Pillowy soft steamed buns filled with a sweet, savoury saucy pork filling. Homemade Chinese Pork Buns are truly just like the ones you swipe off the dim sum trolleys. These will blow your mind!
Sunday morning Yum Cha is almost a religious ritual here in Sydney. Large groups descend upon vast restaurants from mid morning, with steaming trolleys piled high with dumplings and buns rattling around the room. The familiar sound of bowls being banged onto tables, the bottomless Chinese tea, and the brisk, borderline rude service.
It’s all part of the experience. Polite service at Yum Cha is almost creepy. It’s just wrong. 😂
The trolley-chasing protocol differs from restaurant to restaurant, but I’m shameless. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And when I need pork buns, I will stalk trolley after trolley until I find it!
CHINESE STEAMED PORK BUNS
Homemade Pork Buns aren’t a quick and easy recipe but they are worth the effort because it will blow your mind how similar they are to Yum Cha / Dim Sum. Plus, if you’re addicted as I am to pork buns, you’ll save stacks because it’s probably 70 – 80% cheaper to make at home.
And they are the ultimate freezer standby. 1 minute in the microwave from frozen = pork buns that you’d swear just came out of a bamboo steamer.
HOW TO MAKE PORK BUNS
There are 4 main steps to making steamed pork buns.
1. THE FILLING
Made with Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu), chopped then coated in a simple sweet and savoury sauce. Use either store bought or homemade Char Siu. Full blown home made Char Siu requires at least 24 hours marinating time, so if time is of the essence, refer to the recipe notes for a quick homemade Char Siu.
2. DOUGH FOR PORK BUNS
Just like making any yeast bread or rolls, the dough is pretty standard and effortless if made using a stand mixer!
The dough is soft and elastic dough, very easy to work with. The recipe video is helpful to see the dough consistency.
3. STUFF ‘EM!
OK, so there’s no denying this is the part that takes some practice and I’m no Pork Bun Goddess. But it doesn’t matter. Even if you just bundle it up like a money bag and get that filling sealed inside, it’s still going to taste just as good!
The recipe video is the best way to learn how to wrap pork buns, but here’s a brief step by step description:
Roll out pretty thin rounds, making the edges thinner so you don’t end up with a huge thick wad of dough when you pinch it together;
Place it on your hand and top with Filling. Pinch the dough around the edges (#6 below) to make pleats – around 8 times;
Moving around the edge, gather together the pleats, bringing them together so you end up sealing the bun at the top (#7 and #8 below);
Pinch to seal and give it a good twist (#9).
Voila! You’re a Pork Bun Master!
4. Steam!
I use a bamboo steamer set over simmering water in a wok. Any steamer will do, but if you want the truly authentic pork bun experience, it’s worth getting a bamboo steamer because it imparts a subtle fragrance into the buns.
They aren’t expensive and you can find them at most Asian stores. Then you can make Chinese Steamed Fish, Shumai – Japanese Steamed Dumplings and Steamed Chinese Dumplings!
Nifty tip: How to make the paper liner for the bamboo steamer. Fold baking paper, line up with centre and trim off end (#1), then cut little diamonds along the edge (#2), unfold (#3) then plonk into your steamer!
ALL CREDIT TO WOKS OF LIFE
I want to be very clear about giving credit for this recipe because it is not an original recipe by me.
This is a recipe that was meticulously researched and created by Judy and Bill from Woks of Life – their Steamed BBQ Pork Buns. Really good people, excellent taste, exceptional cooks and a very high standard of quality. I trust their recipes completely.
Judy and Bill – we salute you!
It’s worth every minute of effort. Tastiness aside, everyone is always soooooo impressed by homemade Pork Buns.
Let’s be honest. The prospective praise seals the deal.😂 – Nagi x
MORE GREAT DUMPLINGS OF THE WORLD
- Potstickers (Chinese pan fried dumplings)
- Gyoza (Japanese dumplings)
- Shumai (Japanese steamed dumplings on my mother’s site, RecipeTin Japan!)
