Description
Sheng Jian Bao (生煎包) are traditional Shanghai pan-fried pork buns characterized by a soft, fluffy dough filled with juicy, flavorful pork filling and topped with crispy, golden-brown bottoms. This recipe walks you through making the dough, preparing the juicy pork filling, assembling the buns, and pan-frying them to perfection with a delightful contrast of textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 250 g (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 50 g (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) cornstarch
- 4 g (3/4 teaspoon) instant yeast
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) sugar
- 150 g (2/3 cup) warm water
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) vegetable oil
Filling Ingredients
- 8 oz (227 g) ground pork
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup hot water (for ginger water)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce (or substitute with soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Cooking Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup hot water (separated for cooking)
- Chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)
- Roasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare ginger water: Combine minced ginger and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside to infuse flavor.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, instant yeast, and sugar. Gradually pour in warm water while stirring with chopsticks or a fork until small dough flakes form. Add vegetable oil and mix until absorbed. Knead by hand incorporating remaining dry flour, then continue kneading on a work surface for 15-20 minutes until smooth, elastic, and tough but not sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, add ground pork, ginger water, light and dark soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Stir vigorously in a circular motion with chopsticks or spatula until mixture is sticky and all liquid is absorbed. Add sliced green onions and sesame oil, mix well, then cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Shape the buns: Punch down the risen dough and knead briefly to deflate. Divide dough in half; wrap one half and refrigerate. For working half, poke a hole to stretch into a 1-inch diameter oval, tear into a long strip, then cut into 12 equal pieces. Round each piece and flatten with palm. Roll each piece into a 5-inch diameter circle, keeping edges thinner than center.
- Fill and seal: Place 1 tablespoon filling in center of each dough circle. Fold edges by pleating and pinching in one direction, then rotate and pinch top to seal completely, ensuring no gaps.
- Rest the buns: Place wrapped buns under plastic wrap to prevent drying. Let rest 10 minutes before cooking. Wrapped buns can be stored refrigerated up to 1 hour before cooking.
- Cook the buns: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 9- or 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Place 12 buns in skillet, bottoms down. Reduce heat to medium; cook uncovered 3 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.
- Steam the buns: Carefully pour 1/4 cup hot water into skillet to cover buns halfway. Cover pan and cook over medium heat about 8 minutes until water evaporates.
- Final crisping: Turn heat to medium-low and cook buns 2-3 minutes to crisp the bottoms further. Turn off heat and remove pan; keep lid on to rest buns for 2 minutes.
- Serve and store: Remove lid and transfer buns to a plate. Garnish optionally with chopped green onions and roasted sesame seeds. Serve hot immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months. Repeat cooking steps for remaining buns.
Notes
- The dough should be tough but not sticky; knead thoroughly to develop gluten for the best texture.
- Use fresh ground pork with some fat content for juicy filling.
- Shao xing wine adds authentic flavor; substitute dry sherry if unavailable.
- Stirring the filling until sticky is essential to evenly distribute liquid and develop texture.
- Keep wrapped buns covered to prevent drying before cooking.
- Adjust water when steaming buns slightly if you notice too much or too little moisture in your pan.
- Cook buns immediately after resting to maintain the best texture and rising.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dim Sum, Snack
- Method: Pan-frying and steaming
- Cuisine: Chinese, Shanghai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun (approximately 60g)
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
Keywords: Sheng Jian Bao, Shanghai buns, pan-fried pork buns, Chinese dim sum, pork buns, steamed buns, pan-fried buns
