Chinese-style pork buns are a delicious, filling food that’s easier to make than one might expect. The soft, sweet outer dough perfectly complements the juicy, savory meat filling. If you want to make a vegetarian version, we also have a recipe for Steamed Peanut and Carrot Buns. If you want to have both, make a half recipe of each filling and use a single batch of the dough.
On the Ingredients
- Oyster sauce is an Asian sauce made from cooking down oysters. It is commonly used in savory dishes from China and Southeast Asia. The flavor is sweet and salty, with a very mild fishiness.
Chinese-Style Steamed Pork Buns
24
servings20
minutes1
hour95
2
hours55
minutesChinese-style pork buns are a delicious, filling food that’s easier to make than one might expect. The soft, sweet outer dough perfectly complements the juicy, savory meat filling. If you want to make a vegetarian version, we also have a recipe for Steamed Peanut and Carrot Buns. If you want to have both, make a half recipe of each filling and use a single batch of the dough.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Dough
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp dry active yeast
1/4 cup sugar or 3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
4-6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Ingredients for Filling
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tsp sugar or 1 tsp monk fruit sweetener
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
1 tbsp fresh garlic (minced)
½ cup water
1 tbsp potato starch mixed w/ 1 tbsp water
1/2 cup scallions (minced)
Directions
- Whisk together the yeast, warm water, and sugar and let sit for 5 minutes. Combine the flour, salt, and yeast mixture together in a large bowl. Start with 4 cups of flour, stirring together with a wooden spoon. You’ll want a semi-stiff dough.
- Once your dough sticks together, transfer to a floured surface and knead until it’s springy and shiny. Transfer the dough to a clean mixing bowl coated with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling—heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, sautéing for about 30 seconds, stirring it to keep from burning. Add the pork, then season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and salt.
- Cook until no longer pink, stirring to break up the meat. Add the water and simmer for five minutes.
- Add the potato starch slurry to the mixture and cook until it thickens to a gravy, about 1-3 minutes. Add the scallions and remove it from heat.
- Punch down the dough and place it on a clean surface. Sprinkle the dough with the baking powder and knead for 5 minutes, then let it rest for another 5 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 24 equal portions and roll them into balls. Cover with a damp towel, so they don’t dry out while you form your buns.
- Set up your steamer and leave it to boil while you assemble the buns. Cut a stack of 4-inch parchment paper squares.
- Now work one bun at a time. Roll out each dough ball into a 5-inch circle. Put 2 tbsp of the pork filling in the center being careful not to get any oil on the edge, which will interfere with sealing. Pull up the edges of the dough and pinch them together to seal.
- Continue the process with each remaining bun. Place each bun on a parchment paper square and cover with a damp towel.
- Once the water under your steamer is boiling, load the baskets with buns. You should be able to fit 3-4 buns per basket, depending on the size. You want them to have a few inches between, as they will expand a little.
- Put the lid on and cook for 15 minutes until they are puffy. Serve hot or warm. These also freeze well after cooking and can be reheated in a microwave once thawed.
