Shengjianbao
Pork dumplings in a lightly leavened, yeasted dough, pan-fried until the bottoms turn golden and crisp, then steamed with a splash of water so the top stays soft, the soup inside coming from pork aspic mixed into the raw filling rather than injected liquid. A Shanghai street-food staple with a distinct lineage from the cold-water-dough, fully steamed xiaolongbao, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallion at the end of frying for a final crisp finish.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy, Sesame. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 160ml warm water
- 250g ground pork
- 150g pork skin, simmered 2 hours and finely chopped (or 200ml pork stock plus 2 tsp gelatin, chilled until firm and diced)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 scallions, minced
- Neutral oil, for frying
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, plus extra scallion, for garnish
Steps
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and warm water into a smooth dough. Cover and let rise 45-60 minutes until roughly doubled; it should still feel dense and chewy, not airy.
- Combine the ground pork, chopped aspic, ginger, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, pepper, salt, and scallion. Mix vigorously in one direction until sticky and cohesive. Chill 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 16 pieces, roll into thin discs, and fill each with about 25g filling, pleating closed like a bao.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a lidded non-stick skillet over medium-high. Arrange the buns seam-side down and fry 2-3 minutes until golden bottoms form.
- Add 120ml water, cover immediately, reduce to medium heat, and steam 8-10 minutes until the water evaporates.
- Uncover, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallion, and fry 1 more minute uncovered for extra crispness.
- Serve immediately with black vinegar and chili oil for dipping.