How to Make Siopao

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: December 3, 2020

If you love Filipino food and dim sum, you've probably had siopao. These delicious steamed buns are usually filled with sweet and a salty meat filling or a meatball and egg filling. Create a basic dough and let it prove while you make the shredded pork filling (asado) or the meatball and egg filling (bola bola). Roll the dough into small circles and top them with the meat filling. Wrap the buns and steam them until the meat cooks and the dough is fluffy.

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup (240 ml) warm milk (40-60 F)
2 teaspoons (5.5 g) dry instant yeast
2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (9 g) baking powder
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
A few drops lime juice, optional
2 tablespoons vinegar, for steaming

Makes enough for 10 pieces

Asado Filling

1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 pound (453 g) pork butt or shoulder, cut into large chunks
2 1/4 cups (530 ml) water
½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) oyster sauce
3 tablespoons (37.5 g) sugar
2 star anise
1 tablespoon (9 g) cornstarch

Makes enough filling for 10 pieces

Bola Bola Filling

1/2 pound (226 g) ground pork
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) finely minced garlic
1/2 carrot, grated
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground pepper
1 small egg, beaten
5 quail eggs, hard-boiled and shelled

Makes enough filling for 10 pieces

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Making the Dough

1
Whisk the warm milk with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Get out a bowl and pour 1 cup (240 ml) of warm milk into it. Whisk in 2 teaspoons (5.5 g) of dry instant yeast, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of sugar, and ½ teaspoon (3 g) of salt.^{[1]
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- The milk should be between 40 °F (4 °C) to 60 °F (16 °C).
2
Rest the liquid mixture for 5 minutes. Set the bowl aside for 5 to 10 minutes to activate the yeast. If the yeast activates properly, the mixture will become foamy. You can combine the dry ingredients while the yeast activates.^{[2]
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- If your mixture doesn't foam after 10 minutes, your yeast may expired. Start again with yeast that isn't expired or the dough won't rise.
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3
Combine the dry ingredients with a little vegetable oil and lime juice. Get out a large mixing bowl and measure 4 cups (500 g) of all-purpose flour into it. Whisk in 2 teaspoons (9 g) of baking powder, and 1/2 cup (100 g) of sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil and a few drops of lime juice. Keep stirring until the oil is incorporated.^{[3]
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- The lime juice will help make the siopao dough whiter.
4
Combine the wet and dry mixtures. Pour the activated yeast mixture into the dry, Knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle a little flour on a work surface and scoop the dough onto it. Use the palms of your hand to knead or stretch the dough until it's not sticky. It should take 3 to 5 minutes for the dough to become smooth.^{[4]
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5
Prove the dough for 2 hours. Put the dough into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm place and leave it alone until the dough doubles in volume. This should take about 2 hours.^{[5]
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6
Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 10 pieces. Sprinkle your work surface with flour and scoop the dough onto it. Use the palms of your hands to roll the dough into a long log. Take a knife or bench cutter and cut the rolled dough into 10 evenly sized pieces.^{[6]
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7
Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place a piece of dough between the palms of your hand and roll the dough until it forms a ball. Set the dough on your work surface and roll all of the other pieces.^{[7]
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8
Cover and rest the balls for 30 minutes. Take a damp cloth and lay it over the dough balls. Leave them to rise a little while you work on making the filling.^{[8]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Making the Asado Filling

