Lop Cheung Bao
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1½ hours rising and cooling
Yield
Makes 10 buns
Ingredients
Before You Begin
When purchasing lop cheung, look for good distribution of fat throughout the sausage and some alcohol in the ingredient list; avoid sausage containing liver here. This recipe is best made in a stacking bamboo steamer basket set inside a skillet. Using bleached all-purpose flour will create the bright-white color that is traditional and prized for these buns; you can also use unbleached all-purpose flour, though the bao will be less bright white.
Instructions
- Whisk milk, sugar, and yeast together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup until sugar has dissolved, then let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil. Pulse flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. With processor running, slowly add milk mixture and process until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly oiled large bowl, turning to coat dough ball in oil, arranging dough seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While dough rises, place plate in bamboo steamer basket and arrange sausages in single layer on plate. Set steamer basket over simmering water in skillet and cook, covered, until sausages are plump and color is muted, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add boiling water to skillet as needed while steaming.) Set aside plate with sausages and let cool completely. Remove basket from simmering water and set aside.
- Cut ten 6 by 4-inch rectangles of parchment paper; set aside. Press down on dough to deflate. Transfer dough to clean counter and portion into 10 equal pieces (about 2 ounces or 57 grams each); cover loosely with plastic. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), form into rough ball by stretching dough around your thumbs and pinching edges together so top is smooth. Place ball seam side down on clean counter and, using your cupped hand, drag in small circles until dough feels taut and round. Cover dough balls with plastic while rolling remaining dough.
- Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep remaining pieces covered) and starting at center, gently and evenly roll and stretch dough into 10-inch-long rope. Wrap dough around 1 cooled sausage, starting 1 inch from 1 end of sausage (dough should wrap around sausage at least 3 times and sausage should be roughly centered on dough) and place in basket on 1 prepared parchment rectangle, tucking ends of dough underneath sausage. Cover with damp dish towel while forming remaining bao, spacing bao about 1 inch apart. Let bao sit until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
- Remove damp dish towel and set covered steamer basket over cold water in skillet. Bring water to simmer over high heat and, once steam begins to escape from sides of basket, reduce heat to medium and steam until bao are puffy and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add boiling water to skillet as needed while steaming.) Remove basket from simmering water and let bao cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1½ hours rising and coolingYield
Makes 10 bunsIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
In lop cheung bao, snow-white yeasted dough is twirled around a cured Chinese sausage (lop cheung), and the buns are steamed until the dough turns fluffy and firm. The snap of the rich sausage when you bite into the pillowy, slightly sweet bun is heavenly. This recipe was developed by Jacqueline Church, who leads food and culture tours in Boston's Chinatown. Although she discovered these buns as an adult cook, she has strong memories of another savory pork and sweet bun combination that she ate growing up in Hawaii. Manapua were the islands’ version of the Chinese char siu bao that were initially brought to Hawaii by Chinese laborers. Similar to mainland ice cream trucks, the manapua truck would arrive in her neighborhood heralded by the squeals of happy kids.
Before You Begin
When purchasing lop cheung, look for good distribution of fat throughout the sausage and some alcohol in the ingredient list; avoid sausage containing liver here. This recipe is best made in a stacking bamboo steamer basket set inside a skillet. Using bleached all-purpose flour will create the bright-white color that is traditional and prized for these buns; you can also use unbleached all-purpose flour, though the bao will be less bright white.
Instructions
- Whisk milk, sugar, and yeast together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup until sugar has dissolved, then let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil. Pulse flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. With processor running, slowly add milk mixture and process until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly oiled large bowl, turning to coat dough ball in oil, arranging dough seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While dough rises, place plate in bamboo steamer basket and arrange sausages in single layer on plate. Set steamer basket over simmering water in skillet and cook, covered, until sausages are plump and color is muted, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add boiling water to skillet as needed while steaming.) Set aside plate with sausages and let cool completely. Remove basket from simmering water and set aside.
- Cut ten 6 by 4-inch rectangles of parchment paper; set aside. Press down on dough to deflate. Transfer dough to clean counter and portion into 10 equal pieces (about 2 ounces or 57 grams each); cover loosely with plastic. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), form into rough ball by stretching dough around your thumbs and pinching edges together so top is smooth. Place ball seam side down on clean counter and, using your cupped hand, drag in small circles until dough feels taut and round. Cover dough balls with plastic while rolling remaining dough.
- Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep remaining pieces covered) and starting at center, gently and evenly roll and stretch dough into 10-inch-long rope. Wrap dough around 1 cooled sausage, starting 1 inch from 1 end of sausage (dough should wrap around sausage at least 3 times and sausage should be roughly centered on dough) and place in basket on 1 prepared parchment rectangle, tucking ends of dough underneath sausage. Cover with damp dish towel while forming remaining bao, spacing bao about 1 inch apart. Let bao sit until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
- Remove damp dish towel and set covered steamer basket over cold water in skillet. Bring water to simmer over high heat and, once steam begins to escape from sides of basket, reduce heat to medium and steam until bao are puffy and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add boiling water to skillet as needed while steaming.) Remove basket from simmering water and let bao cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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