Steaming Soft Pork Buns: A Beginner's Guide To Cooking

Steamed pork buns are a delicious Chinese dish that can be enjoyed as a snack or a meal. They are made with a soft and fluffy dough that is filled with a juicy and tender pork filling. The process of making steamed pork buns may seem intimidating, but with the right ingredients and techniques, you can create delicious buns at home. Here's an introduction to the topic of how to cook pork steamed buns, including the ingredients, preparation methods, and cooking process.

Preparing the dough

Firstly, activate the yeast by mixing active dry yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water in a small bowl. Set this aside for 10-15 minutes until it becomes foamy. This step is crucial as it ensures the yeast is active and will help the dough rise.

Next, in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour, cornflour/cornstarch, and sugar. Mix briefly to combine the dry ingredients. Then, add the yeast mixture, oil, and remaining warm water. If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed for about 3 minutes until a smooth ball of dough forms. If kneading by hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, this should take around 15 minutes. The dough should be soft, not sticky, and easy to work with. If the dough is too sticky, adjust by adding a small amount of flour. Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add a little water.

Once the dough is mixed, cover the bowl with cling film or a damp kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about an hour to proof. During this time, the dough will rise as the yeast becomes active.

After proofing, remove the cling film and sprinkle the dough with baking powder. Return the dough to the stand mixer and mix on low for 2 minutes, or knead by hand for a couple of minutes to get rid of any air pockets.

Finally, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and divide it into equal pieces, usually between 12 and 20, depending on your desired bun size. Each piece will be rolled out and filled to create the steamed pork buns.

Making the filling

For the rest of the filling, you'll need to cook some ingredients first. Preheat a wok or cast-iron pan until it starts to smoke lightly, then add in oil, along with minced ginger and diced onion. Cook over medium heat until the onions soften. You can also add scallions, garlic, or Chinese chives for extra flavor.

Next, add in the ground pork and turn up the heat. Cook until the pork turns pale and opaque; there is no need to brown or crisp the meat.

Now it's time to add the sauces and seasonings. You can use a combination of wine, dark soy sauce, sweet bean sauce, ground bean sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil. Stir everything together until well combined. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Cook for a couple of more minutes to cook off any remaining liquid. Then, stir in a cornstarch and water mixture, allowing everything to bubble together for 30 seconds to a minute. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool uncovered.

Once the filling has cooled, you can mix in some chopped scallions or Chinese chives. And that's it! Your filling is now ready to be wrapped in the dough and steamed.

Shaping the buns

First, roll out the dough into pretty thin rounds, making the edges thinner to avoid ending up with a thick wad of dough when you pinch it together. The goal is to create a round circle with a thinner edge and a thicker centre, with a difference in thickness of about 1:2. You can use a rolling pin to roll from the edge towards the centre without flattening the middle of the dough.

Next, place the dough round in the palm of your hand and add the filling (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) in the centre.

Now, it's time to start pleating. Pinch the dough and create pleats around the edges, gathering them together as you go. You can pinch and twist the dough about eight times to form the pleats and seal the bun at the top.

If pleating seems too challenging, you can simply pinch the edges of the dough around the filling and seal it tightly. Then, turn the bun over so that the seam side is down and the smooth side is up, creating a perfect-looking bun without the pleats.

Finally, place the shaped buns on a small piece of parchment paper and put them directly onto your steaming rack. Repeat this process until you've assembled all the buns.

Pleating and sealing the buns

Now for the fun part! Pleating and sealing the buns is an art, and while it takes some practice, it's not as hard as it looks. The key is to make sure your hands are completely dry and that you avoid getting any of the liquid filling on your hands or the outside of the dough near the point of closure. This will make it almost impossible to seal the buns.

Here's a step-by-step guide to pleating and sealing your pork steamed buns:

• Roll out the dough: Take a piece of dough and roll it out into a thin round, making the edges thinner than the centre. This ensures that you don't end up with a thick wad of dough when you pinch it together.
• Place the filling: Put the dough round in the palm of your hand and spoon the desired amount of filling into the centre.
• Pinch and pleat: Using your fingers, pinch the dough around the edges and create pleats. You'll want to make around 8 pleats, gathering them together as you go.
• Seal the bun: Bring all the pleats together at the top and pinch to seal the bun. Give it a little twist to secure the seal.
• Repeat: Continue this process until you've used up all your dough and filling.

Remember, even if your pleats aren't perfect, your buns will still taste delicious! If you're short on time or don't want to attempt pleating, you can simply pinch the edges of the dough around the filling and seal it tightly. Then, just flip the bun over so that the seam side is down, and you'll have a perfect-looking bun without all the work!

Cooking and storing the buns

Once you have your dough and filling ready, it's time to assemble the buns. The goal is to create a thin edge and a thicker centre when rolling out the dough, so the edges can be pinched together to seal the bun. You can use the pleating technique, which takes some practice, or simply pinch and seal the edges tightly and turn the bun over.

Place the buns on a small piece of parchment paper, with at least 1 inch between each bun, and put them directly on your steaming rack. Cover and let the buns proof for another 15 minutes before steaming.

If using a bamboo steamer, brush the sides with oil as the buns may stick to the sides as they expand. The surface the buns sit on should be porous, not solid, to allow for aeration and prevent sogginess. Make sure the lid is tight so that steam doesn't escape.

Start with cold water and turn the heat to medium. Set a timer for 15 minutes once you see steam coming out from the sides. After turning off the heat, keep the lid on and let the buns rest for 5 minutes before uncovering. This step is crucial, as removing the lid too soon will cause the buns to collapse.

Once the buns are steamed and cooled completely, you can store them in an airtight container. They can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen.

To reheat, simply microwave the buns for 1 to 2 minutes, or re-steam them for 5 minutes. If reheating frozen buns, there is no need to thaw them first; just steam for 8 minutes.

Frequently asked questions