Siopao

it's friday! that means new video is up!

this video recipe is requested by a good friend of mine, zwinglai! if you google "siopao" you can find a million of recipes online, i've tried quite a few times making siopao but it does not taste the same as to how it taste like the siopao i remember. i began to feel like they are hiding the "secret" ingredient. i also tried making changes such us adding some vanilla extract, or using bread flour instead of all purpose, using a butter instead of vegetable oil but the result is still not the same. so i gave up!

but when my friend requested the recipe, i thought i should give it a go. so, i tried playing around with the ingredients, and with just one attempt, i finally was able to make it perfect! so, i am going to reveal some ingredients that i used with you guys!

siopao means "hot buns" it is similar to the cantonese steamed bun called cha siu bao. i'm pretty sure most countries has different versions of siopao. we don't bake siopao, we steam it. there is also a sauce for siopao, however, i decided to make the filling more saucy so we can go ahead and forget about the sauce. as a mom, my time is super limited. :)

you can absolutely use any fillings you prefer! my personal favorite is adobo (here is the link for my adobo recipe.) but i will show you the fillings i used in this recipe.

i suggest you follow my recipe without substitutions. if you substitute any of them, i am not sure how it will turn out. so, below are some of the quick tips i can give you to make the siopao.

1. flour- wheat flour is the key! you can check your asian grocery store and find the korean brand of wheat flour. it is the same flour you use to make dumplings, or ramen noodles
2. pork lard- ditch the vegetable oil or butter. go to your nearest mexican grocery store and grab some pork lard. this will help change the consistency of the dough
3. milk- instead of water, use milk. just do it. :)

so, GOOD LUCK!

ingredients:

• 2 cups lukewarm milk (about 115f to 120)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar (for yeast mixture)
• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 5 cups wheat flour (more for dusting)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for flour mixture)
• 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup pork lard

for the filling:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 chopped onions
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

directions:

1. into a mixing bow, add the lukewarm milk, sugar and yeast. combine and set aside.
2. into a different bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and mix
3. then add the pork lard and combine
4. move the dough into a clean surface and start kneading the dough until soft and smooth. if the dough is super sticky add more flour 1 tbsp at a time
5. shape the dough into a ball and place the dough into an oiled bowl
6. cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour or so, or until doubled in size
7. at this point we will make the filling
8. into a hot skillet, add the vegetable oil
9. then, saute the onion and garlic
10. once the onion turns transparent you can add the chicken then mix
11. add the vinegar, soy sauce and oyster sauce then combine
12. add salt and pepper to taste (be careful adding the salt as we already added soy sauce to it
13. then add the sweet chili sauce and continue to mix until thickened but not too dry
14. move the filling into a bowl and let it cool down
15. cut the dough into small portions, you will make 16 pieces of siopao for this recipe
16. flatten the dough, then add the filling
17. secure the dough nice and tight to make sure it wont open up while it's cooking
18. lay the dough on top of a parchment paper
19. and repeat the process until you finished
20. add the siopao into the steamer
21. steam for 15 minutes
22. and enjoy!

i hope you will enjoy this recipe! please leave a comment below if you have any questions! see you in my next blog!

xo,
S

check out my previous recipes:

• crispy pork belly
• cookies and cream ice cream
• 3 ingredient cream biscuits