I can’t think of a dish more nostalgic of my childhood than Bánh Bao also known as Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns!

Growing up this was the perfect snack or meal for the mornings or afternoons because it was so fulfilling. If you don’t know what it is, Bánh Bao is a fluffy white bun that has a pork filling with Chinese sausages and an egg.

Traditionally, my family would put 1/2 a chicken egg into each one. But I personally prefer putting a quail egg into mine. They’re just so cute and you get a whole egg in each bun.

Full disclosure, this is my first time making it on my own without my mom. If you don’t know, my parents and family are in Minnesota and I am in California so I often called them up for recipes and tips. And you know I definitely hit mama Hoa up for this one.

The brand of flour I used for this one is called Vinh Thuan. I like this brand because it comes with the yeast so you don’t have to measure it out or buy it separately. I haven’t tried other bao flours yet but I do like this one and you can find it at most Asian markets.

To be honest, this dish is a labor of love, because it does take some time. It’s not too hard, it just requires a lot of time for the dough to rise so that you get that nice fluffy bun. Also for the beginners, doing the little pleats to make the top cute can be a little tricky. So a tip that my mom gave is to just pinch the ends together and flip it over so you have a nice smooth bun. It may not be as pretty as the traditional way of doing it, but it’s so much easier and gets the job done.

I also recommend putting about 2 tablespoon of white vinegar into the steaming water to help keep the buns white. I made the mistake before I’m not doing this and the buns turned out to be a brown color which is fine, it’s just not as pretty.

How To Make Bánh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns)

Recipe by Jen H. DaoCourse: Recipes

Servings

servings

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

14 oz Bánh Bao flour (Vinh Thuan Brand)
1/2 tsp instant yeast (included in the flour ^)
5/6 c milk
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp veggie oil
Filling
1 can quail eggs
2 Chinese sausages
1/2 lb ground pork
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp potato starch
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 onion (diced finely)
1/4 c dried woodear mushroom (soak in water and chopped)
Additional Ingredients
2 tbsp vinegar (for steaming buns)

Directions

Add yeast, sugar and milk to a bowl and mix it throughly. Add the flour (saving 2 tbsp of flour for later) and knead for 10 mins.
Add veggie oil and knead for another 10 mins. Cover with saran wrap and a towel and place in the over for 2 hrs for dough to rise.
To make the filling combine pork, onions, mushrooms, potato starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon, sugar, black pepper, and salt. Mix in one direction until sticky.
Boil sausages in water for about 3-4 mins. Cut into thin slices. Open can of quail eggs and rinse.
Once dough is done rising, roll into a long log and cut into 8 pieces. Flatten out each circle and place about 1 tbsp of meat in center. Flatten the meat on the dough and place egg and 2 sausage slices in center. Start pinching in the ends from each corner until it’s closed. You can also pinch all the ends together and flip it upside down to make it easier. Place each bun on some parchment paper.
Place vinegar in steaming water and bring to a high boil. Steam buns for 10 mins, wipe lid and steam for another 10 mins.