Sheng Jian Bao (生煎包) — Shanghai Pan-Fried Soup Bun

Overview

Sheng jian bao (生煎包, literally raw-fried bun) is the pan-fried bun of Shanghai street food — a yeasted dough bun filled with a pork and soup jelly filling, cooked in a flat pan with a small amount of oil and water in the same jian technique as guotie, producing a bun with a crispy, sesame-and-scallion-scattered base, soft steamed sides and top, and — most critically — a burst of hot soup inside. It is related to xiao long bao (both use a soup jelly filling) but uses a yeasted rather than hot-water dough wrapper, and is pan-fried rather than steamed. The experience of biting into a sheng jian bao — with its combination of crunchy base, yielding bun, and the soup burst — is one of Shanghai's great street food pleasures.

Key Principles

The yeasted dough: 250g plain flour, 4g instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 130ml warm water. Knead until smooth. Rest 45-60 minutes until doubled. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.

The filling: Identical to xiao long bao — minced pork mixed with cubed pork stock jelly. The stock jelly must be sufficiently gelled to hold its shape in the filling but will melt completely during the pan-fry-and-steam.

The pan-fry: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a flat, heavy skillet over medium heat. Place sheng jian bao in a single layer, seam-side down. Fry 2-3 minutes until the base is beginning to turn golden. Add 1/3 cup water — cover immediately. Steam 6-8 minutes. Remove cover. Allow the base to fully crisp — 60-90 seconds. Scatter sesame seeds and sliced scallion over the top.

Common Mistakes

Using cold-water dough instead of yeasted dough: Sheng jian bao specifically uses a soft yeasted dough — the slight airiness of the yeast produces the characteristic pillowy top.

Source

Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Fish and Rice (2016)