Banh Bao Steamed Buns (Printable)

Soft Vietnamese steamed buns stuffed with seasoned pork, sausage, mushrooms, and boiled egg

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon instant yeast
04 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
05 - ¾ cup warm milk
06 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
07 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Filling

08 - 10 ½ ounces ground pork
09 - 2 Chinese sausages (lap xuong), thinly sliced
10 - 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and finely chopped
11 - 1 small onion, finely diced
12 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
13 - 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar
16 - ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
17 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
18 - 1 spring onion, chopped

# Steps:

01 - Mix flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in warm milk and vegetable oil. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
02 - Combine ground pork, Chinese sausage, shiitake mushrooms, onion, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and spring onion. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
03 - Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten into a 4-inch disc. Place filling and a quarter of hard-boiled egg in center. Gather edges and pinch to seal tightly.
04 - Place each bun on a parchment paper square. Let rest for 15 minutes while preparing steamer.
05 - Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through and fluffy. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of fluffy steamed dough and savory filling creates the most satisfying texture contrast
  • These freeze beautifully so you can meal prep breakfast for weeks in one afternoon
  • The aroma of Chinese sausage and mushrooms wafting through your kitchen is absolutely irresistible
02 -
  • Do not overfill the buns or they will burst during steaming
  • Make sure your steamer water is boiling before adding the buns
  • The vinegar trick in the steaming water actually works wonders for keeping the buns white
03 -
  • Let the filling rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using, the flavors meld together beautifully
  • Practicing the sealing technique with just dough first saves you from losing precious filling

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