These juicy pork & coriander “baos” are not only delicious, but they can be on the table in around 30 minutes and it's all thanks to a little bao dough hack using yoghurt and baking powder! No yeast, no long proofing, no waiting around for dough to rise. Just mix, roll, fill, steam and pan-fry until golden and crispy on the bottom. They're juicy, savoury and basically homemade baos without all the faff!
1 servings
Some secret knowledge
These are best eaten fresh while the bottoms are crispy, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days but the texture of the baos may be a bit different.
To reheat, pan-fry over medium heat with a little oil for a few minutes until warmed through and crispy again.
You can also re-steam them, but you'll lose some of that lovely crispy bottom.
These are best eaten fresh while the bottoms are crispy, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days but the texture of the baos may be a bit different.
To reheat, pan-fry over medium heat with a little oil for a few minutes until warmed through and crispy again.
You can also re-steam them, but you'll lose some of that lovely crispy bottom.
Add the pork mince, coriander, garlic, ginger, shallot, light soy sauce, salt, chicken powder, black vinegar, white pepper and Sichuan pepper to a bowl.
Mix everything together really well for around 5 minutes, until the mixture is fully combined and starts to look slightly paste-like.
Pop the filling into the fridge while you prepare the dough.
Add the plain flour, baking powder and yoghurt to a bowl.
Mix until a dough starts to form, then knead briefly until smooth and everything is well combined.
Poke your finger through the centre of the dough to create a donut shape, then divide it into 5 equal pieces.
Flatten each piece and roll it out into a thin, circular wrapper. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Remove the pork filling from the fridge.
Place around ½–1 tbsp of filling into the centre of each wrapper.
Bring the edges up around the filling and pleat the dough closed, making sure the filling is fully enclosed.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Line a bamboo steamer or regular steamer with parchment paper and place the baos inside, leaving a little space between each one.
Cover and place over a pan or wok of boiling water.
Steam over medium-high heat for around 7 minutes, or until the pork is fully cooked through.
Once steamed, heat a little neutral oil in a pan over high heat.
Carefully add the baos, either pleat-side down or pleat-side up, depending on how you want them to look.
Pan-fry for around 3–4 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy.
Transfer the baos to a plate and finish with a generous drizzle of chilli oil, fresh coriander and sesame seeds.
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