Baked Siopao

Taste the flavors of the Philippines with these homemade baked siopao, or hot buns, that are filled with a deliciously seasoned ground pork mixture.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 184 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup water
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 star anise

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat milk in a microwave-safe container in a microwave until lukewarm, but not scalding, 15 to 30 seconds. Mix warm milk, vegetable oil, water, and eggs together in a bowl.

Step 2

Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir in milk mixture until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed if too sticky to work with, about 5 minutes. Shape dough into a smooth ball by tucking folded ends under. Place dough ball into a clean bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, 1 hour to 90 minutes.

Step 4

While dough is rising, prepare filling by placing pork in a bowl with soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.

Step 5

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook and stir onion, garlic, and star anise in the hot oil for 2 minutes. Add ground pork mixture and cook until browned and crumbly, breaking up any large clumps of meat that may form, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in water; reduce heat and let simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally until filling is glazed but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate filling until dough is ready.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees F (37 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 7

Portion dough out into golf ball-sized pieces (about 2 inches in diameter). Arrange on the prepared baking pan with 1 to 2 inches of space between them. Flatten dough balls using your hand to 1/4-inch thickness, or slightly larger than the palm of your hand. Put 1 tablespoon filling in the dough centers. Gather edges of dough at the top; twist, and pinch to seal. Replace each bun back on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 8

Turn off the oven once it has reached temperature.

Step 9

Transfer the baking sheet to the warm oven and let buns rest until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Step 10

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), leaving buns inside.

Step 11

Bake buns until bottoms are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.