Best 8 Hanoi Bun Bao Recipes

STEAMED BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Measure all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand-mixer (if using).
• Measure the warm water and oil into a measuring jug. The water needs to be a bit more than lukewarm to help activate the yeast, but it shouldn't be boiling hot.
• Using the dough hook on medium speed, mixing the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Depending on the type of flour which you have used, you might need more or less liquid that than stated in the recipe.
• Once you have a sticky dough, continue kneading the dough on medium speed until it becomes soft and smooth to touch. This should take about 10 minutes using the stand-mixer on medium speed, or about 5 minutes by hand.
• Once the dough is soft and smooth, I recommend kneading it by hand for a few more minutes on the kitchen benchtop.
• Place the ball of dough back into the (clean) mixing bowl.
• Cover the bowl with some cling film or a re-usable bowl cover.
• Place the bowl somewhere warm for about 60 to 90 minutes for the dough to rise and double in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it back and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes to release any air bubbles in the dough.
• Then roll out the dough until it is about 1 cm in height.
• Use your hands to rub some oil onto the surface of the dough.
• Use an 8 cm (3 inch) cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the dough.
• Re-roll the dough as needed.
• Place these rounds onto a small sheet of baking paper - I like to use plain white cupcake wrappers which I flatten with a rolling pin.
• Fold over each round and then use a rolling pin to gently flatten the dough to form the bun shape.
• Place all of the shaped buns onto a large tray, cover with a tea towel, and place in a warm place for about 30 minutes for the buns to rise again. After this time, the bao buns should have puffed up slightly.
• Meanwhile, prepare the steamer on the stove (see Kitchen Notes below).
• Steam the buns in batches for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are puffy and soft, and cooked all the way through.
• Serve the buns immediately.

TRADITIONAL BANH BAO RECIPE (VIETNAMESE STEAMED PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• Prepare your parchment paper pieces. Cut parchment paper into 16 5x5 inch pieces. Set aside.
• Make the dough. Add flour and baking powder to a bowl and mix. Set aside
• Heat the milk until warm (100-110 degrees F). Add yeast and mix. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until it foams. Add the vegetable oil and sugar and stir until combined.
• Add the wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl and add in your dry ingredients from step 1. Combine with your hands. Once all the ingredients come together, dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough seems too wet. The dough has been kneaded enough if you poke the dough, and it slowly springs back at you. Once done, transfer it to an oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise in a warm place for an hour.
• While the dough is rising, prepare your other ingredients. Boil your eggs and cut into 4 pieces. Slice your Chinese sausages. Set aside.
• Make the pork filling. To make your pork filling, combine ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, minced yellow onion, fish sauce, oyster sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Mix until just combined. Divide the pork filling into 16 equal, round pieces and set aside.
• Once the dough is finished proofing, divide it into 16 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a thin circle that is 4-4.5 inches in diameter. The outer edges should be thinner than the center. Make sure the center is not too thin.
• Add 1 piece of pork filling, 1 piece of Chinese sausage, and 1 egg piece to the center of the filling. Envelop the filling with the outer edges of the dough. Fold and crimp the dough until it completely covers the filling. Examples in pictures above. Place each bao on a piece of parchment paper.
• Prepare your steamer pot. Bring water to a simmer and add a dash of rice wine vinegar. Make sure to sustain a consistent simmer throughout this process.
• Steam the banh baos for 15-17 minutes. Make sure there is at least 1 inch of space between each bao since they will expand.

STEAMED BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, caster sugar and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl (see tip). Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of sugar in 1 tbsp warm water, then add it to the flour with the milk, sunflower oil, rice vinegar and 200ml water. Mix into a dough, adding a little extra water if needed.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins, or until smooth. Put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
• Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and punch it down. Flatten the dough with your hands, then sprinkle over the baking powder and knead for 5 mins.
• Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape, about 3cm thick, then cut into pieces that are about 3cm wide - you should have 18. In the palm of your hand, roll each piece of dough into a ball and leave to rest for 2-3 mins.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball, one by one, into an oval shape about 3-4mm thick. Rub the surface of the dough ovals with oil and brush a little oil over a chopstick. Place the oiled chopstick in the centre of each oval. Fold the dough over the chopstick, then slowly pull out the chopstick.
• Cut 18 squares of baking parchment and put a bun on each. Transfer to a baking tray, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hr 30 mins, or until doubled in size.
• Heat a large steamer over a medium-high heat. Steam the buns for 8 mins until puffed up (you'll need to do this in batches). Prise open each bun and fill with our barbecue pork and pickled carrot & mooli. Eat while they're still warm.