1
Heat the oil and cut the onions and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Peel 1 small onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Use a sharp knife to chop the onion and mince the garlic into small pieces.^{[9]
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2
Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and stir them as they sauté. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, so the onion softens a little.^{[10]
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3
Add and sear the pork over medium-high heat. Cut 1 pound (453 g) of pork butt or shoulder into large 2-inch (5-cm) chunks. Add the pork to the pot with the onion mixture. Stir the pork and cook it for about 5 minutes. The pork chunks should become browned, but they won't be completely cooked inside.^{[11]
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4
Stir in the seasonings and water and bring it to a boil. Pour 2 cups (473 ml) of the water into the pot and stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of soy sauce, ¼ cup (60 ml) of oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons (37.5 g) of sugar, and 2 star anise. Heat the mixture until the liquid starts to boil.^{[12]
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5
Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to low, so the liquid bubbles gently. If there's any scum floating to the top, you can use a spoon to scoop it off and remove it. Put the lid on the pot and simmer the mixture until the meat is completely cooked and tender. This should take about 1 hour.^{[13]
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6
Shred the pork. Lift the cooked pork out of the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool a little. Once it's cool enough to handle, take two forks and shred the meat apart.^{[14]
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7
Heat the shredded pork in the pot. Pour the liquid from the pot into a measuring jug. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the liquid back into the large pot. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the liquid into a small saucepan and set it aside. Stir the shredded pork into the large pot and turn the heat on to medium-high. The liquid should come to a boil.^{[15]
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8
Dissolve the cornstarch and stir it into the meat. Whisk one tablespoon (9 g) of cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water in a small bowl. Pour half of this mixture into the pot with the shredded meat and stir it for one to two minutes. The meat sauce should thicken a little. Turn off the heat.^{[16]
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9
Make the siopao dipping sauce. Turn the small saucepan on to medium heat and stir in the other half of the dissolved cornstarch. Keep cooking and stirring until the liquid comes to a boil and thickens. This should take two to three minutes.^{[17]
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- This thickened sauce is the dipping sauce that you can serve with the siopao.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Making the Bola Bola Filling

1
Hard boil the quail eggs for three to four minutes. Fill a saucepan with about two to three inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add five quail eggs and turn the heat down to a gentle boil. Boil the quail eggs until they're hard boiled. This should take three to four minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift the quail eggs out of the pan and peel them.
- Set the quail eggs aside while you mix the rest of the bola bola filling.
2
Cut the onion, garlic, and carrot. Get out a medium mixing bowl. Peel 1/2 of an onion and a carrot. Use a knife to finely chop the onion and mince enough fresh garlic to get 1/2 teaspoon (1 g). Place the onion and garlic in the mixing bowl. You'll also need to grate 1/2 of the carrot into the bowl.^{[18]
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3
Add the ground pork and seasonings. Add 1/2 pound (226 g) of ground pork to the vegetables in the bowl. You'll also need to add 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of salt, 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground pepper, and 1 small beaten egg.^{[19]
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4
Combine and shape the mixture into balls. Stir the meat and vegetables until they're combined. Divide the mixture into 10 portions and cut the hard boiled quail eggs in half. Take one portion of meat mixture and press a quail egg half in the center of it. Wrap the meat mixture around the egg so it's shaped like a ball. Do this for each portion of meat and set the balls aside.^{[20]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Assembling and Steaming the Siopao

1
Roll each ball of dough into a thin circle. Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface and set a dough ball on it. Use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a very thin circle. Roll the dough as thin as you can.^{[21]
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2
Arrange a spoonful of filling in the center. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop some asado or bola bola filling into the middle of the rolled circle of dough.^{[22]
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3
Gather the dough around the filing in a spiral shape. Hold the dough with filling in the palm of one hand and use the fingers of your other hand to pinch an edge of the circle. Twist and bring the edges of the circle together and towards the center of the bun. Squeeze and seal the top where the edges meat to secure the filling in the dough. Set the bun on a small square of waxed paper. Fill and shape each piece of dough.^{[23]
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4
Prove the filled buns for 10 minutes. Set each of the filled siopao on a baking sheet. Lay a damp towel over the buns and let them rest for 10 minutes, so they rise a little.^{[24]
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5
Set up your steamer. Set up an electric or stove top steamer and place about 2-inches (5 cm) of water with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vinegar in the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil while you arrange the siopao in a single layer on the steamer basket.^{[25]
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6
Steam the siopao buns for 15 to 20 minutes. Put the lid on the steamer and steam the asado-filled buns for 15 minutes. Steam the bola bola-filled buns for 20 minutes. Ensure that the filling is completely hot before you remove them from the steamer and serve them. Serve the siopao buns with the siopao dipping sauce.^{[26]
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- To store leftover siopao, wrap the each steamed bun in plastic wrap. Place them in a sealable plastic bag and freeze the siopao until you're ready to eat them. Unwrap and microwave them until they're heated through.