Name: Sourdough Bao Buns (Gua Bao)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 12 h 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 50g starter; 50g all-purpose flour; 50g water; 300 g all-purpose flour; 100 g sourdough starter; 30 g cornstarch; 2 Tbsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking powder; 30 ml olive oil; 140 ml warm water

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Soft and fluffy bao buns using sourdough starter. These steamed buns make the perfect vessel for sticky pulled meats or jackfruit!

A lovely reader of mine put me on to the idea of sourdough gua bao and I’m so happy about it! While I have been perfecting this recipe, we’ve been eating them a lot. My favourite filling is sticky pulled jackfruit with five-spice, ginger, garlic, honey and soy sauce.

Gua Bao

Gua Bao are fluffy steamed buns originating from China. They are traditionally filled with pork. In NZ I mostly see them sold as bao buns, but as the word ‘bao’ literally means bun, so we are essentially saying ‘bun buns.’

No matter what you call them, these steamed little breads are so delicious!

They are often made with two rising agents: yeast and baking powder. In this recipe the commercial yeast is replaced with sourdough starter, but I am still keeping the baking powder in there.

I’ve tried it with and without, and I prefer the added rise of the baking powder boost.

Sourdough Gua Bao

These buns are made over two days. On Day 1 the starter is fed, the dough is mixed and fermented overnight in the fridge. On Day 2, the buns are cut, folded, risen and steamed.

Bao Flour

The flour traditionally used in these buns is low protein bleached white flour that yields brilliantly white, light and fluffy buns.

I’m not using bleached flour in this recipe, though. I’m using an unbleached white all-purpose flour, one with a semi-low protein content of around 10%, to give a light and fluffy bun. If you’re using stronger flour, with a protein level of 11% and above, it will still work well, but you’ll end up with a slightly chewier bun.

The Bao Dough + Sourdough Starter

The dough consists mainly of white flour and also corn starch. The starch helps to soften the flour even more. Then there is a little sugar, salt, baking powder oil, water and of course sourdough starter.

Learn how to make a sourdough starter.

I feed my sourdough starter in the morning. 100g is needed for the dough.

Mixing 50g starter, 50g flour and 50g water (a ratio of 1:1:1), gives a total of 150g starter. This is enough for the dough, and then whatever is left over can be fed for the next time. A starter fed at this ratio should be ready to use within 4 hours.

Once the starter has risen, mix all the dough ingredients in a large bowl and use a fork to combine it into a shaggy dough.

This recipe makes a very thick dough, that needs a bit of hand kneading on the bench to create a soft and smooth ball.

Fermenting the dough

Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has bulked out by around 50%. You can create a warm and humid spot by placing the dough in a turned-off oven next to a mug of boiled water. This can take around 4 hours in a warm space.

The Next Day – Shaping the Dough

The following day the bao dough is ready to be cut and shaped. These steps can be done in the morning if you want to make the Gua Bao in advance, or in the afternoon. Just ensure you leave about 4 hours of time, so they have time to rise.

Roll the dough out into a large circle, about 5mm thick, and use a circle cutter (I use a drinking glass), to cut out dough circles.

Take a cut-out circle and roll it a bit so you create an oval that’s around 3-4mm thick.

Fold the oval in half, with a small piece of parchment paper in the middle. This stops them from sticking together.

Place them on parchment paper. Continue with the remaining dough circles.

Once you’ve cut all the circles you can, gather the remaining dough into a ball and leave it to sit and rest for 10 minutes before rolling it out again.

Proofing the Bao

Now the buns need proof again until puffy.

Steaming the Sourdough Bao

You’ll need a steamer to cook the buns. I use a bamboo steamer that’s placed over a saucepan of boiling water.

Cut around the buns on the parchment paper so that each bun is on a separate piece. This makes them much easier to lift in and out of the steamer.

Fill a large saucepan or pot with 3-4 cm of water and bring it to a boil.

Place the buns in the steamer 2-4 buns at a time (depending on the size of the steamer.) Add the lid to the steamer, then place it over top of the boiling water. Leave the buns to steam for around 10 minutes.

Take the steamer off the saucepan, then remove the lid and lift out the cooked buns. Repeat these steps with the remaining buns.

Serving and Storing Bao

The bao is best served warm. If making these ahead of time, they can be reheated by being placed back in a steamer for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.

Pry them open along their fold, and then stuff them with your favorite fillings.

They can also be frozen for future use.