Baked Bao Bun with Lamb Filling (羊肉烤包子)

Name: Baked Bao Bun with Lamb Filling (羊肉烤包子)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12 buns
Ingredients: 150 g lamb, diced; 1½ teaspoon cumin powder; ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce; ½ teaspoon sesame oil; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 3 tablespoon water; 30 g lamb fat, diced; 2 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon chilli flakes; 1 small carrot, grated; 250 g all-purpose/plain flour; 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast; ¾ teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon sugar; 130 ml lukewarm water; ½ tablespoon cooking oil; sesame seeds

User Reviews

5.0

51 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Rest
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings
12 buns
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Chinese

Baked Bao Bun with Lamb Filling (羊肉烤包子)

Iris Warren

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Intensely flavoured with spices and cooked to perfection, baked bao bun with lamb filling is super delicious. Follow my recipe & video to make them!

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Ingredients

Servings

For the lamb

150 g lamb, diced see note 1
1½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoon water

For the vegetables

30 g lamb fat, diced or 1 tablespoon cooking oil, see note 2
2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 small carrot, grated

For the wrappers

250 g all-purpose/plain flour see note 3
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast see note 4
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
130 ml lukewarm water adjust a little if necessary, see note 5

You also need

½ tablespoon cooking oil
sesame seeds

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Instructions

Marinate the lamb

Put diced lamb into a bowl. Add cumin powder, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, cornstarch and water. Mix until no liquid can be seen.

Fry the vegetables

Cook diced lamb fat in a wok over low heat until oil appears and the pieces brown. Discard them and keep the oil.
Stir in onion. Fry until it slightly browns.
Add cumin seeds, chilli flakes and carrot. Fry for one minute or so.
Transfer to a plate to cool. Then mix with the marinated lamb. Set aside.

Prepare the dough

If kneading with a stand mixer: Add flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar and water to the bowl. Knead on low speed until a very smooth dough forms (about 8 minutes).
If kneading by hand: Mix flour, yeast, baking powder and sugar. Add water gradually. Mix with chopsticks/spatula until no more loose flour can be seen. Combine and knead briefly into a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes (covered). Knead again until very smooth.

Assemble the buns (please refer to my tutorial video below)

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a disk-like wrapper.
Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of a wrapper then fold into a bao shape.
Place assembled bao buns into a baking tray (Brushed with a thin layer of oil or lined with parchment paper).
Leave to rest for 30 minutes until they expand a little (see note 6).
Brush a thin layer of oil on the buns. Sprinkle sesame seeds over.

Bake the buns

Preheat oven at 410°F/210°C/Fan 190°C. Place the baking tray on the middle rack. Cook for 18 mins.
Then turn the heat up to 480°F/250°C/Fan 230°C. Cook for a further 3-5 mins. If you’re making these buns for the first time, be attentive not to burn them. Please feel free to adjust the time if necessary as different ovens perform slightly differently.

Notes

To make cutting easier, you can freeze the lamb for 1-2 hours until semi-frozen. Cut it into strips then dice.
I trimmed off some lamb fat from the whole lamb leg that I bought. If you’re using other cuts of lamb and don’t have lamb fat available, you may replace it with regular cooking oil.
All-purpose/plain flour works very well for this recipe. You may also use cake flour or special bao flour which has a lower gluten level.
I usually use instant dry yeast which comes as tiny granules that can be directly mixed with other ingredients. You may also use active dry yeast but it needs to be dissolved in lukewarm water before mixing with other ingredients. Shop bought fresh yeast cubes or homemade sourdough starter works well too. Just follow the normal flour-yeast ratio for other types of bread.
The flour-water ratio may vary depending on the brand of your flour. Adjust accordingly. The finished dough should be medium-firm and smooth.
After resting, the buns will expand a little but not doubled in size.