Baozi

Baozi are delicious steamed buns typical of Chinese cuisine, filled with various fillings, which can range from meat to vegetables. Although they are not a traditional Italian dish, I can still suggest how to prepare them and perhaps with an Italian twist to the filling. Here’s the basic recipe for making baozi:

Ingredients

• 500g of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of dry yeast
• 250 ml of warm water
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 300g of ground pork (or another meat of your choice, such as chicken or beef)
• Soy sauce, spring onion, fresh ginger, garlic (quantities to taste to season the meat)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the dry yeast, sugar, and salt. Gradually add the warm water and start kneading until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil and continue to work the dough for about 10 minutes.
2. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
3. In the meantime, prepare the filling by sautéing the ground meat in a pan and adding soy sauce, chopped spring onion, grated ginger, and garlic to your taste. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and let cool.
4. Take the leavened dough and divide it into balls of about 50g each. Roll out each ball with a rolling pin to obtain a circle.
5. Put a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle of dough, then close the bao by pinching and turning the edges upward to seal the filling inside.
6. Place the baozi on a piece of parchment paper and let them rest for another 30 minutes.
7. Steam the baozi for about 15 minutes, using a bamboo steamer or a special kitchen pot.

To add an Italian touch, you could experiment with a filling of Bolognese sauce or spinach and ricotta, for example. And, if you like kitchen adventures, try also replacing some of the flour with whole wheat or spelt flour for a slightly more rustic variant.

Did you know?

Baozi are not only a homemade dish but are also very popular as street food in China, where they are sold in small stalls or carts on the streets, at all hours of the day.