- Wontons
- Browse the Yum Cha recipe collection
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Chinese Steamed Pork Buns
Ingredients
Yeast Activation:
- 1 tsp active dry yeast powder
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml warm water
- 1 tbsp white sugar
Dough:
- 1/2 cup /125 ml warm water
- 4 tbsp /70g white sugar
- 2 cups / 300g plain flour (all purpose)
- 1 cup / 155g cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pork Filling:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup finely chopped escalot or white onion (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce , regular or light (not dark)
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (can sub Hoisin)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 cups Chinese Barbecue Pork , diced (Note 2)
Instructions
Dough:
- Yeast Activation: Place yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix, then set aside for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- Place flour, cornflour and sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Mix briefly to combine.
- Add yeast mixture, oil and water. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes until a smooth ball of dough forms. It should be soft and elastic, not so sticky it gets stuck all over your hands. Adjust with a touch of flour/water if required to get the dough consistency right.
- Cover with cling wrap and place in a warm dry place for 2 hours until it doubles in volume. (Note 3). Meanwhile, make Filling.
- Remove cling wrap, scatter over baking powder. Return to stand mixer and mix on low for 2 minutes.
- Turn dough out onto work surface, sprinkle with flour. Knead lightly to form a smooth round disc.
Making Buns (watch video):
- Cut dough into 4 pieces. Take one piece, roll into an even log, cut into 3 pieces (so 12 pieces in total).
- Take one piece of dough, cover remaining with cling wrap or tea towel.
- Roll into round 4.5″ / 11 cm in diameter, making the edges thinner.
- Place dough in hand, put 1 1/2 tbsp of Filling in the centre.
- Pinch 8 pleats around the edges. Then gather the pleats together one by one to seal the bun. Pinch the top the twist.
- Repeat with remaining dough – make 12 in total.
- Cover buns loosely with cling wrap and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Steaming:
- Line a large bamboo steamer (or other steamer) with parchment paper punctured with holes (Note 4).
- Place 6 to 8 buns on paper, cover with steamer lid.
- Pour about 4 cm / 1 1/2 inches in a wok / pot (steamer should not touch water) and bring to rapid simmer over medium high.
- Place steamer in wok, then cook for 12 minutes. Check water halfway through, top up if required.
- Buns are ready when they spring back when touched, and the buns have formed a smooth skin.
- Remove steamer from wok, serve warm!
Filling:
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eschalots and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and water. Mix.
- While stirring, slowly pour cornflour mixture in. Mix until smooth.
- Stir in pork. Cook until sauce is thickened, 1 – 1 1/2 minutes (see video for consistency). Set aside to cool (thickens when cools).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
MOVE! I can’t change the channel!
Where is the baking powder used ?
Can I use baking Soda instead of baking powder?
Nvm I found it.
Excellent recipe. Made on the weekend Sous vide char siu and with left over today the buns. Absolutely delicious. Will do more often now, thanks
Sounds divine Joerg!
Yum!!! I substituted pork mince (mixed with char siu sauce) for the bbq pork and added ginger and garlic to the filling. Dough was perfect! Excellent recipe and definitely worth the time it took to make! Hubby wants them every night.
Excellent recipe and easy to follow instructions. I used Hoisin sauce in place of oyster sauce, added a little garlic to the meat sauce and the family loved these. I’ve tried to make steam buns before but they’ve never turned out as well as this recipe did. Thanks Nagi!
That’s great to hear Patrick!
Oh, I hear you: I love pork buns!
A word about yeast though: the process of activating dried yeast is only needed for old-fashioned dried yeast (literally yeast that’s been dried). This recipe specifies active dried yeast powder, which is fair enough: that’s what’s routinely available nowadays…and the whole point of this is that it’s already active! The packaging often states that it should be added to the dry ingredients, not to water. Somehow lots of people haven’t realised and there are thousands of bread recipes with this unnecessary step included, but it REALLY is as simple as the name suggests: active yeast needs no activation! Just mix your dry ingredients, add your wet: ready to rock and roll.
Hi Jacob, yes you are correct, but it’s still good practice to make sure your yeast will work and is in date. – N x
Been looking for a perfect recipe for this for a long time and finally i get a really good. I only having a hard time wrapping it. Mine is too bulky and fluffy 🤣 Need to practice more.
