Comments on: Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Buns, 叉烧包)

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:40:53 +0000

In reply to Steven Broyles. I’m really glad you found the dough you were looking for, and that it worked well for you!

By: Steven Broyles

Steven Broyles — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 02:10:32 +0000

This is it. I have been searching high and low for a fluffy, soft bao dough. I have now found it. Thank you so much.

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 07:32:07 +0000

In reply to Kate. Yes you can, Kate. It'll be similar to Mantou, plain steamed buns. Happy steaming!

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:12:58 +0000

Hi wei! Can I make these without a filling inside??

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:58:37 +0000

In reply to Chris. Thank you for sharing your experience, Chris! I’m glad the recipe works well for you.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 03:06:35 +0000

I’ve used this recipe multiple times with great results! I tend to make seven larger sized bao instead of the fourteen the recipe suggests and it works out perfectly, I’m happy to have found a recipe that fits everything I was looking for.

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 13:59:03 +0000

In reply to Jo. That’s such a thoughtful observation. The cracked-top char siu bao you see in dim sum restaurants is Cantonese-style steamed bao, made with a special dough that splits open when steamed (as explained in my post). What your mother made sounds like regular bao (known as baozi) which is popular in many regions of China and filled with various fillings.

By: Jo

Jo — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:01:14 +0000

Love your engaging website! I am curious, do all char siu baos in China have the cracked tops? Or is it a regional thing, for instance just in Guangdong? It seems to me that in the SF restaurants, the dough for char siu bao is stiffer than for all other types of bao, as well as have the cracked top. My mother was from Jiangsu and her char siu baos were always closed, soft and fluffy, but this may be just a difference between a homestyle bao and a restaurant bao.

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:36:31 +0000

In reply to Tod. Thanks so much! So glad the bao were a hit and the dough worked well—can’t wait for you to try more dim sum recipes!

By: Tod

Tod — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:56:03 +0000

Great recipe and wonderful result! The bao dough is the easiest I have worked with and these disappeared quickly! Thank you – I look forward to trying more recipes and building my repertoire of dim sum dishes.