Description
Siopao, a popular Filipino steamed bun, features a soft, fluffy dough encasing a savory filling made from tender pork or chicken cooked with a flavorful blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and hoisin sauce. This recipe guides you through making the dough, preparing the rich filling, and steaming the buns to perfection, delivering a delicious main course or snack with authentic Asian-inspired flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Filling:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 pound pork shoulder or chicken thighs, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (slurry)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional:
- Sliced boiled eggs
- Chinese sausage
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Prepare Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the frothy yeast mixture and vegetable oil. Knead the mixture thoroughly for about 8–10 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
- First Rise: Cover the dough with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Cook Filling: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic and chopped onions until fragrant and translucent. Add the finely chopped pork or chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink.
- Add Flavors: Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, and ground black pepper. Let the mixture simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce slightly thickens.
- Thicken Filling: Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan, stirring continuously until the filling thickens to a slightly sticky consistency. Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.
- Shape Buns: Punch down the risen dough to release air. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a circular shape about 4 inches in diameter. Place a spoonful of cooled filling in the center of each circle. Optionally, add a slice of boiled egg or Chinese sausage on top of the filling before sealing.
- Seal Buns: Pinch the edges of the dough to enclose the filling completely, forming a smooth bun. Place each bun on parchment paper squares.
- Second Rise: Let the shaped buns rest for about 15 minutes to puff up slightly.
- Steam Buns: Arrange the buns with parchment paper in a bamboo or metal steamer over boiling water. Steam for 15–18 minutes until the buns are puffy and cooked through.
- Serve: Carefully remove the buns from the steamer and serve hot as a delicious snack or main course.
Notes
- You can freeze uncooked buns; when ready to cook, steam them directly from frozen for 20–22 minutes.
- For a vegetarian option, substitute the pork or chicken filling with sautéed mushrooms or tofu.
- Ensure the water for activating yeast is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
- Use parchment paper squares to prevent buns from sticking to the steamer.
