Ingredients
- Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water 180ml
- Instant dry yeast 2 tsp
- Spinneysfood Salted Butter 40g
- Spinneysfood Organic Bread Flour 320g
- Corn starch 22g
- Spinneysfood Fine Grain White Sugar 40g
- Spinneysfood Baking Powder 2 tbsp
- Spinneysfood Pure Sunflower Oil 2 tbsp
Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated."
Home-made bao
Chinese 105 Mins Prep · 15 Mins Cook
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the water and sprinkle the yeast over, giving it 5 minutes to bloom.
- Melt the butter and add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, or by hand for approx. 20 minutes. Once smooth, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean, damp cloth. Place in a warm area for approx. 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Once risen, knead the dough lightly to knock out the air and divide it into 10 even-sized balls (approx. 45g). Cover with cling film and allow to proof again until light and fluffy and doubled in size – approx. 15 minutes.
- In the palm of your hand, flatten the balls and roll each into an oval shape. Brush some oil in the centre to prevent sticking and fold over to create the classic bao shape.
- Cut a round piece of baking paper and make a few holes for the steam to pass through. Lay it in the bottom of the steamer.
- Place the bao into the steamer; do not overcrowd the basket. Steam the buns for 15 minutes, or until they have doubled in size and are soft and springy.
- Rotate the steamer baskets every 5 minutes if the bottom ones cook faster than the top. Avoid lifting the lid immediately after steaming, as the sudden temperature drop can cause the bao to deflate. Instead, turn off the heat and let them sit in the steamer for 5 minutes before opening the lid slightly to release steam gradually. This helps maintain their perfect shape and fluffiness.
- The buns are then ready to fill and serve.