Let me paint a picture for you - a 27 year old girl moves to San Francisco (where she knows nobody) for a new job at an exciting tech company. She moves in on a friday when SF has record breaking 109 degree weather. Spends the next two days eating pizza from a local pizzeria which is very expensive and tastes terrible cold - but she has no other option. Her kitchen things are still with the movers and she doesnt own a microwave yet. On Sunday, after a good nights sleep she wanders out to find something other than cardboard to eat and walks into Fort Mason farmers market with its beautiful produce and flower stands. She walks to the back where her nose leads her to a dumpling truck with the longest line ever seen. After 25 mins she makes it to the front and gets her hands on uniquely doughy chicken dumplings with the perfect crunch. This is my meet-cute with the Shangdong style bao. (I apologise for the dramatization - food tends to have that effect on my memories 🤣)
While i lived in San Francisco I visted Happy Dumplings food truck in Fort Mason atleast 2 Sundays a month. My Sundays were spent grabbing a portion of these dumplings, sitting in the sun and people watching. I've taken all my close friends and family to this foodtruck and enjoyed many a good times munching on these dumplings. When i moved to Austin in March, I was truly very sad about not being able to spend my Sundays enjoying these dumplings. Priorities eh?
I woke up today earlier than usual with a purpose to achieve something big. And thats where the hunt for the perfect Shangdong bao recipe began. After a few hours I found a recipe I could work with and the rest is history. I have found the recipe that works for me and everytime i bite into a dumpling, my brain takes me back. Back to those sun filled Fort Mason afternoons, petting dogs tied outside the coffee shop while eating the warm baos. Food has a beautiful way of bringing back memories better than photographs ever will.
I hope you enjoy making and eating these dumplings as much as iv enjoyed sharing this story with you 😍
<-----Link of the recipe i used as inspiration---->
Ingredients :
Dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp instant yeast
200 ml lukewarm water
Filling:
2 chicken breasts minced
2 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger minced
1 cup cilantro minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cold water
Fying dumplings:
2 tbsp neutral oil(i used vegetable oil)
1 cup water
Recipe:
Dough:
Combine flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl.
Slowly add water and combine. Depending on the flour brand you might need to add more water, just remember the dough should be dry and easy to roll into a ball and not liquidy.
Cover with a wet towel and place in a warm place to rise. The dough should take between 40 mins - 1.5 hours to double
Knead the dough after it doubles till it goes back to its original size.
Break up into 10-12 equal portions
Roll out each dough ball into a disk
Filling:
Combine all ingredients for filling in a bowl
Assembling Dumplings:
Hold each disk in hand and place 1 tbsp filling in the center.
Pinch all the sides to combine till the bun is completely sealed. Press down in the center and flatten.
Frying Dumplings:
Add 1/2 tbsp oil to a frying pan (enough to coat the bottom) and heat on medium
Once heated add 3-4 dumplings ( i fried 5 at a time) and let bottoms color for a few minutes.
Once the bottoms are browned, turn down the gas and add a little water(enough to coat the bottom about 1/4 inch) and put on a lid. ( ***NOTE*** Please make sure the pan isnt too hot and there is not too much oil at the bottom, otherwise water will cause it to splatter)
Once all the water is evaporated, you will see the buns have doubled and cooked through, and they are ready to eat.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. We ate it with a mix of soy, vinegar and chilli garlic sauce 😎🍻