Steamed Pork Buns

Wow, post #99! How did this happen? Time has really flown by since I started posting the happenings of my kitchen :)  Now I have to decide what to do for post #100! It is such a great milestone, I can barely believe it! So exciting.


I first made these this summer after we had gone for Dim Sum and I found out that they were my fiance's favourite dish to get.  I have made them a few times since, and they are a hit every time! They don't involve any complex ingredients, but do require a fair bit of time to produce.  The nice thing about them is not only are they tasty, but they freeze extremely well and therefore make a quick supper for another day.


We cook the pork in our slow cooker, and this makes it so tender and easy to work with.  We usually cook ours on high for 5 or 6 hours, and it comes out juicy every time!  The dough isn't very complicated to make either. If you make the dough while the pork is cooking, then once the pork is finished you can start making the buns as soon as the pork is seasoned.


The filling and closing of the buns is probably the most complex part.  Here is a step-by-step guide to how I have managed to make it work for myself.


After I roll out the dough, I score it with a knife to make sure that I get 24 equal pieces of dough. 

I then stretch out each piece of dough to about 4" in diameter (one at a time).  In the centre of each circle place about 1 to 2 tbsp of the pulled pork.

To close up the buns, fold up opposing sides and pinch them together. Continue folding up opposite sides and pinching them together until it is completely sealed.

Place the completed bun seam-side down onto some aluminum foil, and then cover with a tea towel.  Repeat with the remaining dough and pork until all is used up (I get 2 dozen buns from this recipe).  Let them rise for about an hour.

They will get nice and puffy after all that time rising!  At this point, you can cook or freeze the buns. To freeze them for a later date, place them on parchment paper in a freezer safe bag or in a freezer safe container. Do not layer the buns until they are completely frozen, or they will squish each other. To cook frozen buns, let them thaw for a couple hours first so that they cook thoroughly.


To cook the buns, place them in a parchment paper-line vegetable steamer above some simmering water (be sure to use a knife to poke out holes in the parchment paper to let the steam through). Once the water is boiling, add the buns to the parchment lined vegetable steamer, and cover for 10 minutes.


I also posted these a few months ago on tastykitchen.com :)


These are great! 


Steamed Pork Buns

• 1 pound Pork (boneless)
• 1 cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Pepper
• 1 package Active Dry Yeast (.75 Ounce Packet)
• 1 cup Warm Water
• 4-½ cups All Purpose Flour, divided use
• ¼ cups White Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• ½ cups Boiling Water
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• ⅔ cups Hoisin Sauce

1) Brown the pound of pork in a pan until brown on all sides. We use any kind of pork we happen to find on sale.
2) Place the pork in a slow cooker with 1 cup of water, and season with the teriyaki, hoisin sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 5 – 6 hours.
3) While the pork is cooking, place the 1 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl and add the package of active yeast. Add one cup of flour, then cover it with a tea towel and let stand until bubbles appear on the surface (15 – 20 minutes).
4) Add the sugar and the vegetable oil to the 1/2 cup of boiling water, and mix to dissolve the sugar. Let cool until warm to the touch. Then mix the yeast mixture, the sugar/oil mixture, and the remaining flour all in a large mixing bowl.
5) Mix the dough until it becomes stiff, and then place on a floured surface and knead it until it becomes nice and smooth (this takes me about 15 minutes, but I am no expert ‘kneader’!)
6) Coat a large bowl with the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and put the smooth ball of dough into the bowl. Coat the dough with the vegetable oil and then cover the bowl with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
7) When the pork is cooked through, remove from the juices in the crockpot and pull the pork apart. It should come apart very easily at this point. You can use two forks or whatever method works for you. Then add to the shredded pork about 1/4 cup of the juice from the crockpot (if pork is dry). Season with the remaining 2/3 cups of hoisin sauce until the taste is wonderful. (I find I just keep seasoning and tasting the pork, without using a specific amount of the hoisin sauce. It is all about personal preference.)
8.) Roll the ball of dough into a large log, and then slice off pieces that are approximately 1 inch thick. Flatten each piece into a 3.5 - 4 inch circle, and place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the seasoned pork in the middle.
9) Pinch all of the edges together over the filling to seal, and then place pinched-side down on aluminum foil. Cover with a tea towel and allow them to rise for about 1 hour.
10) Fill a pot with about 2 inches of water, and place a vegetable steamer on top. If you line the vegetable steamer with parchment paper, and then use a pencil to poke out the holes of the steamer, this will allow the buns to come out nicely and not stick to the pot.
11) When water is boiling, place 3 or 4 buns in the steamer (do not layer them or they will stick together), and cover with a lid. Allow them to cook for 10 minutes, then remove and enjoy! Repeat with the remaining buns.