-- Cook along with your favourite TV chefs in the Dishing It Up. All episodes streaming free at . For recipes and more head to . ---
Bao is both the Cantonese and Mandarin word for bread. It can be used to refer to many dishes, including different kinds of dumplings. However, the bao we are talking about here is gua bao: open steamed buns, which gloriously show off their fillings.
Many people have gua bao when they're out, but there's no reason why you can't have them at home. They can be as simple or elaborate as you like, depending on time.
Phong Tran is the co-founder of Bao Melbourne, which sells gua bao at markets and festivals and offers catering. Tran says the ideal bao are "steaming hot, soft pillowy buns with a great filling".
Not everything came straight from the oven. Source: Murdoch Books
Make it
Chicken bao
When it comes to the bread, Tran says "the most important tip is to be patient with the dough".
"Similar to making other kinds of bread, you just need to make sure you allow enough time for the dough to proof."
Steaming hot, soft pillowy buns with a great filling.
A sees milk, butter or oil and active yeast come together. The dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda) are sifted and combined with the wet ingredients. Tran suggests using "extra white farina flour for super white buns".
It's easiest to mix the dough in a stand mixer for about 10 minutes on low speed. If you're kneading by hand, it'll take 20 minutes. Then cover it in cling wrap to start the proofing process. You should leave the dough for about an hour or just over, until it doubles in size.
Pork bao Source: Richo's Bar Snacks
Make it
Pork bao
When the dough is ready, roll it out so it's 5mm thick. A ring-shaped cookie cutter does a great job at cutting the buns. A key step is to spray the top of each bun slightly with some oil, before folding each bun in half to create semi-circles. Otherwise, you can put some baking paper between the folds. The bao need another 30 minutes to prove further.
The best way to cook the bread is in a bamboo steamer for about 10 minutes. You can also freeze the bao for future use.
For those who are time-poor you can readily find gua bao at the Asian groceries in the frozen section, says Tran.
As for fillings, is a go-to. There's also room to get creative, like with these or . Bao Melbourne currently has a southern fried chicken option; it has even used Nutella for a sweet version.
Dan Hong, chef and host of SBS Food's The Streets, fuses a gua bao with a – an iconic Argentinian sandwich containing chorizo and chimichurri. Hong calls his twist a 'chori-bao'.
BAO TIME
Chori-bao
"Instead of the baguette, [I use] some steamed buns," Hong says. He caramelises thinly sliced chorizo and pairs it with a freshly made green sauce of coriander, ginger, garlic and lime – tweaking the classic chimichurri that's found in choripan.
Hong uses store-bought gua bao. The buns should only take a minute to steam once defrosted. If they're still frozen, they'll take about seven minutes.
When it comes to assembly time, first comes the hoisin sauce, which brings "a little bit of sweetness to the bao". Then comes the caramelised chorizo and coriander sauce, topped with julienned cucumber and shallots.
All that's left to do is pick one up and eat it!
