This recipe makes 8–12 fluffy steamed buns filled with char siu-style pulled pork — sweet, savory, and scented with five-spice. The dough uses instant yeast and baking powder together, which gives you a reliably soft, white bun without any special flour. The honest reason to make these at home: the filling is genuinely better than most takeout versions, and a batch freezes well enough to cover several weekday lunches.
Why this recipe works
Two things carry this recipe. First, the dough uses both instant yeast and baking powder — the yeast gives flavor and rise during the rest, while the baking powder adds an extra lift during steaming, which is what produces that distinctly soft, almost cloud-like texture. Skip either one and the buns come out denser. Second, the filling gets a second hit of hoisin sauce added after shredding, not just during braising. That step keeps the pork from tasting flat once it’s wrapped in dough, and it lets you adjust the seasoning before any bun is assembled — much easier to fix at that stage than after.
If something goes sideways
- Buns are sticking to the steamer basket: Lettuce or cabbage leaves need gaps between them so steam can actually circulate. If leaves are overlapping, the buns on the edges steam unevenly and the ones in the center can stick and tear when you lift them.
- Dough tears when you try to pleat it: This usually means the disc was rolled too thin at the edges. The edges need to be slightly thicker than you’d expect — about the thickness of a coin — so there’s enough dough to grip and fold without splitting over the filling.
- Filling leaks out during steaming: The pinched seam opened up. Make sure the final pleat is twisted and pressed firmly, then place the bun seam-side down in the steamer. The weight of the bun helps keep it sealed.
- Buns look gray or wrinkled after steaming: This happens when the lid is lifted too early or cold air hits the buns suddenly. Keep the lid on for the full 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and wait 2 minutes before opening — that short rest prevents the skins from collapsing.
- Pork filling is too wet to work with: If you added too much cooking liquid when shredding, spread the pork on a plate and let it cool for 10 minutes. It firms up as it cools and becomes much easier to spoon without soaking through the dough.
Shopping notes
- Shaoxing rice wine: Sold in most Asian grocery stores, usually near the soy sauce. Dry sherry is a workable substitute — skip the cooking wine labeled “Shaoxing” at regular supermarkets, which often has added salt and tastes noticeably different.
- Oyster sauce: Standard grocery stores carry this in the international aisle. Lee Kum Kee is a reliable brand. There is no great substitute here — skip the garnish, not worth the extra dish — but do not skip the oyster sauce itself; it’s doing real work in the filling.
- Country-style pork ribs: These are a good cut for this recipe because they have enough fat to stay moist through braising and shred easily. Boneless pork shoulder works just as well if that’s what’s available.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour: Regular bleached all-purpose flour also works. Some char siu bao recipes call for low-protein or Hong Kong-style flour for a whiter bun — this recipe doesn’t require it, and the result is still noticeably soft.
Keeping and reheating
Cooked buns keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, steam them again for 5–6 minutes — microwaving works in a pinch but makes the skin slightly rubbery. For longer storage, freeze cooked buns in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a zip-lock bag; they keep well for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a steamer for 10–12 minutes. The filling can also be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated separately, which makes assembly on the day much faster.
Steamed Pork Buns
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¾ cup warm water about 110°F / 43°C
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for oiling the bowl
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for kneading
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch table salt
Pork Filling Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 pounds country-style pork ribs bone-in or boneless
- 1 pinch salt for seasoning
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce divided
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine Sherry is a good substitute
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root
- 1 medium lettuce or cabbage leaves ; for steaming
Instructions
Dough Instructions
- Add water and yeast to a small bowl. Once foamy, add the oil and whisk to combine.
- Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture and mix into a soft, pliable dough.
- Turn dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth, pliable and elastic (Dough should not be sticky at this point. Knead in small amounts of additional flour if it is.) Place dough into a medium-size oiled bowl (or place on a Silpat and cover with the oiled bowl like in my photo), cover with plastic wrap and place it in the warmest part of your kitchen to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Pressure Cooker Method Instructions
- Heat a pressure cooker to medium-high and add oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot already, add the pork and sear on all sides until golden brown.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of the hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, brown sugar, five-spice powder, and grated ginger in a small bowl, whisking well to combine. Pour sauce over pork, lock the lid and cook for 45 minutes on high once pressure is reached.
Alternate Cooking Method Instructions
- Place salt-and-pepper-seasoned meat into a pan that has been preheated with 1 tablespoon of oil. Brown on all sides, add hoisin mixture, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until meat is fall-apart tender, approximately 1 – 1/2 hours. This can also be done in a 325°F / 160°C (140°C fan-forced) oven.
- Once the meat is cooked, place it in a medium bowl and shred the pork using 2 forks. Add 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and the remaining 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the pork and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more cooking liquid if the mixture seems too dry. Set mixture aside while preparing the dough.
Bun Assembly Instructions
- Line the base of your steamer with lettuce or cabbage leaves, leaving gaps between them to allow steam to circulate freely.
- Divide dough into 8 – 12 equal portions, depending on how big you want your buns to be. Roll each portion into a round ball. Shape the balls into discs about 4 inches in diameter, leaving the middle just a bit thicker than the edges. Spoon about a tablespoon in the centre of each round. Pull the edges up and pleat the dough around the filling, pinching as you work your way around the entire circle.
Bun Steaming Instructions
- Put water into a wok or large pot with a depth of 3 inches and heat over medium-high heat to a strong simmer.
- Stack several bamboo steamers in a wok or use a steamer insert into the pot. Ensure that the bottom of the steamer sits above the water level — the buns should cook from steam, not direct contact with boiling water.
- Arrange buns in the steamer at least 1-inch apart. Cover steamer and steam buns for approximately 15 minutes or until they are puffed and fluffy.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I make these without a bamboo steamer or a wok?
Yes — a metal steamer insert that fits inside a large pot works fine. The key is that the steamer basket sits above the water line, not in it, and the lid fits snugly enough to trap steam. A tight-fitting lid matters more than the specific equipment.
How do I know when the dough has risen enough?
It should roughly double in size, which takes about an hour in a warm kitchen. If you’re unsure, press two fingers about half an inch into the dough — if the indent stays and doesn’t spring back quickly, it’s ready. A cold kitchen will slow things down; setting the bowl near a warm oven speeds it up.
My yeast didn’t foam. Can I still use it?
No — if the yeast doesn’t foam within 10 minutes of being added to warm water, it’s either dead or the water was too hot and killed it. Start over with fresh yeast and water that feels warm on your wrist but not hot, around 110°F. Using inactive yeast will give you dense, flat buns that don’t recover in the steamer.
More recipes to try
- Quick and Delicious Homemade Chinese Fried Rice
- Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Homemade Pork Tamales
- Authentic Japanese Chicken Teriyaki
