{"id":34182,"date":"2019-10-09T13:18:56","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T17:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/?p=34182"},"modified":"2023-11-03T11:44:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T15:44:01","slug":"steamed-pork-buns-baozi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/steamed-pork-buns-baozi\/","title":{"rendered":"Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Everyone has staples in their freezer\u2013\u2013a pint of ice cream, a box of waffles, or a bag of frozen peas. The freezer staples I can\u2019t do without are <\/span>frozen rice<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>frozen man-tou<\/span><\/a>, frozen <\/span>dumplings<\/span><\/a> and finally, some sort of savory bun, like these steamed pork buns (baozi, <\/em>\u5305\u5b50 in Chinese).<\/em>  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re my emergency meal source! With these on hand, I\u2019m never more than 30 minutes away from a satisfying meal that\u2019s also grab-and-go. I love to make my own steamed buns, because I get to decide which delicious fillings I\u2019m going to make.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pleating Buns: Not Actually Required!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People tend to shy away from making steamed buns from scratch because they\u2019re daunted by the pleating and folding step. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That does take practice, but you can also completely do away with the pleating by simply closing the top tight and turning the bun over. With the seam side down and the smooth side up, it\u2019s a perfect looking bun without all the work!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Cantonese<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

On a trivial note, I have noticed that savory buns are usually pleated, while sweet buns are turned upside down to have a smooth top like my <\/span>steamed custard buns<\/span><\/a>. But since no one is looking, and there really aren\u2019t any rules here, feel free to turn your savory buns upside down and keep that trivial fact to yourself!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Important Tip for Sealing Steamed Buns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you decide to pleat or not, make sure your hands are completely dry while making the buns, and avoid getting any liquid from the filling on your hands or the outside of the dough near the point of closure. This will make it almost impossible to seal the buns.   <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something to Consider: Grinding Meat for the Filling <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This recipe calls for ground meat. While you could certainly buy ground pork from the grocery store, I have the secret to a superior steamed bun. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking the time to hand-chop the meat using just a cutting board, cleaver (or other heavy knife), and our special technique in the video below will create the ultimate texture and taste. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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