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Char Siu Bao (Manapua) As Made By Zhe

Craving dim sum? We’ve got you covered! These char siu bao, known as manapuas in Hawaii, consist of sweet and tangy barbecue pork encased in fluffy, steamed bao buns.

Zhe
Tasty Team
Total Time

1 hr 40 min

1 hr 40 min

Prep Time

1 hr

1 hr

Cook Time

20 minutes

20 min

Char Siu Bao (Manapua) As Made By Zhe
Total Time

1 hr 40 min

1 hr 40 min

Prep Time

1 hr

1 hr

Cook Time

20 minutes

20 min

Char Siu Bao (Manapua) As Made By Zhe

Ingredients

for 5 manapuas

Bao Dough

  • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (155 g), plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ½ cup warm water (120 mL)

Char Siu Filling

  • ½ medium yellow onion
  • 1 cup char siu (160 g), (Chinese barbecue pork)
  • ¼ cup char siu sauce (55 g)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water

Nutrition Info

  • Calories 140
  • Fat 1g
  • Carbs 28g
  • Fiber 1g
  • Sugar 3g
  • Protein 4g

Estimated values based on one serving size.

Preparation

  1. Make the bao dough: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil and ⅓ cup warm water and stir to combine. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, mixing constantly. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  2. Make the char siu filling: Dice the onion and chop the char sui into ½-inch pieces.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together the char siu sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
  4. In a medium nonstick pan, sauté the onion over medium-low heat until translucent, 1 minute. Add the chopped char siu, sauce, and water. Stir to combine, then simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 minutes. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until cool.
  5. After rising, punch the dough down and knead until it is back to its original size. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 5 48-gram balls. Flatten and roll out each portion, making sure the middle is thick while the sides are thin. Hold a dough round in the palm of your hand and add 36 grams of the char siu filling to the center. Use your other hand to pinch the edges of the dough together up and over the filling while rotating the bao in your hand.
  6. Place each bao on a small square of parchment paper. Set in a steamer basket, cover, and let rise for about 15 minutes, until slightly puffed, before steaming.
  7. Fill the bottom of a steamer or double boiler with water and bring to a boil. Add the steamer basket with the bao, cover, and steam for 15 minutes, then turn off the flame and let rest in the steamer for 5 minutes before serving.
  8. Enjoy!
  9. Don't just wing it -- plan it! Use our meal planner tool in the Tasty app. Download here.

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