Making homemade baozi is actually quite easy and simple, it just takes a little time to let your yeast dough to rise, and you're ready to roll. Pleat, fill, steam, and enjoy!

EQUIPMENT:

Bamboo Steamers

INGREDIENTS:

For Bao Dough:

• 1 cup water

• 2 teaspoons (6g) yeast

• 2 1/2 cups (381) bread flour

• 1/2 cup (78g) corn starch

• 5 tbsp (70g) sugar

• 2 teaspoons (12g) fine sea salt

• 2 tablespoons (28g) pork fat or butter

For BBQ Pork (Char Siu) Filling:

• 2cups (320g) char siu

• 2tbsp (30ml) cooking oil

• 2 shallots, finely diced

• 2 tablespoons (30ml) oyster sauce

• 1.5 tablespoons (22ml) soy sauce

• 2 teaspoon (8g) sugar

• 1/2 cup (118ml) water

• 2 tbsp (19g) flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

Bread Dough

1. Mix yeast in water that is warmed up between 98 F or 36 c. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. In a stand mixer bowl, add the bread flour, cornstarch, sugar, and sea salt. Whisk together at first to incorporate all ingredients then add yeast and water mixture in the bowl gradually.

3. If needed or too dry, add 1 tbsp of water but not too much. Add 2 tbsp or 28 g of softened unsalted butter or softened pork fat.

4. Mix 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and looks cohesive, gently shape dough into a ball. In a greased bowl, put inside, damp towel, let rise for 1.5 hr or 2.5 times its size.

Char Siu Filling

1. Cut charsiu into small pieces.

2. In a medium saucepot, heat cooking in medium heat. Toss in shallots, then saute until translucent.

3. Add sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, water, flour and let it thicken until it looks like a glaze.

4. Fold in char siu. Remove from the sauce pot and let cool.

Shaping

1. Shape dough into a long log, 18 in long. Ideally you would get 12-14 pieces of dough.

2. Roll over the cut side. Do an 8 turn roll by rolling an eighth of the dough turning it, then rolling it again, leaving a thick center and a thin outside leaving a little bubble in the center for the filling. When rolled out with a rolling pin, the dough should be 4-5 inches in diameter.

3. Add enough filling so that there is a half inch border around the whole bao.

4. Pleat by pinching the dough then pressing it on the pinched edge repeatedly until the bao closes.

5. Cut 3.5 in squares of parch paper. Put them below the bao so that they do not stick in steamer basket while cooking.

6. Steamer basket setup: 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Place steamer basket on top of the pot of boiling water without having the basket touch the water. 12 mins.