Effortless Chicken Pao Recipe

Make the Dough

1. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt.

2. Add wet ingredients. Pour in warm water, neutral oil, and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Knead. Knead by hand on a lightly floured counter for 8 to 10 minutes, or in a stand mixer for about 6 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky.

4. First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 60 to 75 minutes (warmer kitchen equals faster rise).

Cook the Chicken Filling

1. Sauté aromatics. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.

2. Cook chicken. Add diced chicken and cook until no longer pink and mostly cooked through, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes. (Small pieces cook fast and make stuffing the buns way easier.)

3. Build the sauce. Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and broth. Simmer 2 minutes. If using water chestnuts, add them now.

4. Thicken. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 30 to 60 seconds until glossy and thick enough to mound on a spoon. Turn off heat. Stir in sesame oil and optional chili crisp. Cool the filling until just warm or room temp before stuffing.

Shape and Fill

1. Portion dough. Punch down risen dough. Roll into a log and cut into 10 equal pieces. Keep pieces covered with a towel so they do not dry out.

2. Roll circles. Roll each piece into a 4 to 5 inch round, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges. This helps prevent blowouts.

3. Fill. Place 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons filling in the center.

4. Pleat and seal. Pinch the edges up and around the filling, pleating as you go, then twist and pinch to seal. For smooth tops like the photos, place each bun seam-side down on a parchment square. For a classic pleated look, place them pleats-side up.

5. Second rise. Cover buns loosely and let rest 15 to 20 minutes while you set up the steamer.

Steam

1. Prep steamer. Bring water to a simmer in a pot or wok. Keep it at a steady simmer, not a raging boil.

2. Steam buns. Arrange buns in the steamer with at least 1 inch of space between them. Steam 10 to 12 minutes until puffed and cooked through.

3. Prevent collapse. Turn off heat and let the buns sit, lid on, for 2 minutes. This helps avoid sudden temperature shock that can wrinkle the buns.

4. Serve. Eat warm. Top with scallion greens, sesame seeds, or a little chili crisp if you like a spicy finish.