Bao-sa sits between a baozi and a calzone: a yeast bun packed with beef, onion and cheese, then cooked hard so the outside goes crisp. This version steams the buns first, which keeps the dough soft, and finishes them in an air fryer. The filling is wet, so the seam has to be pinched properly or it opens in the basket.
Xinjiang · Snack
Cheese and Beef Buns, Steamed Then Air-Fried
A Xinjiang-style stuffed bun with a beef, onion and Comté filling, steamed first so the dough stays soft, then blasted in an air fryer for a crisp shell.
- Prep60 min
- Cook30 min
- Serves8
- LevelMedium
Ingredients
| 200 g | plain flour |
| 100 g | water |
| 3 g | instant yeast |
| 350 g | beef mince |
| 1/2 | onion , grated |
| 1 | carrot , grated |
| 50 g | Comté , finely grated |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil , for brushing |
Method
- Mix the flour and water with the yeast and knead to a smooth dough, then cover and prove for 40 to 50 minutes, until it has doubled.
- Grate the onion and carrot into the beef mince, add the Comté, and work it with your hand until the mixture holds together.
- Knock the dough back and cut it into eight pieces. Flatten each one, put about 50 g of filling in the middle, and pinch the seam shut.
- Set the buns seam down and rest for 10 minutes, then steam over medium-high heat for 20 minutes.
- Let them cool until you can handle them, then brush the tops with olive oil.
- Air-fry for 10 minutes, until the crust is deep gold and sounds hollow when tapped.
Notes
- The steam step is not optional. Buns that go straight into the fryer come out with a shell that is hard all the way through.
- Comté melts slowly and stays stringy. Aged Gouda works, but it releases more fat into the dough.
- The source leaves the yeast quantity open. One percent of the flour weight is the usual starting point.
Ratios and technique checked against 芷霓Jennie on Douguo (奶酪包萨). The method here is written by Stellaok and the illustration is ours; no text or photograph from the source is reproduced.