Sheng jian bao

TIME2 hours MAKES24 dumplings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

Sheng jian bao is the cousin of xiao long bao; like xiao long bao, it has a soupy, juicy filling, however it is a pan fried yeasted bum rather than a steamed, unleavened dumpling.

The following recipe is adapted from Serious Eats. I typically use my lamb dumplings filling recipe as the filling, with a couple of tablespoons of stock or water water added to ensure the filling is juicy after cooking.

INGREDIENTS

Filling

  • 0.5kg ground lamb
  • 0.5 bunch green onions (finely diced)
  • 2.5-4 leaves wombok (finely diced)
  • 0.5 egg
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 0.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 0.5 tbsp ginger (minced)
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp white pepper
  • 0.5 tsp garam masala
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • 5 tbsp water or stock

Dough

  • 200g plain flour
  • 13g (1 tbsp) sugar
  • 4g (1 tsp) yeast
  • 125ml milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder (optional)
  • 15g (2 tbsp) cornflour (optional)

To serve

  • Sesame seeds
  • Spring onion (finely diced)

STEPS

Filling

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, mixing thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon. Let the filling rest for thirty minutes before using to fully allow the meat to develop its flavors. The filling may also be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, or frozen indefinitely.

Dough

  1. In a large bowl, mix flour, cornflour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and yeast together. Warm milk in a microwave, about 30 seconds. Stir half of the milk into the flour, combine with a spatula, then stir in the remaining milk until thoroughly combined. Knead until dough comes together, about 5 to 10 seconds.

  2. Transfer dough to a clean work surface and knead until the dough is smooth. Grease a bowl with oil, transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrapper. Let rest for 30-60 minutes, until doubled in size.

  3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Cut dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out one portion of dough into a 6-inch snake, and cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and roll the dough out with a small rolling pin until it is about 4 inches in diameter.

Assembly

  1. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the dough round. Fold the dough up and around the filling, pleating and pinching around the top until sealed.

  2. Place finished buns on a lightly greased plate, cover plate loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. The buns can be frozen at this point by spreading them on a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with flour and freezing; transfer frozen buns to a zipper-lock bag for long-term freezer storage.

  3. To cook, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the buns (fresh or frozen) in the pan, leaving 1/2 inch of space between each bun (work in batches if necessary). Pan-fry the buns until they start to turn lightly golden brown on the bottom, about 25 seconds.

  4. Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and cover immediately. Cook until the water completely evaporates, about 5 minutes if fresh and 7 minutes if frozen. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on the pan until the sizzling stops, about 30 seconds. Remove the lid, plate the buns, and serve immediately with spring onion and sesame seeds.

NOTES

This page contains the following recipe components: Lamb dumplings.

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