How to Make Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao 小笼包）

The Soup Dumplings, Xiaolongbao was originated in Southern China in Song Dynasty. It used to be called Soup Bao. Because it is so tasty, it becomes popular in Northern China as well later on.

What is the Key to Make Soup Dumplings?

The soup dumplings are very juicy, tender fillings with soft wrappers. The shape of the dumpling is like a mini Bao. The biggest difference from XiaoLongbao and other Bao is the wrapper dough is made without yeast. However, it is still soft and tasty, not chewy at all. The key is to use the right flour, warm water, and thin wrapper to make it successful.

I have tried to use different type of flour. The all purpose flour in North America tends to have more gluten than Chinese flour, the wrapper texture tends to be more chewy, and hard. Therefore, it is better to use Bao flour, which you can get from any Asian grocery store. If you do not have Bao flour, no worries, the alternative flour you can use is the cake flour. It is similar texture wise once cooked. The cake flour contains less gluten than the regular flour. If you only has all purpose flour at home, use this alternative recipe: In 1 cup All Purpose Flour, alternate 2 tbsp flours to corn starch, then mix well until flours are incorporated.

The authentic Xiaolongbao filling is using the soup jelly. It requires hours of preparation. This recipe is the easy quick version with the same soupy taste and result. I am using chicken broth to soup up the fillings.

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

Bao Flour: 1 cup (Cake Flour as replacement or use 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp corn starch)
Warm Water: 1/2 -2/3 cup

For the Fillings:

Ground Pork: 3/4 cup
Onion: 1/2 cup finely chopped
Ginger: 1 tsp minced
Cooking Wine: 1 tbsp
Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tsp (optional)
HADAY Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp
KADOYA Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp
Swanson Chicken Broth: 1/2 cup
Chinese Five Spice: 1/4 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
White Pepper: 1/8 tsp
Lee Kum Kee Chicken Bouillon: 1/8 tsp

Equipment:

Steamer: 2 tiers

I use bamboo steamers because I love the bamboo aroma while it steams. It reminds me home. When I grew up, we used bamboo steamers a lot, it adds this special aroma to the dishes. If you have a stainless steel steamer, it works as well. I lay a steamer pepper or cheese cloth in the steamer to prevent saggy dumplings bottoms as a result.

Dipping Sauce:

Dark Vinegar: 1 tbsp
Hot Chilli Oil: 1 tsp

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

Instructions:

Dough:

1. Warm up 3/4 cup of water to 70-75C.
2. In a medium bowl, place 1 cup of flour and 1/3 of the water, then mix well. Add the rest water in portions to adjust the texture of dough. For most of the brands flours, 1/2 cup warm water is good enough.
3. Knead it to a dough, then cover with a plastic wrapper and set aside.

Fillings:

1. Next, in a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, cooking wine, dark soy sauce (optional), soy sauce, Chinese Five Spices, chicken bouillon, salt and white pepper together until well combined.
2. Chop the onion into fine pieces, and grind 1 tsp ginger, then mix them with the meat mixture.
3. Add the chicken broth into the mixture in 4-5 portions while staring the filling in one direction. This is to make the filling a bouncier texture.
4. Add the sesame oil at the end, mix well, then the filling is ready.

Bao:

1. Take the dough out, and knead it to a ball shape. Poke a hole in the middle and make the dough into a long rod shape. Cut it into 12 pieces evenly.
2. Roll each piece into a round wrapper act 3.5″ diameter.
3. Place the filling in the middle of the wrapper, then life one point of the edge, and make it into pleats around to make the Bao. Please see the video below for more details.
4. Put a steam paper in each bamboo steamer tier.
5. Place 6 Xiaolongbao in each bamboo tier and cover with the lid. Turn heat to high until the steams comes our through the lid, then turn heat to medium or medium high heat for 10 mins.Each stove is different, the heating for a successful Xiaolongbao is really important. It cannot survive in high heat steam, and it needs the steam to be cooked through. The soup would be steamed out of the Bao in high heat. To avoid that, use a medium heat to steam. Make sure there are some steams above the lid for 10 mins. If the steam disappears after turned to medium, turn heat to slightly high to make sure the steams comes out through the lid.
6. Get the dipping sauce ready by adding the dark vinegar and hot chilli oil in a dipping dish.
7. Once the steaming is done, ready to serve. Be careful, it is hot.

Tips for Making Soup Dumplings:

• The type of flour is important, as well as the water. To use the warm water to make the dough, the wrapper would be softer. Bao flour is the best choice, the next close one is cake flour, or all purpose flour and corn starch mixture.
• Swanson Chicken Broth is my favourite chicken broth for Asian cooking for flavour. All other chicken broth works as well.
• During the steaming, make sure the steam comes through the lid for 10 mins. This indicates the all tiers are steams evenly.
• Try to use heat as low as possible while maintains steaming.

If you like this article, please subscribe our weekly newsletter for more recipes.