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A close-up frontal shot captures a pan filled with six pan-fried pork buns, sprinkled with black sesame seeds and julienned scallions. One bun is flipped over, revealing its perfectly crispy, browned bottom.

Pan Fried Pork Buns

Soft, fluffy, and chewy buns filled with a juicy pork filling, finished with a crispy, golden-brown bottom.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 6 Buns

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls For combining ingredients for the filling and dough.
  • Food scale or measuring cups and spoons I highly recommend using a scale when cooking! I use a scale in all of my recipes.
  • Stand Mixer with Dough Hook For kneading the dough for best results. Alternatively, you can knead by hand.
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pan or skillet Choose a pan with a flat base to ensure an even sear, unlike a wok, which has a concave shape.
  • Lid for pan or skillet The lid should be tight fitting or else the buns will not get a proper steam.
  • Spatula
  • Towel or plastic wrap
  • Knife or Bench Scraper

Ingredients
 

Filling

  • 10 oz (280 g) ground pork
  • 1/2 cup (25 g) scallions julienned, divided
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp (19 mL) oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp (5 g) ginger
  • 1 tsp (5 g) pure sesame oil
  • 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
  • 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) white pepper powder

Bun

  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) whole milk chilled
  • 1 tsp (4 g) active dry yeast
  • 2 cups (280 g) bleached AP flour

For Searing

  • 4 tbsp (60 mL) neutral oil
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) filtered water
  • 1 tsp (3 g) sesame seeds

Instructions
 

Filling

  • Combine ground pork, half of the scallions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, sugar, salt, and white pepper.

Dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine chilled milk, yeast, and flour until it forms a dough ball. Beat on high speed for 10 mins.
  • Alternatively, knead by hand for twice the duration. Initially sticky, the dough should become smooth with kneading.
  • Allow the dough to rest for 1.5 hours covered with a towel or plastic wrap.

Shape

  • Weigh the dough out on a scale and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
  • Take a piece of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin to a 5 in diameter. Keep the center thicker than the edges.
  • Add the filling.
  • Gather the together using a pinching motion, twisting to seal. Place the smooth side down. Repeat.

Pan-fry

  • Heat a pan over medium heat until fully heated, about 2 mins. Add oil and heat for an additional min.
  • Carefully add the buns smooth side down and sear until golden brown, approximately 3 mins or less.
  • Add water to the pan and cover with its lid. Steam the buns until they double in size, about 13 mins.
  • Uncover and continue searing until the water evaporates. Sprinkle on black sesame and julienned scallions. Serve hot.

Notes

* Preheat your pan and oil. This helps to create a crisp bottom crust while preventing sticking.
* Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point to prevent the buns from burning.
* Start with medium heat to sear the buns, then reduce the heat to low to ensure the filling cooks through without burning.
* To ensure that the buns don’t collapse, avoid opening the lid during steaming.
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