A bao bun recipe for all your holiday cooking needs.
Funky, fun and fresh. For the past few years, Wah Wah Gee has become one of the best places to go in Geelong to indulge in the bayside views, colourful décor and their mouth-watering Asian inspired dishes.
While all the dishes are second to none, it’s their forever loved Bao Buns that have captured the hearts and tastebuds of the entire region. These meat-filled, sandwich-like treats have been a staple on their menu for years and thankfully, it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere.
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
And lucky for us, the team at Wah Wah Gee have now decided to give away their best kept secret: the recipe to their famous Crispy Chicken Bao Bun… perfect for when the craving for bao kicks in (which is about as often as we’re breathing).
Follow this step by step recipe, and you’ll be eating your fave bao buns in no time!
Part 1 – Bao Bun Bread
What you’ll need:
525 grams plain flour
4 teaspoons caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fast-action dried yeast
50 ml milk
15 ml sunflower oil
15 ml rice vinegar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
1. Combine flour, caster sugar and salt in a large bowl
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve the fast-action dried yeast and a pinch of caster sugar in 1 tablespoon of warm water. Add it to the flour along with the milk, sunflower oil, rice vinegar and 200ml water. Mix into a dough, adding a little extra water if needed
3. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins, or until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size
4. Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and flatten the dough with your hands, then sprinkle the baking powder over the top and knead for 5 mins
5. Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape, about 3cm thick and cut into pieces that are about 3cm wide – you should have 18 pieces
6. In the palm of your hand, roll each piece of dough into a ball and leave to rest for 2-3 mins
7. Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball, one by one, into an oval shape about 3-4mm thick. Rub the surface of the dough ovals with oil and brush a little oil over a chopstick (or a skewer if you don’t have a chopstick). Place the oiled chopstick in the centre of each oval. Fold the dough over the chopstick, then slowly pull out the chopstick
8. Cut 18 squares of baking parchment and put a bun on each. Transfer to a baking tray, cover with a clean tea towel or lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hr 30 mins, or until doubled in size
9. Heat a large steamer over a medium-high heat. Steam the buns for 8 mins until puffed up (you’ll need to do this in batches)
Part 2 – Crispy Chicken
What you’ll need:
2 eggs
100ml milk
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
6-7 pieces of chicken tenders
Method:
1. Season the flour in a bowl with salt and Cayenne pepper
2. Dust the chicken tenders in the seasoned flour
3. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl
4. Drop the chicken tenders in the egg wash, making sure they’re coated well
5. Move the chicken from egg wash back into the seasoned flour, dusting off the excess flour
6. Fry the chicken tenders in hot oil (180 degrees Celsius) until cooked
Part 3 – Sriracha Vegenaise
What you’ll need:
50ml soya milk
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
100ml canola oil
pinch of salt
water as needed
Method:
1. Place soya milk and sriracha sauce in a mixing bowl and blitz with a stick blender until completely incorporate
2. When it starts to thicken, slowly add in the oil
3. Check for consistency and add in water as required
4. Store in the refrigerator and use within 4 days
Part 4 – Candied Chilli
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup sliced red chillies
1/4 cup palm sugar
50ml water
Method:
1. Dissolve sugar over heat in the water in a small pot
2. Add chillies and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chillies become a sticky consistency
Assembling your Bao Buns!
1. Spread a spoonful of Sriracha vegenaise on one side of a steamed bao bun
2. Add some shredded cos lettuce on the other side of the bao bun
3. Place the hot crispy chicken on top of the lettuce and fold the sides of the bao together, so that the chicken stays in the centre
4. Garnish with a teaspoon of candied chilli and enjoy your fresh, homemade Crispy Chicken Bao bun!
That there you have it… the famous Wah Wah Gee Crispy Chicken Bao Bun!
Be sure to tag the team in your posts when you have a go at recreating the dish at home! If you want to take the easy road and get them take-away instead, that’s okay too.
View the original post on their website here.