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Char siu bao
Mix the flour, cornflour, yeast and sugar in a bowl, add the warm water and oil, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and soft. Cover and leave somewhere warm for about an hour, until doubled.
Questions about this dish
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Char siu bao take?
3 hr 15 min all in — 1 hr prep, 45 min cook, 1 hr 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 12 buns. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Soy, Shellfish, Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
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What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Frying pan, Rolling pin, Wok, Kitchen scale.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Soy sauce — 1½ tbsp (light; half for the pork, half for the sauce); Oyster sauce — 1½ tbsp; Dark soy sauce — 1 tsp (for colour). Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much sugar?
45 g of Sugar.
How much soy sauce?
1½ tbsp (light; half for the pork, half for the sauce) of Soy sauce.
How much oyster sauce?
1½ tbsp of Oyster sauce.
How much dark soy sauce?
1 tsp (for colour) of Dark soy sauce.
How much sugar?
2 tbsp (1 tbsp for the pork, 1 for the sauce) of Sugar.
How much toasted sesame oil?
1 tsp of Toasted sesame oil.
What can I use instead?
Diced pork shoulder → Leftover char siu. The proper filling. Dice 300 g and use only the sauce step; it needs no marinade. Plain flour and cornflour → Hong Kong low-protein bao flour. Gives whiter, fluffier buns that split more readily. Use 310 g and leave out the cornflour.
What should I watch for?
Baking powder that is not fully worked in leaves yellow spots and a bitter taste. Keep kneading until there are no specks.
Any tips from this recipe?
Hard, steady steam is what makes the tops split. A gentle simmer gives you a closed, dense bun. Steamed buns freeze well. Steam them from frozen for about 12 minutes, until hot right through. The baked bakery version uses a richer milk-and-egg bread dough. This filling works in it unchanged.
Can I prepare this ahead?
If you have leftover char siu, dice it, fry the shallot alone and go straight to the next step.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.