Steamed Bao

This Chinese steamed bun recipe makes 12 perfect little half-moons with cloudlike chew, ready to be filled with whatever you want to stuff them with. But we have a few suggestions. Cookbook author Andrea Nguyen likes to serve them as Char Siu Tofu Bao Sliders, and at the height of summer, you certainly can’t go wrong with Cantonese-inspired grilled BBQ pork. Got some leftover roast chicken? Shred it and toss with scallions and Kewpie mayo for a quick dim sum lunch (dumplings optional), or use it to pinch up fatty nuggets of Simone Tong’s Red-Braised Pork Belly or savory soy-sauce-slicked mushrooms. You really can’t go wrong

To make the bao, you’ll need a steamer basket. You’ll get the most mileage out of a bamboo steamer setup, which stacks, but you can make do with a metal steamer (you’ll just need to steam the buns in a few batches). Any brand of all-purpose flour, which has a moderate level of gluten, will do to make the bao, but you have options: For the brightest-looking buns, use bleached all-purpose flour. For deeper flavor and a tad more chew, choose unbleached flour. Either way, weigh the flour for the best results. If you have a stand mixer, the kneading will be easy; if not, you’ll have to work a little harder.

For baozi, a.k.a. char siu bao or steamed pork buns with an enclosed filling, check out this recipe from Mizuna.