Baked 烘
Authentic Baked BBQ Pork Buns with Sugar Crust Recipe
These legendary dim sum treats feature a succulent honey-glazed char siu center encased in a pillowy milk bread dough, topped with a signature 'snow mountain' crackle sugar crust. Combining the softness of a steamed bun with the crunch of a cookie, this recipe is the ultimate guide to bakery-quality Cantonese buns in a home kitchen.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Advanced
- Per serving
- 385 kcal
Method
Prepare Tangzhong: Whisk 20g flour and 100ml water in a pan over medium heat until a thick paste forms (65°C/150°F). Cool completely.
Knead Dough: Combine bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, one egg, and the Tangzhong. Knead by hand or mixer for 10 minutes. Add 30g softened butter and knead until a translucent 'windowpane' membrane forms. Total hydration should feel tacky but not sticky.
Steamer Proofing: Setup your bamboo steamer over a pot of water heated to 40°C (104°F). Turn off heat. Place the dough bowl in the steamer, cover, and let rise for 60 minutes until doubled. This creates the perfect 30°C/80% humidity environment.
Make Filling: Sauté diced char siu with oyster sauce, hoisin, and a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp starch + 3 tbsp water) until the sauce is thick and gelatinous. Chill completely before using.
Sugar Crust: Cream 60g butter with icing sugar and 10g milk powder. Fold in 100g cake flour and 20g whisked egg to form a soft cookie-like paste. Chill in a piping bag.
Assembly & Pleating: Divide dough into 12 balls (approx 55g each). Flatten into a disc with edges thinner than the center. Place 1 tbsp filling in center. Pleat the edges together tightly—aim for exactly 12-14 pleats to ensure even dough distribution. Pinch to seal.
Final Proof: Place buns on parchment in the bamboo steamer (water still warm but not boiling) for 45 minutes.
Bake & Crust: Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Pipe a spiral of the sugar crust paste over the top of each bun, covering the top third. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the buns are lightly golden and the crust is white and cracked. (Note: If steaming instead of baking for traditional white buns, steam on high for 12 minutes).
Notes
The secret to the 'Snow Mountain' is the milk powder in the crust; it provides the specific white color and creamy aroma.
Always chill your filling; warm filling will melt the dough fats and cause the buns to collapse or leak during the bake.
Use the bamboo steamer as a proofing box to maintain the exact humidity required for the milk bread dough to stay supple.
For the crust, do not over-mix once the flour is added or it will become tough rather than crumbly.
