Don't Sleep on Bánh Bao (Recipe Alert!)

Bánh Bao by Liz of espressofied

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. It’s hard to shop for others, so I try to give the most thoughtful gift for each individual person. I decided to make Bánh Bao for her since they take so long to make and she really does enjoy them.

Bánh Bao is a Vietnamese steamed bao filled with ground meat, egg, Chinese/Vietnamese sausage, et al, and enveloped in a pillowy white bun that is heavenly. Brings back so many childhood memories!

I’ve made Bánh Bao only 4 times in my life: once when I was too short to reach the countertop and had to “help” by standing on a chair, once by trial in my early 30’s, once for a Mother’s Day so many years ago (those Bánh Bao didn’t turn out well at all), and yesterday.

By far, yesterday’s recipe works out the best! My husband and daughter loved them, my parents loved them, and so did my aunt (who I sent 4 to last night). My recipe is below. I write it here to remember for me and to share so you can make Bánh Bao when you have the time. They’re scrumptious!

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Bánh Bao (the espressofied way)

Yields 12 small/medium Bánh Bao

Dough
-1 pkg bot Bánh Bao (dry mix to make the outside dough which makes life easier; however, you can also find the recipe online to make your own bao mix)
-1 cup whole milk
-1/2 cup white granulated sugar
-1 T vegetable oil

Mix the above and let sit for 10 min. Knead for another 15 min, roll into a log shape, and cut into 12 equal rounds.

Filling
-1 lb ground pork (some use a mix of pork and chicken; I used pork for my family's and a meat-substitute for my own)
-1/2 cup thinly sliced Wood Ear mushroom (buy them dried, but the type that gets very tender in water)
-1/2 cup diced white onion
-2 thinly sliced scallions
-1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
-1 T ground pepper
-2 T oyster sauce
-1 T sugar

Rinse the wood ear mushrooms, soak in warm water for 5 minutes, strain, and thinly slice. Mix all of the filling ingredients together, separate into 12 small meatballs, steam for 3 minutes so the bao do not get soggy, and set aside.

Other Filling Ingredients
-2 hard-boiled eggs (cut into 1/8 pieces so that the white and the yolk are still left in each piece)
-2 lap xuong (Chinese style sausage) sliced into small rounds

Other Supplies
-12 paper cupcake liners
-Steamer

Directions: Put one pre-steamed meatball onto the center of a dough round. Add 1-2 slices of lap xuong and 1 piece of egg to the center as well and bring the sides of the dough upward to the top to close each bao. Twist to close well without tearing the dough and put the bao on top of a paper cupcake liner.

Repeat until you've made all 12 bao.

Put 4-6 bao into a hot steamer so they fit well, but don't overcrowd, and steam cook for no more than 20 minutes. Remove from heat with tongs and set aside.

Repeat until all bao are steamed.
Serve warm, pull the cupcake liner paper off the bottom to eat, and enjoy! 🙂