Steamed Pork and Mushroom Bao (Bánh Bao)

Tutorial video

Ingredients (17)

• 250 g all‑purpose flour
• 2 g baking powder
• 2.5 g active dry yeast
• 50 g sugar
• 3 g salt
• 130 g unsweetened milk
• 8 g lemon juice
• 12 g pork fat (or cooking oil)
• 130 g ground pork
• 30 g wood‑ear mushrooms, rehydrated
• 60 g cassava (tapioca), drained and chopped
• 15 g sugar (for filling)
• 2.3 g salt (for filling)
• 1 g ground black pepper (optional)
• 4 g garlic, minced (optional)
• 3 g monosodium glutamate (optional)
• 0.25 g five‑spice powder (optional)

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories

149 kcal

Carbohydrate

25.3 g

Protein

4.7 g

Fat

3.7 g

Fiber

0.4 g

Sodium

175 mg

Calcium

13 mg

Potassium

86 mg

Iron

0.9 mg

Zinc

0.5 mg

Magnesium

10 mg

Cholesterol

10 mg

Instructions

• Combine the flour, baking powder, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the milk, lemon juice, and pork fat; stir until a shaggy dough forms.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes.
• Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, roughly 45–60 minutes.
• While the dough rises, soak the dried wood‑ear mushrooms in warm water until fully expanded, then drain and slice; drain and finely chop the cassava.
• Heat a little oil in a pan and stir‑fry the garlic (if using) until fragrant, then add the ground pork, pepper, sugar, salt, MSG, and five‑spice; cook until the pork is browned.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped cassava to the pan, continue cooking until the vegetables are tender and the mixture is well combined; let the filling cool.
• Punch down the risen dough and divide it into equal portions (about 30 g each); roll each portion into a smooth ball, then flatten into a round disc.
• Place a spoonful of the cooled filling in the centre of each disc, gather the edges and seal tightly to form a bun.
• Line a steamer basket with parchment squares, arrange the buns with space between them, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
• Steam the buns over boiling water for 12–15 minutes until fully cooked and puffed; serve hot.