{"id":37878,"title":"Sheng Jian Bao: Chinese Pan-Fried Buns","modified":"2025-07-01T09:31:10+02:00","plain":"What is Sheng Jian Bao? \n\n\n\nBao, the unmissable delight of Chinese cuisine, is hands down one of my favorite dishes, enchanting diners across China and far beyond. Its soft, fluffy dough encloses a rich, flavorful, and above all, juicy filling.\n\n\n\nOf all the variations, Sheng Jian Bao, a Shanghai specialty, has a special place in my heart. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, it stands out for its cooking method: the buns are pan-fried first instead of being steamed.\n\n\n\nThey also look a bit like khinkali, the delicious Georgian dumplings\n\n\n\nThis technique lets the dough rise while a crust forms on the bottom, leaving the inside soft and juicy. The harmony of golden, crunchy crust, pillowy bread, and a juicy, umami-rich filling is pure culinary bliss.\n\n\n\nEnjoyed by Shanghai locals since the early 19th century, this morning treat is now within everyone's reach; you can make and savor it any time of day from the comfort of an american kitchen.\n\n\n\nEvery summer I look forward to visiting my family in New York so we can head to my favorite restaurant for their version. That restaurant inspired my filling; it is not perfect yet, but I am getting closer!\n\n\n\nTheir steamed cousins: baozi\n\n\n\nI do not have a blender. How do I make the jelly?\n\n\n\nNo worries. Use a 1:2 ratio instead, meaning 200ml of water instead of 400ml, and cook for 1 minute 30 seconds.\n\n\n\nTips for making bao\n\n\n\nStick to the stated dough quantities! That said, the exact amount of water can vary with the flour you use. Only practice will tell you how much you really need.\n\n\n\nIf the dough feels sticky, dust your work surface with cornstarch; it works like a charm!\n\n\n\nSheng Jian Bao on the streets of Shanghai\n\n\n\nYes, this recipe is time-consuming, but that only makes the first bite even more satisfying. It is simply divine.\n\n\n\nI use almost the same filling for my Chinese dumplings.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tSheng Jian Bao: Shanghai Pan-Fried Soup Buns\n\t\t\n\t\tAn authentic Sheng Jian Bao recipe that brings the sizzle of Shanghai street stalls straight to your kitchen.\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tHomemade Pork Aspic100 g pork skin (rind)400 ml water1 small knob of ginger2 scallions2 pinches salt1 pinch MSG (optional)Dough400 g all-purpose flour2 g instant dry yeast230 ml water1 teaspoon sugarFilling300 g ground pork200 g pork aspic1 tablespoon chopped green onion1 teaspoon finely minced ginger150 ml water1.5 teaspoon salt2 teaspoon sugar1 tablespoon sesame oil1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine2 teaspoons cornstarch1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercornsToppingsblack sesame seedschopped green onion\t\n\t\n\t\tMake the Pork AspicIf needed, singe off any stray hairs from the pork skin.Slice the skin into thin strips.Combine all the aspic ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes.During cooking, try to keep the skin-to-water ratio close to 1:4. If the liquid reduces too much, top it up with a splash of water.When done, discard the scallion and ginger, then transfer the skin and broth to a blender and blitz on high speed.Return the mixture to the saucepan, simmer for 3\u20135 minutes more, then pour it into a glass container.Refrigerate the aspic until fully set.Make the DoughIn a bowl, whisk the yeast and sugar into the flour.Gradually pour in the water while stirring.Knead until the dough is smooth, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 20\u201330 minutes.When the dough has slightly risen, poke it gently; if the indentation bounces back slowly, it's ready to go into the fridge.Make the FillingCombine the water, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and green onion in a bowl and let them steep for 15 minutes.In a separate large bowl, mix all the remaining filling ingredients except the pork aspic. Stir in one direction for about 3 minutes.Strain out and discard the aromatics, then gradually drizzle the infused water into the filling while stirring.Stir until the mixture turns sticky and almost paste-like.Remove the chilled pork aspic from the fridge and finely dice it.Fold the aspic into the meat mixture, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.Shape the BunsLightly flatten the dough with your palm.Fold it into a rectangle, then roll it out with a rolling pin.Roll the dough into a long log.Cut the log into bite-sized pieces, about 13\u201315 g each, and dust them with flour to prevent sticking.Lightly oil a pan and set it aside.Press each dough piece flat, then roll out the edges with a rolling pin while rotating the dough so the center stays slightly thicker.Spoon a little filling into the center of each wrapper.Gather the edges, pleat, and pinch firmly to seal.Double-check the seal so no broth can escape.CookingSet the buns in the hot pan, pleat side down, and pan-fry over medium heat for 1\u20132 minutes until golden.Pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the buns.Cover, reduce the heat, and steam-fry for 8\u201310 minutes.Once the water has evaporated and you hear a gentle sizzle, turn off the heat and scatter over the chopped green onion and black sesame seeds.Cover again and let the buns rest for 1 minute before serving.\t\n\t\n\t\tI don\u2019t have a blender\u2014what can I do about the aspic?\nNo problem. Use a 1:2 ratio instead (200 ml water to 100 g skin) and simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until tender.\nThe buns will puff slightly as they cook, so leave a little space between them in the pan.\nHold off on flipping until the bottoms are deeply golden.\nBecause this dough uses a semi-fermented method, it won\u2019t rise as much as regular steamed-bun dough\u2014that\u2019s exactly what gives Sheng Jian Bao their signature chew.\nWhen the aspic melts it becomes a delicious, but piping-hot, soup\u2014beware of that first bite!\n\t\n\t\n\t\tChinoisebao, baozi, sheng jian baoHuile de s\u00e9same, Ma\u00efzena, Porc, Vin shaoxing","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}