There's a lot of recipes for steamed char siu bao here on YouTube, but I have a personal bias for the baked kind. It's hard to resist their shiny, soft, and smooth tops to fluffy bun interior filled with sweet and salty Chinese BBQ porky goodness. If you're lucky enough to have good quality char siu near you, feel free to use it here and make sure there's some good char on it (no pun intended). The burnt ends are too tasty to waste! You can of course make your own char siu if you want with whatever cut of pork you like. But let's not overlook the incredible tenderness of tangzhong milk bread that holds onto moisture like nobody's business. It's a special technique used in Asian baking that helps retain bread's freshness for days after it's baked!

Makes 8 large char siu bao (or 16 smaller ones if you prefer!).

Char siu filling:
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 lb. char siu, finely diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock or water
1-1/2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
cornstarch slurry (2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water)

Stir fry onions with oil in medium sized saucepan over medium heat until translucent. Add chicken stock or water, molasses, hoisin, and oyster sauce. Bring mixture to a rolling boil before adding cornstarch. Stir and cook for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add char siu and set aside to cool.

Tangzhong:
39 g (~1/3 cup) bread flour
195 ml (~3/4 cup) milk

Whisk flour and milk together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened to a paste. Set aside while you assemble the rest of the dough.

Bao Dough:
351 g (~2.5 cups plus 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) bread flour
50 g (1/4 cup) granulated white sugar
7 g (2-1/4 teaspoons) yeast
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (both at room temperature)
2 g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
45 ml (~3 tablespoons) milk, room temperature
26 g (2 tablespoons) softened butter

Egg wash (1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk, cream, or water)

Mix all ingredients except butter in a large bowl with the tangzhong. Knead until it comes together in a rough ball then add butter. Continue to knead for 20 minutes or until it forms a smooth, soft, and supple dough ball. Dough should be elastic and spring back when pressed. Place into a lightly greased, clean bowl and cover to proof until doubled in size. Once proofed, remove from bowl and divide into 8 evenly sized pieces. Shape into a sphere as shown in the video, roll to flatten into a disc, fill with prepared filling, and bring all edges together. Pinch and seal until fully enclosed. Flip and gently rotate in a clockwise motion to seal the bottom. Place onto a lined baking sheet pan. Cover and proof for 30 minutes or until about doubled in size. Brush with egg wash and bake in preheated 375 F (190 C) oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before enjoying!

***Store in airtight container to retain bread's softness. You can also microwave to reheat!

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Music:
"Shakuhachi", A New Japanese Type Beat [尺八]
LAKEY INSPIRED - Chill Day