HANOI BUN BAO

Steps:

• Heat 2 tblspns oil in frying pan.
• Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic.
• Add beef and fry.
• Serve beef over:.
• rice noodles, herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts.
• Top with:.
• peanuts and add Nuoc Mam Cham sauce.

STICKY PORK BELLY BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. In batches, brown the pork belly well, then transfer to a plate. Tip the sugar into the dish and cook over a medium heat until starting to dissolve and caramelise, then quickly stir in the garlic, ginger and star anise, and cook for 1 min.
• Carefully pour in the rice wine and soy sauce - watch out, it will spatter - and simmer to dissolve the sugar. Stir the pork into the caramel to coat, then add 100ml water and the five-spice, and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins. Remove from the oven, uncover, put on a high heat to simmer and reduce the sauce until sticky. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and chilled. Reheat with a splash of water.
• To make the chilli peanuts, mash most of the peanuts using a pestle and mortar, then add the rest of the nuts and roughly crush for a chunky texture. Stir through the togarashi powder. Can be made 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.
• For the buns, tip the dry ingredients and a large pinch of salt into a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour in the milk, oil and 100ml tepid water, and work the mixture for about 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave to double in size (for about 1 hr)
• Tip the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a sausage shape. Cut the sausage into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion into a bun, then use a rolling pin to roll each bun out into an oval. Lightly grease each one, then fold them over a greased chopstick or skewer and place on a lightly oiled baking tray to rest for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Remove the chopstick or skewer before steaming.
• Heat a steamer and steam the buns on circles of baking parchment in batches for about 10 mins until puffed up. Split the buns and stuff each one with a slice or two of the pork, drizzled with some of the sauce. Scatter over some coriander, cucumber and spring onions, then sprinkle with the crushed nuts and tuck in.

BANH BAO

Steps:

• Mix pork, shallots, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce together in a large bowl. Let mixture marinate in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
• Combine self-rising flour, milk, and sugar in another large bowl; knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Cover dough with cheesecloth; let rest, about 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 18 balls. Roll out each ball into a circle with a rolling pin on a floured work surface. Place a spoonful of the pork mixture in the center; top with 2 sausage slices and an egg quarter. Gather the edges of each circle together like a coin purse; twist and pinch to seal the bun.
• Cut waxed paper into eighteen 2-inch squares. Place each bun on a waxed paper square. Arrange 1 inch apart in a steamer; cover with lid.
• Steam buns until puffed up, about 30 minutes.

VIETNAMESE STEAMED BUNS (BANH BAO)

Steps:

• Submerge mushroom in hot water until softened. Take them out, dry and finely juliene. Reserve water.
• Heat some oil in a skillet, put in onions and let it sweat for a while. Stir in the rest of filling except boiled eggs and BBQ pork. Season with fish sauce and pepper to taste.
• Add sugar to milk to dissolve. Add flour one cup at a time, after each time kneed the dough before adding the next cup. Put dough into a large mixing bowl, put a damp cheese cloth over to prevent drying out.
• Cut a handful of dough (size to your choice), roll out thin (use bread roller or the smaller dumpling roller). Add a spoonful of filling, 1 piece of egg, BBQ pork. Seal dough tight around filling and put on a cut-out piece of parchment paper. Steam buns for about 15 minutes. These buns freeze pretty well as well, if you want to make a big batch at a time.

VIETNAMESE STEAMED BUNS (BANH BAO)

Steps:

• Mix flour, milk, and sugar together in a bowl. Cover and allow to rise, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and separate into 20 equal-sized bun shapes.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add buns, cover, and steam until tender, about 15 minutes.