Wow, Gluten-Free Bao!
Image © 2011 Liv Gluten-Free
I grew up in New Jersey and I’ve always loved finding a hidden gem of a restaurant somewhere unexpected. When we were kids, we spent weekends with my dad and he often took me, my brother, and sister to this great Dim Sum restaurant in a strip mall near our house. Dim Sum is sort of like Chinese tapas: lots of little bites and small dishes meant to share. This strip mall was an unlikely locale for fabulous Chinese fare, but it was packed on Sunday afternoons with families who had just left church, and I thought the little carts full of tiny metal steamer baskets stuffed with treats were exciting and delicious.
I went crazy for the shu mai dumplings, and found the unique desserts like jien duy (sesame rice balls with red bean paste) irresistable, but my favorite have always been the steamed pork buns (char siu bao). Pillowy little clouds of steamed bread stuffed with savory and sweet roasted pork. They are perfection.
Image © 2011 Liv Gluten-Free
This week I was feeling nostalgic for my long-lost favorite and decided to give a gluten-free version of bao a go. I’m really, really proud of the results. The snowy-white dough is a dream to work with, nothing like the sticky GF doughs you may be used to, and the end result is a texture and taste so distinctly bao, I was practically doing cartwheels in my kitchen.
My girlfriend is a vegetarian, so at home we cook almost exclusively meat free and gluten-free to accomodate her diet and mine. This version has a meatless filling for that reason, made instead with shiitake mushrooms and tofu, but for a more authentic version feel free to bring on the pork.
Vegetarian Steamed Pork Buns (Bao)!
Category: Blog | Tags: gluten free bao, steamed pork buns, Vegetarian 5 comments »
July 28th, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Hi Liv: I tried the recipe again and the bao turned out. Ok, I have to admit that I used arrowroot instead of cornstarch the first time. However, I am amazed that there is no gum holding the dough together. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
July 30th, 2012 at 9:24 am
Norm, yes, the recipe works very well when followed exactly. I’m so happy it worked out for you! -Liv
October 29th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Hi Liv, can this recipe be made in stages? Id like to prep the dougb first, then steam later.
November 3rd, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Hi Suzanne!
I have not tried making this in stages, but assume that if you wrap the dough tightly in plastic you won’t have a problem using it later. I would bring it to room temp. if it is hard to work with out of the fridge.
Let me know how it works for you!
-Liv
February 5th, 2013 at 9:46 pm
Hi do you have a pork recipe too? I’d love to make them with pork!