Dough – How to shape the perfect bao dough

chinese-cuisinedough

I made char siu bao for the first time last night and followed this recipe to make the dough. It came out great tasting but bad looking- I couldn't find advice on how to shape the bao correctly. Are there any instructions or tips I can follow so that it looks a bit nicer?

Below is a picture of one tier before steaming. I just folded up the sides and tried to spin the center. (Next time I'll definitely make the bao smaller and put in less filling, since some of these started leaking while they were steaming.) I put each bao in a paper baking cup, but when they were done, most of the bao were stuck to the cups and the bottom just broke open.

Description

Thanks for any help!

Update: Here's my second batch- came out much much better by following the tips below:

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Best Answer

Some tips I found useful while making the second batch of bao:

  1. Start out by making small buns
  2. Use a rolling pin to even out the dough (should be about 3-4 inches in diameter)
  3. Add just a small amount of filling to the center
  4. Gather up all 5 sides (not 4!!) and pinch them together in the middle
  5. Generously spray oil in baking cups, and place buns in cups (this way the buns won't stick to the steamer or to the baking cups)
  6. Steam for 15 mins, or freeze and steam at a later date for 20 mins
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