Gua Bao : Le sandwich taïwanais qui fait le tour du monde

The Gua Bao dates back more than 200 years, originating from Fujian (China). According to legend, it was invented by a street vendor who wanted to offer an original specialty. He served fried pork in a small bun with garlic and ginger. The dish then evolved to include pickles and spices.

Key Ingredients for a Successful Gua Bao

• The bun: it should be soft, slightly sweet. Traditionally made with white flour, milk, yeast, sugar, and oil.

• The meat: often braised pork, shredded or sautéed (but also chicken, tofu, etc.).

• The toppings: pickles (pickled cucumber, spring onions), fresh herbs (cilantro, Thai basil), mayonnaise, fresh ginger, soy sauce, wasabi…

• The sauce: homemade or store-bought, it adds depth (sweet, salty, spicy, according to taste).

👉 Tip: to sweeten the bao dough, you can replace sugar with mild honey or maple syrup.

Variations of Gua Bao

• Sweet: red bean paste, sugar.

• Savory: sautéed vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, pork, garlic…

• Vegetarian: very popular, they focus on crunchy textures and balanced sauces.

The Gua Bao is a base that can be customized endlessly. Let your creativity flow!

Traditional Folding Technique

1. Molding: mix flour and warm water to get a smooth dough.

2. Pouring: form dough discs (8 to 9 cm).

3. Folding: lightly oil the surface, place a chopstick in the center, fold in half.

4. Turning: place each bao on a baking paper round.

The word bao refers to these steamed buns, which have become iconic in Taiwanese street food. Very popular on social media!

Storage

• Freezing possible once the buns are cooked and cooled.

• Reheating: ideally in a steamer. Otherwise, in the microwave with a thin layer of water (spread by hand) to keep them soft.

Filling Ideas

• Meats: char siu pork, karaage chicken, chashu, Vietnamese mortadella, shredded pork, teriyaki chicken…

• Accompaniments: Vietnamese pickled vegetables, shallot sauce, fresh herbs (peppermint, Thai basil, cilantro…).

Recipe for Bao Buns (for ~12 buns)

Ingredients:

• 300 g sifted flour

• 190 ml lukewarm semi-skimmed milk (or half soy milk/half water)

• 1 tbsp corn starch

• 3 g dry baker’s yeast

• 2 tbsp sugar

• ¼ tbsp fine salt

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Activate the yeast: heat the milk in the microwave (20 sec max, do not exceed 38°C), add sugar and yeast. Stir and let rest for 15 minutes, until foam forms on the surface.

   

2. Mix the dough: in a bowl, pour flour and starch. Make two wells: in one, put the salt (cover it immediately), in the other, pour the yeast-milk-sugar mixture.

   

3. Knead: by hand or with a stand mixer (hook) for 5 to 6 minutes, until you get a smooth, supple dough that detaches from the sides.

   

4. First rising: form a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise for 1h to 1h30 (until the dough doubles).

   • Tip: place in a microwave with a cup of hot water to help rising.

     

5. Shaping: punch down the dough, form a log, divide into 12 equal parts (~45 g), form balls.

   

6. Resting: cover with a cloth, let rise until the balls double again.

   

7. Final shaping: flatten the balls into oval discs (8–9 cm), lightly oil the top, fold in half with a chopstick, remove the chopstick, place on baking paper.

   

8. Steam cooking: in a steamer basket (bamboo or steel with a cloth under the lid), bring water to a boil, cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat.

   

9. Resting: turn off the heat and leave the bao in the basket for another 10 minutes.

   

Your Gua Bao buns are ready to be filled!