BAO Dough Recipe

August 22, 2022

Did bao buns start as a military strategy in the 3rd century?!

Story time: Zhuge Liang in the now Sichuan province in China was faced with a dilemma. He had hundreds of soldiers to get across a river to defeat their enemy, but the river was guarded by a Deity. The Deity refused Zhuge and his army a safe passage, unless Zhuge gave a sacrifice of 50 men in the river for him. The army could not endure with less personnel. Zhuge ordered 50 bao buns to be made in the likeness of human heads. The Deity was deceived and safe passage was granted. The buns were given the name “Mantou” (barbarian’s heads) to commemorate the military victory.

Today, “mantou” is the name of buns with no filling, and “bao” buns are filled with a variety of meats, vegetables, and/or egg. Bao varies from one location to another, notably: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, and (of course) American adaptations. Hong Kong bao uses rice flour rather than wheat and is known for the sweet barbeque pork filling. Taiwan bao is an on-the-go meal–a larger version of the original Chinese bao–and usually filled with crab, beef, or sweet potato. Shanghai bao is typically served as soup dumplings, and are more like dough balls with a gelatine filling.

 

Have you ever made Bao buns? It’s your chance!

 

Bao Dough Recipe

  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 8 mins
  • Total: 28 mins
  • Servings: 12 buns

 

Ingredients:

  • ⅔ cup warm water
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1¼ cups bread flour, plus more for if needed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

 

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, yeast and sugar until the yeast dissolves. Let the mixture sit until the yeast starts to get foamy and bloom, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the oil and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, sift the bread flour, salt and baking soda together. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula. If the dough looks sticky, add 1 additional tablespoon of flour at a time until it is less sticky.
  3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours. Punch the dough down to flatten it.
  4. Portion the dough into balls that are 2 inches in diameter and let rest for 5 minutes. Flatten each ball into a disk 3 inches in diameter.
  5. Fill the buns with your filling of choice and wrap by gathering the edge and twisting slightly. Cover with a damp kitchen towel to keep the bao from drying out.
  6. Place the buns in a steam basket lined with parchment paper and steam until the buns have expanded, 7 to 9 minutes. Serve.

 

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