The first time I had Bao (in the form of Gua Bao - or Pork Belly Bao) at a restaurant, made me totally fall in love with them. Soft, fluffy and stuffed full of all my favourite things. I make them pretty often now, as a weekend treat, and the kids love to take in leftover bao for their packed lunches at school. I think they like having something a little unusual instead of boring old bread for sandwiches. They’re made from simple store cupboard ingredients and although they look a little tricky, I’ve broken down the recipe into easy steps below. This is a good one to get the kids involved too as they seem to love helping to knead the dough and watching it rise. Then once they have been steamed, I like to lay out a selection of fillings so we can make our own little mouthfuls of heaven, one is never enough. So cute, soft fluffy bao buns ready to be filled. I can’t decide which one I like the best, I love them all.
Korean ChickenSticky Pork BellyKatsu PorkSalt and Pepper Chicken topped with some Sweet Chilli SauceSticky Sesame Chicken
What would you put in yours?
I have a steam oven - can I make bao buns in that rather than a steam pan?
So long as it’s a full-steam oven (not a combi-steam), then yes. Place the mini buns on trays lined with baking parchment and steam for 8-10 minutes on 100C/210F full steam until puffed up.If your steam oven has a bread proving function, you can also use this function to prove the buns too. This will take 30 minutes for the first prove and 20 minutes for the second prove. Stay updated with new recipes!Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos). Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
