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Wednesday 17 September 2014

Siew Bao / Flaky Chicken Buns

I love to eat Siew Pau / Shao Bao 烧包.  Whenever I'm at a shopping mall and if I happened to across stall selling piping hot Shao Bao, I will buy one or two to enjoy.  But nowadays the Shao Bao is getting smaller and smaller and the price is getting increasing.  Sometimes I feel it is really not worth it for paying $1.70 a piece for just a tiny bao!  

I prefer to make my own Shao Bao as I can use my own healthy ingredients.



Flaky Roast Buns With Chicken Filling / Chicken Shao Bao
Recipe adapted and copy from Sonia's of Nasi Lemak Lover with slight changes 

For the Chicken filling
450g (+/-) chicken meat (I use skinless chicken thigh), cubed small
100g onion, chopped
50g frozen green peas, thawed 

Seasonings 
3 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp dark caramel soy sauce, optional (I used ABC Sweet dark sauce)
A pinch of Chinese five-spices powder 

1 tbsp corn flour + 2 tbsp water, to thicken 

Method
Mix all seasonings in a mixing bowl, set aside.
Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil in a non-stick frying pan, add in onion, sauté till fragrant.
Add in chicken meat, stir fry till the meat half cooked.
Add in seasonings, continue stir fry for few minutes till thicken.
Add in the grean peas and stir till everything incorporated in.
Add in corn flour water to thicken in, set aside to cool. 

Dough A (Water dough)

200g plain flour
60g butter (salted), at room temperature
2 tbsp caster sugar
100g water 

Dough B (oil dough)

160g plain flour
100g shortening 

Egg wash (egg yolk +water), white sesame seeds  

Method

Dough A 
Rub butter with flour and sugar, slowly add in water, combine till form dough, set aside 10mins.

Dough B 
Rub shortening with flour, combine till form dough, set aside for 10mins.

Equally divide dough A and B into 20 portions and roll into ball
Wrap dough B with dough A (that means oil dough is inside). Roll it out into long rectangle shape. Then roll up the dough like swiss roll. Repeat this step one more time. Then take the swiss roll and pinch two ends together and roll into ball shape. Set aside to rest and repeat the rest of dough till finished.
Roll it out into a circle and place a spoonful the filling in the center. Bring all edges together and pinch to seal.

Egg wash and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes.

Take out the baking tray, egg wash again and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (do it one by one: egg wash one sprinkle sesame seeds), and return to oven at 180C for another 15mins or till golden brown.



I have been so diligently making Shao Baos lately as this is my third  batch already!!









12 comments:

  1. Hey Mel, can join for tea? Can't resist your yummy-licious baked Chicken Shao Bao, so tempting ^-^!

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    1. Hi Karen, if you are nearby you are always welcome to join me for tea with this shao bao. Freshly baked shao bao always taste real good.

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  2. Mel, I am very tempted to make this siew bao because I also love them a lot! One question, did the siew bao have coconut smell? I think it is a good idea that shortening can be substitute with coconut oil.

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    1. When I knead in the oil dough with the coconut oil, you can smell the coconut fragrant oil but after baked the baos.....there is only shao baos fragrant aroma !!

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  3. I want one now, Mel! Looks tempting.

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  4. Your Siew Bao looks so......tempting,wish to have one now..:)

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  5. Your siew baos are so beautifully golden!

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  6. i love shao bao... but dare not eat... but i would love to eat a few of yours! coconut oil! fight that.. i love the healthy tweak... i'm a tad too late huh? anymore?

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  7. Those look delicious!!! I love the Chinese style flaky pastry. Must lose some weight before I make those. I know i can't resist polishing them all off.

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  8. Wow! These siew bao look as good as Seremban famous siew bao! Well done Mel!

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  9. Hi Mel,
    Waaaa! I so wanna eat this siew bao ! Looks so good & appetizing ! I must try out soon especially during winter . This bao will make a comforting snack ! YUM ;)

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  10. Finally got around to do this pao after my aunt gv me a month ago 😅

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