Thank you Nagi ❤️
It definitely is a skill you need to practice Yolly, as long as they taste good though 😉
If I use rapid rise (instant) yeast, do I have to do the yeast activation step?
Hi Meldy, yes that’s the yeast I use here – N x
Made these tonight with some highschool girls from church and they are amazing! super delicious, super easy, perfect!
Woot! That’s great Anna
Made these with my husband and they’re delicious. Nagi, you helped me conquer my fear of cooking. Your recipes are done so well along with the videos. I look forward to your new recipes all the time.
Question for you, do you have a recipe for baked pork buns? I’m sure the inside meat is the same recipe, but what about the bun? Thanks and I look forward to your response :).
Hi Nagi
.My next project is the BBQ pork and wondering if the meat mix can be put into a soft bread..There was a shop in Chinatown London where I always bought BBQ pork buns for about 35 yrs ..Loved them so much I had a major ‘pig out’ when I landed each time but last time the shop had gone and another opened but the buns weren’t the same….I’d love to try and make them and after your Satay I’m feeling really optimistic 😄 will make the steamed ones too ofcourse lol….is there a shop sauce brand you recommend if I decide to have practice run first..I’ve got a double batch of chicken satay ready for the freezer at the moment…thanx again for such brilliant recipes…👍🏻👍🏻 IJ
Hi Isajo – what kind of bread are you referring to? Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce is a good brand of sauce to practice with if you don’t want to make it from scratch. Love to know how you go with it all!!
Hi Nagi Thanx for your reply….the bread was white and very light textured with the meat mixture cooked inside and had a sweetish glaze on the tops…think it was the same bread as their red bean buns so possibly was slightly sweetened??? I’m going to make your steamed ones anyway as love them too 🤪😄
I have made these before, but I was looking for a recipe to use some Bar B Q pork I cooked, and these looked sooo good. The bun wrapping is a great lesson! mine usually look lumpy!
Yes, it definitely helps when you can see a video of the wrapping!
Absolutely superb. I have been searching for a steamed pork bun recipe for ages. Yours is the BEST!!! Thank you
Woot! Thanks Sue ❤️
Hi Nagi.
Big fans of your recipes – made your carnitas about a dozen times. On these buns is it corn flour or corn starch? Those are two very different things in the US..
Thank you.
Hi Allen, Corn starch, which we know it here as corn flour ❤️
I made these yesterday. Made the pork from scratch using your recipe. They were wonderful. I made them a touch smaller, as they were part of a large meal. They were definately worth the effort.
Hello from New York, Nagi.
I am just now preparing your char siu bao. I have a good deal of experience with dough. Based on that, I found the water total for the dough to be too low—3/4 Cup—for the total amount of flours listed as 465 grams. I had to add at least another 1/2 cup of water to obtain anything close to a workable dough. Is your water amount correct?
Recipe sounds great.I used to get these from China Town in S.F. China Town
Hope these are as good or close
WalterZink
Hello! My stand mixer is currently on the other side of the country (I’m moving) 😞. Can I make the dough with a handheld mixer? Thanks for your help!
I made these tonight and they turned out perfectly. I was in a bit of a rush for the dough so I threw he ingredients into the bread machine and mixed on the pizza dough cycle. I made the Char Siu with your recipe also.
I really can’t get over how light and fluffy they are. Next time I will make them a bit smaller to get a few extra out. The video was very helpful.
Will email some pics.
I always use cake flour for a lighter bun (but regular works well too).
Agreed 🙂
I made this for the first time without failing!! 👍
The buns I made are so fluffy and white exactly like your pictures. My daughter even dotted them with food coloring to make them look like the ones at restaurants in Singapore.😀
I wish I could upload my picture so you can see it. 😉 (Can you tell how proud I am with the result?) 🙄😀
Glad I found you and I always follow your food journey. Everything you make is always good and tasty!!
Thanks!!! Happy cooking!!!
WHOOT!!!! I love hearing that! Just hit reply to any email I send out with new recipes and attach the photo, I would LOVE to see it!! N xx
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1YuuN2M2TWW2VsxQ6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9LXkiLd3xGpmdr8DA