Name: Bao Dough (包類)
Yield: Makes 10 large or 16–20 mini bao
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 25 ml (1 fl oz) vegetable or sunflower oil; 40 g (1½ oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar); 15 g (½ oz) baking powder; 530 g (1 lb 3 oz/4 cups) middle-gluten wheat flour (swapsies: plain flour/ all-purpose flour), plus extra for dusting; ½ teaspoon salt; 7 g (just under ¼ oz or 1 sachet) fast-action dried yeast; 50 ml (2 fl oz) milk; 200–250 ml (7–8 fl oz/about 1 cup) warm water (depending on how humid your room feels – if the air feels very dry you’ll want to add a little more water, but if it is very humid, less is required)

Preparation info

Makes
10
large mini bao

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Hong Kong Diner

By Jeremy Pang

Published 2017

About

Fluffy, pillowy white baos hit China, Hong Kong and Japan many years ago, but it wasn’t until recently that they became a mainstream street snack in the West. With our clear love of burgers and all things bread, it’s no wonder these softer, slightly sweeter breads are so moreish, no matter where in the world we are. The airy texture is great for mopping up sauces, while their firmness makes them the perfect bun to keep a sandwich together. This simple bao dough recipe will get you going, bu