I enjoy different types of bread. Whether it's a fluffy soft, buttery bread or a crusty sourdough or may be a hot chapati, I relish them all. I try to recreate different types of bread from around the world in my kitchen. If you are familiar with my blog, you know how much I love baking and that I am fond of making bread. So here is another one on the list, Bao. Bao is a yeast-leavened steamed bread stuffed with meat or vegetables from Chinese cuisine. Bao can be of different types, like closed round dumplings or open buns. And for your better understanding this post includes a video of how to make bao.
Today I have made Gua Bao, which is more like a sandwich or hotdog. The bun is folded then steamed and a stuffing is added in between the folds. This type of bao are better called Gua Bao (translates to cut bread). I have tried my best to explain the entire process of bao making with a video. Being a newbie to video making it was a struggle for me. Hope to improve it in the near future. I have also shared a video of assembling the gua bao with bbq pork.
Ingredients for making Bao:
(This will make 16 bao)
- Flour: 3 cups + a little for dusting and rolling
- Active dry yeast: 1 tsp
- Lukewarm Water: 1/4 cup + 1cup
- Sugar: 3 tbsp + 1 tsp
- Milk powder: 2 tbsp
- Baking powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Oil to brush
- For assembling the gua bao:
- Lettuce
- Pickled carrot
- Chilli garlic oil
- BBQ pork
- Fresh coriander
- Green chilies
Steps of making Bao:
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of the stand mixer, add active dry yeast, one teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup lukewarm water, mix well. Cover and wait for 5-6 mins or till the yeast bubbles.
- Add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk powder and the rest of the water and mix well. Knead the dough for 10 mins into a soft ball. Grease the bowl with oil, place the dough, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- After an hour, when the dough is double in size, take it out on a floured surface and make a round ball. Cut into 4 equal parts. Make round balls of each part.
- Cut each part into 4 more parts. So you have 16 dough balls. Make round from each dough ball.
- Take one dough ball at a time and roll into a 5 cm round disc. Fold the rolled dough into half and place a parchment paper in between the dough. Repeat this step for all the 16 dough balls. Cover and rest for 30 mins. (please refer the video)
- Boil water in a large container or a steamer. When the water starts to boil and the steam becomes visible, reduce the heat. Line the steamer with parchment paper and make few holes so the steam can reach the dough, and place the rolled dough on the steamer, cover and steam for 10 mins. I have used a bamboo steamer, you can use any other steamer available to you. Even a idli stand works very well.
- The bao will rise and become pillowy soft. Take out the bao and fill it with your choice of filling, meat, vegetable, the options are endless. This time I added pork cooked in bbq sauce, along with fresh lettuce, pickled carrot, fresh coriander and homemade chilli garlic oil.
If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow me on Instagram (@colorandspices) for recipe updates and food photography tips and behind the scene. If you have cooked any dish from my blog share the picture of that dish via message or email (colorandspices@gmail.com). Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or message me, Thank you..!!!
Awesome combination and lovely idea for year end family meal
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this simple wonderful recipe
Thanks for sharing such a simple yet delicious recipe and wonderful idea for family meal before the year end.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Happy new year.
Delete