The Best Island Style Steamed Bao Buns with Shoyu Chicken and Banh Mi Slaw
Super fluffy steamed Bao filled with soft shoyu chicken, crunchy Banh Mi slaw and island sauce.
Equipment
- Bamboo Steamer
Ingredients
The Best Bao Buns
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 Tbs active dry yeast
- 4 Tbs sugar, divided
- 3 Tbs canola oil
- 2 1/4 cup sifted white flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Shoyu Chicken Filling
- 3-4 chicken breast or 4 drumsticks, skin removed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup shoyu(soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
Banh Mi Slaw
- 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 Tbs jalapeno pepper, diced, or 1/2 Tbs for less heat
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1 Tbs sugar OR honey
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 4 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Island Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonaisse
- 1/2 Tbs mustard
- 1/2 Tbs shoyu(soy sauce)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Bao Buns
- In a medium bowl, combine warm water with yeast, 2 Tablspoons of the sugar, and oil. Let it sit until foamy and frothy- about 10 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Start the mixer on low to slowly incorporate all the ingredients and then switch to medium-high speed and knead for 4 minutes(set a timer!). The dough should be smooth and no longer stick to the mixing bowl. Take it out and shape it into a ball on the counter, giving it an extra knead with your hands if necessary so the dough is completely smooth. Place it back into the mixing bowl, cover it, and let it rise till doubled in size, about an hour and a half. I've left it for 2 1/2 hours and that was great too! When the dough is ready it will make webs as you pull it away from the bowl.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out the bao dough to 1/4 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a medium sized wine glass, cut out rounds from the dough(about 3 1/2 inch each). This recipe makes about 20-24 Bao. Re-shape the extra dough with your hands and roll that out also until you have used all the dough.
- Add a couple Tablespoons of oil to a small container, dip your fingers into the oil and lightly brush the tops of each circle. This keeps the insides of the bao from sticking to each other as they steam. Working one at a time, fold the bao in half and use a rolling pin to gently press the halves together. They will look like lips from the side! Mwa! Place the bao on a parchment sheet and let rise for 30 minutes.
- TO COOK: Heat up some water in a frying pan or wok(the water cannot touch the bottom of the steamer so check it!).Place a coffee filter or piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your steamer and add in as many bao as will fit without them touching- they will expand so keep that in mind. Mine fit 5-7 at a time. Carefully place the steamer with the lid on, on top of the boiling water. Let steam for 8 minutes without removing the lid. Move the whole steamer to the side and let it cool for a minute before removing the bao and doing the next batch. Store in an airtight container until ready to fill and eat!
Shoyu Chicken Filling
- [Make the filling while the bao dough is resting. The chicken can also be made a day before but wait to shred it till the day of] Add sugar, water, shoyu, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and carefully add the skinned chicken of your choice. Cover and cook on medium-low for one hour, flipping occasionally. When the chicken is done it should be falling off the bone and the color rich brown on all sides. Shred the meat from the bones, set it aside.
Banh Mi Slaw
- Combine all ingredients for the slaw in a large bowl and toss to combine. This can be made up to a day beforehand.
Island Sauce
- Add mayo, mustard, shoyu, and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk with a fork until combined. Transfer some of the sauce to a ziplock bag and zip the top. When ready to use we'll snip the corner off the bag to get the perfect drizzle.
Assemble
- When ready to serve lay out all the components- Bao, pulled chicken, slaw, and the baggie of sauce. Gently open each Bao, being careful not to break it into two. Fill with pulled shoyu chicken and top with Banh Mi Slaw. Arrange on the serving platter, snip the tip off the corner of the ziplock with the island sauce, and drizzle over the top of each Bao. Enjoy! *The bao can be frozen after cooked and everything can be made up to a day in advance.
