{"id":6081,"date":"2025-10-01T09:23:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/104.236.198.25\/?p=6081"},"modified":"2025-10-01T09:23:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:23:40","slug":"kao-bao-zi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/kao-bao-zi\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Baked Buns (\u70e4\u5305\u5b50, Kao Bao Zi)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chinese baked buns, or Kao Bao Zi, are one of my favorite dishes to make on the weekend. Stuffed with lamb and onion, seasoned with cumin and black pepper, the buns are baked until golden crispy. They look impressive and are so comforting to eat, a perfect snack or light meal by itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kao<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is Kao Bao Zi?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kao Bao Zi (\u70e4\u5305\u5b50), literally translated as \u201cbaked buns\u201d and known in Uyghur as Samsa, is one of the most significant dishes from Xinjiang cuisine<\/a>. Just like Xinjiang lamb skewers<\/a> and Xinjiang Laghman<\/a>, this recipe also uses the regional staple lamb as the main ingredient.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in Beijing, Kao Bao Zi was one of my favorite snacks to order from the restaurant. Unlike the more common steamed baozi<\/a>, these buns do not use a yeast dough, and are baked until the dough becomes golden brown and slightly chewy. The aromatic spices reflect the influence of Silk Road cuisine, where Central Asian flavors mingle with Chinese techniques. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you love dumplings and bao but want something with more texture and a toasty aroma, Kao Bao Zi is worth adding to your repertoire and why not as part of your Asian Thanksgiving recipes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Kao Bao Zi requires pretty simple ingredients to make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dough is made with all-purpose flour, oil, egg and a bit of water. The oil and egg make the buns tender, rich, and flavorful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The filling uses lamb meat and onion, with a few simple ingredients. The main flavor element is cumin powder, which is commonly used in Xinjiang cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What cut of lamb to use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lamb leg is my favorite cut to use in Kao Bao Zi. It is rich and flavorful, with a good ratio of lean to fat. Alternatively, you can also use stew meat instead. If the cut you use is quite fatty, do not trim off all the fat! In fact, it\u2019s more delicious if you add small bits of fat into the filling, which make the buns juicier once baked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make authentic Kao Bao Zi, you should always use lamb meat diced into small pieces for texture. However, it is OK to replace it with ground lamb as well. The buns will have a different texture but will be delicious regardless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different filling variations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although lamb is the default filling for Kao Bao Zi, it\u2019s totally OK to use a different meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My top alternative is beef.<\/strong> A marbled cut such as flank and skirt are great options. Beef has a strong flavor that works beautifully with cumin. It\u2019s always a great alternative to lamb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another option is chicken thigh<\/strong>. Because chicken thighs are fattier than breast and have more flavor, they work better in this recipe than breast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is possible to use pork as well, but you want to make sure the pork you use is not too lean, which would give you a dry and chewy filling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kao Bao Zi usually uses onion to accompany the meat. You can also add a very small amount of finely diced carrot <\/strong>for color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to make<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Prepare the filling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make the filling first and let marinate in the fridge, so the lamb will be more flavorful. Again, if possible, make sure to mix in a small amount of lamb fat. A great way to add flavor without making the Kao Bao Zi greasy is to trim off some fat, then cut it into very small pieces (much smaller than the lean meat part). This way, the fat will melt into the buns during baking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lamb<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prepare the dough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Mix the flour with eggs and oil. Then slowly add warm water while mixing, until the water is fully incorporated. When adding water, make sure to mix it very slowly and onto the dried flour directly, to help with even mixing. Once all the ingredients are mixed, it should form soft dough flakes that are a little tacky but do not stick to your hands. There should be no \/ little dry flour left in the bowl. You might need to add more flour or water depending on the dough flake texture.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Mixing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    1. 1st kneading: <\/strong>Then knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes. The dough should be quite easy to work with and not stick much. After the first kneading, the dough is somewhat smooth but not super smooth. This is totally OK. It will become smoother after the second kneading.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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      1. 2nd kneading: <\/strong>After 15 minutes of resting, knead the dough a second time. This time you literally only knead the dough a few times and it will become very smooth. The first resting helps the dough hydrate evenly, so it\u2019s very easy to knead the second time. After the 2nd kneading, let the dough rest for another 30 minutes to relax the gluten. So the dough becomes easy to work with when shaping the buns.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \"Dough<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Shape the buns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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        1. After resting the 2nd time, divide the dough into 10 even pieces by slicing the dough in half, then divide each half into 5 pieces. I usually like to weigh the dough (mine was 48 to 50 g per dough) to make sure they are similar in size. But you can skip the measuring as well, since it doesn\u2019t affect the baking much. Make sure to always cover the dough you\u2019re not working on, to prevent it from drying out. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \"Shaped<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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          1. Roll each dough piece into an oval shaped sheet. It should be thicker in the center and thin on the edges, so the folded buns will have a more even thickness.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
            \"Rolled<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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            1. Add about 4 tablespoons of filling into the center. I like to pack in as much filling as I can, to make the buns very rich and flavorful. Since we\u2019re using freshly made dough, it\u2019s quite elastic and can be stretched a bit during folding, which allows you to stuff in more filling. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
              \"Adding<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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              1. Fold the long edges first. They should barely overlap. Pinch the edges together to seal. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                \"Seal<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                1. Then fold the two short sides to the center. Again, make sure to pinch the edges to seal well. The bottom of the buns will always be thicker than the top, due to the multiple layers. That is why you want to roll the wrapper a little thin on the edges, so the bottom of the bun is not too thick.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                  \"Seal<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                  1. Brush the buns with egg wash. Here I like to brush a generous amount of wash so the buns come out with a beautiful color. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                    \"Brush<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                    1. Sprinkle sesame seeds onto the buns. Then bake them in the oven for 25 minutes. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                      \"Assembled<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                      1. Once baked, the buns should be golden brown and slightly inflated. Some juice from the filling will leak out, which is totally normal. Since we use a few layers of dough on the bottom, it protects the buns from falling apart. The thicker part of the dough also soaks up the lamb juice, making it extra delicious. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                        \"Baked<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                        How to serve & reheat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                        Wait until the lamb buns cool off a little before serving them. If you cut one open, you will see that the top of the buns are inflated with some air pockets underneath. The outer layer is crispy and the inside a little chewy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        In China, we usually eat the buns by themselves because they’re fully seasoned and quite flavorful. But I\u2019ve seen some Xinjiang restaurants in the US serve them with a tomato based sauce that is similar to salsa. If you prefer to serve these buns with a sauce, a simple salsa is a great option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        These buns make a great appetizer or a snack. They keep well in the fridge and freezer. If you freeze the buns, thaw them in the fridge before reheating. To reheat, simply heat them in the oven at 400\u00b0F (200\u00b0C) until warmed through, 10 minutes or so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \"Cut<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                        Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t
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                        How do I prevent the filling from leaking during baking?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t
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                        Make sure to seal the buns tightly by pinching the dough firmly during folding. Rolling the dough a little thicker helps too. That being said, it\u2019s totally normal if some lamb juice leaks out. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n\n\t\t

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                        Can I prepare the dough or filling in advance?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t
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                        Yes. The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. The dough can also be prepared in advance and left to rest in the fridge overnight for a deeper flavor.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n\n\t\t

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                        Can I freeze the buns and bake them from frozen?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t
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                        Yes! Once you assemble the buns, you can place them in a large sealed container and freeze them. Bake the frozen buns directly without thawing. You might need to bake them a little longer in this case. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n\n\n

                        \"Chinese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                        Other Chinese dumplings and buns recipes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n