about ¼ inch thick. Using a knife, cut the dough in half horizontally, the portion out 20 pieces.
- Roll the pieces out into 20 balls, keeping a damp towel over balls to keep dough from drying up.
- Mix all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the filling into 20 balls, set aside. Slice Chinese Sausage and cut up hard boiled eggs into quarters and place aside. Create an assembly line next to your dough roll-out station that includes the pork mixture, sausage, and hard boiled eggs.
- To prepare each bun, take one ball of dough and with a rolling pin, roll the dough to make a circle about 5 inches in diameter. While holding the flattened circle of dough, arrange the pork filling ball, sausage, and egg.
- Fold edges of dough over the filling with your thumb and index finger and start folding it into layers while using the other hand's thumb push down the filling. This will create a pleat commonly associated with steamed buns. Finally, twist all of the layers to make it stick together. Place completed bun on a piece of circle paper. Repeat until all the buns are filled and sealed, making sure to cover the completed doughs with a damp towel to prevent drying until ready to steam..
- in a large steamer, fill with water to no higher than an inch below the lowest steaming tray. Add the vinegar to the water to keep the buns looking white. Once boiling, add the buns (the paper circles keep them from sticking to the trays).
- Steam buns for 20 minutes. They will look light and puffy, and are ready to eat!
- If not eating immediately, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
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