#dumplingsoup #dumplings #xiaolongbao #小笼包
Xiao Long Bao 小笼包 is very popular in Shanghai. Discover how to cook Xiao Long Bao 小笼包 and why it’s so delicious. Come for a quick trip into Chinese people’s heart.

Detailed recipe

A. Dough

▪️500g plan white flour or all-purpose flour
▪️100ml boiling water
▪️150ml cold water
▪️3g salt

✅ Mix half of the flour with the boiling water. Then add the salt in the other half and mix it with the cold water.

✅ Combine the cold and hot part together and knead the dough for 15 minutes. Cover and set the dough for 15 minutes.

✅ After 15 minutes, knead it for another 5 minutes, and cover and set it aside for 30 to 60 more minutes.

B. Filling

▪️500g ground meat (20% fat)
▪️400g clear pork or chicken jelly (cold and solid)

C. Seasonings

▪️3 spring onions
▪️5 slices of ginger
▪️1 star aniseed
▪️10g Sichuan Pepper corn
▪️10g whole fennel seeds
▪️2 table spoons of light colour soy sauce
▪️Quarter tea spoon of white pepper powder
▪️1 table spoon of rice wine/sake or white wine
▪️1 tea spoon salt

✅ Put ginger, star aniseed, Sichuan pepper corn and fennel seeds in 200ml cold water, and boil for about 10 minutes at low heat until the water reduce to 100ml. Filter away all the seasonings.

✅ Add the soy sauce, white pepper powder, salt and wine in the meat first, and then add the seasoned water in three batches while you are mixing the meat in one direction. Mix until all the seasoned water is absorbed and your hand feel the strong resistance from the meat while you are mixing.

✅ Mince the jelly, try to not touch the jelly with your hands. Mix in one direction

✅ Cover the filling and put in the refrigerator. Only take out right before you are ready to wrap the bun.
D. Wrapper

✅ Cut one third of the dough at a time and roll it into a rope with 3cm diameter. Keep the remaining dough covered in the pot, otherwise, it will dry out.

✅ Cut the rope into 2cm long pieces, and press the pieces into disk shape.

✅ One hand holding and moving the disk in one direction and another hand roll the pin on the disk back and force. Press the pin a bit harder on the edge so the edge will be thinner and the center will be a bit thicker.

✅ Ideally, each wrapper shall be around 8 to 9cm diameter.

E. Wrap

✅ Put a lump of filling in the centre of the flat dough and hold it with one hand (left if you are right handed), leave 2.5cm space from the filling to the edge.

✅ Fold the edge of the wrap with your right hand’s thumb and index finger little by little until the end. Normally, you fold around 18 to 20 times and then close the wrap.

F. Steam

✅ Put the non-stick parchment paper for steam on the bottom of the steamer. This is a must. You can find this paper in oriental stores. If you don’t use the parchment paper, your Xiao long bao 小笼包 will stick at the bottom. Afterwards, it will break and you won’t able to enjoy the juicy bun at all. This is the last thing you want to happen to your Xiao Long Bao.

✅ Please leave at least 3cm distance between each bun. The buns will become bigger once they cooked, so you need to leave enough space in between to prevent them from sticking together.

✅ Only place the steam colander on top of the pot when the water is boiling. Steam for 10 minutes if there are more than 10 buns in the steamer. Otherwise, only steam for 8 minutes. Keep the heat at the high level throughout the cooking time.

✅ After you turn off the fire, open the lid and let the buns cool down a bit before you eat them, because the juice is boiling hot and you could burn your tongue. Still, Xiao long bao 小笼包 should not be consumed when it is completely cooled down, as the juice will coagulate.
Uncooked Xiao long bao 小笼包 on parchment paper

G. Sauce for dipping the Xiao long bao 小笼包

Two table spoons of dark Chinese vinegar (prefer Chinkiang vinegar). Add a few pieces of thinly shredded ginger in the vinegar.

My Tip: I take out the Xiaolongbao gently from the steamer when it is still very hot and put it into the vinegar sauce to seat for a minute before eating it. The sauce will cool down the bun and at the same time provide the flavour.

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