Baked Char Siu Bao (叉烧包)

I couldn't make char siu without making a batch of char siu bao. I debated whether to make the baked or steamed version, but ultimately decided to try baking them this time. Maybe next time I'll try the steamed version.

Baked Char Siu Bao

Slightly adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

Dough

• 2/3 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 c. whole (3.25%) milk
• 1 large egg
• 75g sugar
• 525g all-purpose flour
• 11g instant or active dry yeast
• 7g coarse sea salt

Filling

• 25g sugar
• 2 tsp. light (regular) soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 c. chicken stock¹
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 300g char siu (叉烧), finely chopped

Assembly

• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. water, divided
• sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions

Dough

1. Bring the cream, milk, and egg to room temperature.
2. Add the cream to a large bowl.
3. Stir in the milk.
4. Next beat in the egg.
5. Mix in the sugar followed by the flour.
6. Once the flour is mostly incorporated -- I like to mix in ~75g at a time -- add the yeast and mix/knead well.
7. Finally add the flour.
8. Knead for ~15 minutes. Add a little extra flour as needed, but don't overdo it! You want the dough to be soft, silky, and well-hydrated. If in doubt, err on the side of too loose over too tight.
9. Shape into a ball, place in a covered bowl, and allow to rise for ~1 hour. It's done rising when a 1cm deep fingerprint/dent doesn't fill in. Try to catch it before it gets to the point of sighing or sinking back in response to the poking.
10. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

Filling

1. Combine sugar, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and dark soy sauce and set aside.
2. Heat wok over medium heat.
3. Drizzle the oil down the sides of the wok and swirl to coat the bottom.
4. Add the onion and stir-fry for ~2 minutes.
5. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
6. Add stock and flour and cook until thickened.
7. Add pork and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly

1. Turn out the dough and knead it for a few minutes.
2. Divide into 16 equal portions. Aim for 60-70g each.
3. Shape each portion into a smooth round ball and place them under a damp tea towel or some plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
4. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll them out into 8cm discs that are thinner on the edges and thicker in the middle.
5. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of the disk and very carefully bring the edges up around the filling to seal. Try not to get any filling on the edges of the dough or your fingers or the buns won't seal properly.
6. Place the filled buns seam side down on a greased baking sheet. (You will probably need more than one baking sheet to fit all the buns.)
7. Lightly cover and allow to rise for 40-50 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
9. Beat the egg with 1 Tbsp. of water.
10. Brush the buns with the egg wash.
11. Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top of each bun.
12. Once oven is preheated, place buns in oven and reduce heat to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 25 minutes. Rotate and swap trays about halfway through for even baking and browning.
13. While buns are baking dissolve the sugar in the remaining 1 Tbsp. of water. You will need to heat it up to get the sugar to fully dissolve. 30 seconds in the microwave should do the trick.
14. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them with the syrup.
15. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
16. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

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¹ I actually saved the liquid that was left over in the roasting pan after making the char siu and used that in place of the chicken stock for this recipe. ^Back