I once wondered what it would be like to cook a bao (a steamed bun) like you would a pan-fried dumpling. I entertained the idea for a while trying to figure out how it would work and followed my instincts and went for it. I didn’t get too far until my mom told me that pan-fried baos are an actual thing and popped all my dreams of being a hybrid dumpling-bao visionary. Chances are unless you’ve traveled to Jiangnan or Shanghai China, you’ve probably never had these pan-fried pork buns here in Montreal – no one makes them here… but now YOU can!
Ingredients
Dough:
-Same dough as my char siu bao recipe here, divided into 32 rounds.
Filling:
2 pounds of medium ground pork
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon shoaxing wine
1.5 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1.5 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
For frying:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon sesame oil
While the dough is rising combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and set aside to marinade – about one hour.
After the dough has risen, use the same rolling and crimping technique as illustrated in my char siu bao recipe. Roll the dough and rotate while leaving the centre thicker than the edges.
(Char siu bao filling pictured here)
Cover your dumplings with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Heat up a frying pan with one tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the buns with the pinched-side up for 3 minutes. Check to make sure they’re not burning. Once golden brown, reduce the heat to medium and quickly fill the frying pan with water until it reaches half way up the bun (carefully it will sizzle!). Cover and let steam for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, if there is still water, remove the lid to boil off the rest of the water. Drizzle sesame oil in between the buns. Move the buns around and fry again for another two minutes.
Remove from heat, garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds and serve immediately with Chingkiang vinegar.
This pan-fried bao or (shenjian bao – 生煎包 – which literally translate to “raw-fried-bun”) is the best of both worlds – the light fluffy breadiness of a bao combined with the crisp crunch of the fried underside and savoury filling of a dumpling.
So isn’t it about time you made some of Montreal’s first pan-fried pork buns? Give it a show and let me know how it goes!
Having trouble finding a particular ingredient? Check out my Asian grocery store round up to find a market near you!
- Dough:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 packet of yeast (8g)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- Filling:
- 2 pounds of medium ground pork
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon shoaling wine
- 1.5 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1.5 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- For frying:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- In a large bowl, combine, water, salt, oil, yeast and sugar. Stir until the yeast and sugar is dissolved and add in flour. Kneed until the dough comes together (about 5-6 minutes), cover with a towel and set aside in a warm oven for 30 mins. After 30 mins, punch the dough down, kneed for 2 more minutes and let it rise again until it doubles in size.
- While the dough is rising combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and set aside to marinade – about one hour.
- After the dough has risen, use the same rolling and crimping technique as illustrated in my char siu bao recipe. Roll the dough and rotate while leaving the centre thicker than the edges.
- Cover your dumplings with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat up a frying pan with one tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the buns with the pinched-side up for 3 minutes. Check to make sure they’re not burning. Once golden brown, reduce the heat to medium and quickly fill the frying pan with water until it reaches half way up the bun (carefully it will sizzle!). Cover and let steam for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, if there is still water, remove the lid to boil off the rest of the water. Drizzle sesame oil in between the buns. Move the buns around and fry again for another minute.
- Remove from heat, garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds and serve immediately with Chingkiang vinegar.
- Remain sexy.
