Bao Zi Recipe

This recipe makes 12 with leftover filling, or cut the filling by 75% to have no leftover filling!



I like to have leftover filling because I can use it in a lot of other dishes like meatball soup, pearl meatballs (cover them in soaked sticky rice and steam), dumplings/wontons, and more!





Ingredients



Dough:

• 225g warm water (15 TBSP)

  • microwave 10-15 seconds

• 2g yeast (approx 1/3 tsp)

  • instant or active, it doesn't matter. I used instant

• 375g AP flour (3 1/8 cup flour)



Filling:

• 1 pound ground pork

• 6-10 shrimps (1/4 pound)

• 3-4 big leaves of napa cabbage

• 1 green onion

• *1 egg white



• *2 TBSP soy sauce

• 1/4 TSP white pepper

• 1/8 TSP five spice

• *2 TSP salt

• 1 TSP sesame oil



Note: Everything can be changed!



Step 1: Start the Dough

Combine 225g warm water with 2g yeast. Wait 5 minutes for it to bloom - it should froth a little.



Add in 375g AP flour. Combine until it just forms a rough dough.



Rest 30 minutes, covered.



Knead it a bit more and then let it rest another 1.5 hours.



Step 2: Make the Filling

Rough chop your napa cabbage and boil it until soft. Rinse with cold water and squeeze all the water out and chop it up.



Mince up your shrimp.



Cut up a green onion.



Combine 1 pound pork, chopped up shrimp, green onion, and napa cabbage. Crack in just 1 egg white, and then use chopsticks or a whisk to mix it all up.



Very important that you mix it in ONE DIRECTION!

This helps the fibers of the proteins (pork+shrimp+egg) to all stick together. The ideal state is when it looks like there are strings/threads going around the bowl. Might take some muscle but shouldn't take long.



Add in 2 TBSP soy, 1/4 TSP white pepper, 1/8 TSP five spice, 2 TSP salt, 1 TSP sesame oil.



Mix again to combine.



Trick: Take a tiny bit of the filling and microwave it or fry it on a pan to see if you like the taste - adjust if needed!



Step 3: Make the Bao Zi

If you poke a hole in your dough, the hole should not bounce back. If it does then let it keep sitting for a bit more!



Press the air out with your hands and then divide into 12 balls.



Put in your filling and pinch the tops to make your bao zi. Watch videos and cry about how you can't make them pretty (jk).



Let it sit out in the open, uncovered, for 30 min - 1 hour. This helps the skin of the bao zi dry out and form a shell so when it steams, the shape of the bao zi folds still hold and don't become a huge blob.



Step 4: Steam (or pan fry!)

Place your bao zi in your steamer. Start with COLD WATER and set it at medium/high heat.



Steam for 15 minutes once it is boiling. Turn off heat.



Wait 3 minutes BEFORE opening the lid! This is important bc then the bread will deflate bc of the sudden temperature shock.



If you want to pan fry, you just put them on a pan (with 1 inch space in between) with oil over medium high heat. Once the bottoms are light brown, pour in 1/4 cup water and cover immediately. Cook until the water all evaporates (5 ish minutes). Turn off heat but LEAVE IT COVERED until the sizzling stops, then serve.



Step 5: Demolish and Devour <3

Fridge for 2 days, or just stick them in the freezer to best maintain the quality. Dip with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil :D