{"id":2040,"date":"2026-05-15T23:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T23:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/?p=2040"},"modified":"2026-05-15T23:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T23:41:16","slug":"char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/","title":{"rendered":"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Char siu bao are the reason dim sum exists. Fluffy, cloud-like dough wrapped around sweet, savory, sticky BBQ pork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, they take a little time. No, it’s not hard. The filling comes together fast, the dough is forgiving, and the first bite\u2014warm, soft, porky\u2014makes every minute worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Makes 12 buns.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Filling:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • 1\u00bd cups cooked char siu (Chinese BBQ pork), finely diced<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 teaspoon sugar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u00bd cup water + 1 teaspoon cornstarch (slurry)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    For the Dough:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 1 tablespoon sugar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 1 teaspoon instant yeast<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \u00bd teaspoon baking powder<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \u00bc teaspoon salt<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \u00be cup (180ml) warm water<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Step-by-Step Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Step 1: Make the Filling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. In a small pan, mix diced char siu, oyster sauce, soy sauce, hoisin, and sugar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry. Stir until thick and sticky. Cool completely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Step 2: Make the Dough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt. Add warm water and oil.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise 1 hour until doubled.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Step 3: Shape the Buns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          1. Punch down dough. Divide into 12 balls. Flatten each into a 4-inch circle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Gather edges and pinch to seal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Step 4: Second Rise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Place buns seam-side down on parchment squares. Let rise 30 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Step 5: Steam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              1. Steam buns in a steamer basket over simmering water for 12 minutes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. Turn off heat. Let rest 5 minutes before opening lid (prevents collapse).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                Step 6: Serve<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                1. Serve warm. Buns can be steamed again later.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  Prep Time:<\/strong> 30 minutes + 1\u00bd hours rising | Cook Time:<\/strong> 12 minutes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Total Time:<\/strong> ~2 hours (mostly hands-off)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Yield:<\/strong> 12 buns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Difficulty:<\/strong> Medium (patience required)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Storage Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  Fridge:<\/strong> Steamed buns keep 4 days. Re-steam for 5-6 minutes until warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Freezer:<\/strong> Freeze uncooked or cooked buns up to 3 months. Steam from frozen (add 5 minutes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Make ahead tip:<\/strong> Make filling 3 days ahead. Make dough, assemble, and steam fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Soft, pillowy steamed buns stuffed with sweet, sticky Chinese BBQ pork. Like a hug in dumpling form. Easier than you think, better than takeout.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[1702,1698,1697,1699,1703,1701,1700],"class_list":["post-2040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quick_meals","tag-baozi","tag-char-siu-bao","tag-chinese-bbq-pork-buns","tag-dim-sum-recipe","tag-homemade-bao","tag-pork-buns","tag-steamed-buns"],"yoast_head":"\nChar Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork) - Soft Boil Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork) - Soft Boil Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Soft, pillowy steamed buns stuffed with sweet, sticky Chinese BBQ pork. Like a hug in dumpling form. Easier than you think, better than takeout.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Soft Boil Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-15T23:41:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-15T23:41:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c-1024x1024.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"user\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"user\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/\",\"name\":\"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork) - Soft Boil Stories\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-15T23:41:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-15T23:41:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":2048},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/\",\"name\":\"Soft Boil Stories\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014\",\"name\":\"user\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"user\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/author\/user\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork) - Soft Boil Stories","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork) - Soft Boil Stories","og_description":"Soft, pillowy steamed buns stuffed with sweet, sticky Chinese BBQ pork. Like a hug in dumpling form. Easier than you think, better than takeout.","og_url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/","og_site_name":"Soft Boil Stories","article_published_time":"2026-05-15T23:41:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-15T23:41:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c-1024x1024.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"user","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"user","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/","url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/","name":"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork) - Soft Boil Stories","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c.png","datePublished":"2026-05-15T23:41:15+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-15T23:41:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.goodlighttravel.com\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/hf_20260515_225250_b5339123-804f-4802-87dc-71d330c2ab1c.png","width":2048,"height":2048},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/2026\/05\/15\/char-siu-bao-fluffy-clouds-filled-with-sweet-bbq-pork\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Char Siu Bao (Fluffy Clouds Filled with Sweet BBQ Pork)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/","name":"Soft Boil Stories","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#\/schema\/person\/78f636c95d988b2b9537664912d72014","name":"user","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4c9a289323b21a01c3e940f150eb9b8c542587f1abfd8f0e1cc1ffc5e475514?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"user"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com"],"url":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/author\/user\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2040"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2071,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040\/revisions\/2071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.cherrychapters.com\/softboilstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}