A homemade Liu Sha Bao is the perfect weekend treat! The wickedly runny salted yolk center is infused with custard powder for the most indulgent cozy dessert. Have them fresh out of the steamer or freeze them for later!
The best dessert to save for last
When you go to any yum cha restaurant, there are some dim sum dishes that are a MUST. If I had to choose (and, boy, is this hard!), Ham Sui Gok, Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce, Black Bean Pork Spare Ribs and Mango Pancakes would be my all time favorites.
Suddenly, the gorgeously sinful Liu Sha Bao took us by surprise and stormed its way into our lives, adding itself to this crème de la crème A-list.
It truly deserves a place there, because this dessert is the most luxurious way to finish a hearty meal.
The milk-infused bun is super moist and feathery as it wraps around a hot oozing salted egg custard that’s exquisitely gritty.
Enjoying a fresh Liu Sha Bao is the guilty pleasure that you embrace completely because it’s just so incredibly worth it.
As soon as you break the bao open and the thick velvety yolk comes gushing out, you’ll know exactly what I mean!
What makes the bread soft and fluffy?
Soft and fluffy buns are light to the touch and bite, almost melting in your mouth. To achieve this, dough needs to be given enough time to rest for the gluten to keep any air pockets within its hold.
The air pockets are a result of mixing milk or water with yeast, which then produces carbon dioxide. It is then cooked into a steam when baking or steaming. This is the foundation for the bread to rise.
When resting dough, is it ideal to let it sit near a warm sunlit window for the rising magic to happen.
Keeping these steps in mind is vital for that airy bread we all love in a Liu Sha Bao!
Why this recipe works
- Using whole salted egg gives it a rich yolk creaminess that can’t be achieved from a premade sauce.
- Adding milk to as the main liquid means you’ll have a naturally creamy color and a smooth milky essence.
- Mixing in custard powder enhances the milk flavor.
What you’ll need
For the dough
About the milk
We use full cream milk for extra flavor.
For the filling
About the ingredients
If you prefer a runnier custard, you can double the evaporated milk.
How to make this recipe
Start by steaming the salted egg yolks for 20 minutes or until they turn a bright orange color, then use the flat side of a large cleaver to mash the yolks.
Repeat the mashing until you have fine crumbs or a paste.
Mix the salted eggs, butter, icing sugar, custard powder, milk powder and evaporated milk together in a bowl until well combined.
Put the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
Take the salted egg mixture out of the fridge and form them into balls, roughly 3cm (1.2″) wide. Refrigerate them as you make the bread.
Sift the flour in bowl and make a well in the center. Add yeast, caster sugar and baking powder into well, then pour the milk and water in.
Note: Add the liquids in a little bit at a time while mixing it with the yeast, caster sugar and baking powder.
When all the liquid has been added, work it into the flour until it forms a dough. Knead for 20 minutes.
Pour the oil in and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and waxy, then cover it with a clean towel to rest for 30 minutes.
Note: If you find it too dry, add some water. Likewise, if it’s too wet then add some flour until it reaches a dough consistency.
Meanwhile, cut baking paper into squares approximately 10cm x 10cm (4″ x 4″). Alternatively, use cupcake liners.
After the dough has risen, take it out and knead for 2 minutes.
Divide the dough into approximately 11 portions and cover with a towel to prevent drying out.
Roll the ball until flat, roughly 5mm (0.2″) thick and 12cm (4.7″) wide.
Take the filling out of the fridge and place one in the center of the flattened ball.
Use your hand to wrap the dough around the filling while leaving an opening at the top.
Use your thumb and index finger to seal the opening by bringing the ruffled parts together.
When turned upside down, it should look like a sphere.
Twist the seal until closed and push it in to flatten. If there is excess dough, you can tear it off before flattening.
Place the ball on a baking paper square, sealed side down.
Let the baos rest for 10 minutes before putting them in the steamer to cook.
Steam the buns on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately as is!
FAQs
If custard powder isn’t readily available at your supermarket, you can simply replace it with corn starch. Custard powder is really just a combination of corn starch, salt and flavoring ingredients.
Yes! Our homemade Liu Sha Bao recipe will make freezer-friendly buns that are perfect for reheating when you’re feeling like a snack.
Just make sure to steam them first and let them cool completely before freezing them.
Tips for the best results
- Don’t overwork the dough. As soon as you’ve formed the basic dough, give it a chance to rise so it doesn’t get tough.
- Keep the dough on the thicker side. If the bao gets too thin, there is a risk of it tearing which results in the filling bursting out.
- Steam over a medium heat from start to finish. The higher the heat, the higher the risk of the insides breaking out of the bun.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. This dessert is known for its smooth soft bread and this can be easily achieved by using a rolling pin.
Indulge in your salted egg yolk cravings!
- Salted Egg Chips – These are the perfect crispy treat for any occasion. Coated in a thick crusty butter sauce, you’ll crave our homemade version of this famous Singaporean snack all the time!
- Salted Egg Prawns (牛油黃金虾) – A restaurant favorite brought straight to your kitchen, these crunchy prawns will pair perfectly with any Cantonese side dish.
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Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns 流沙包)
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 430 g / 3 1/2 US cups self-raising flour
- 75 g / 1/2 US cup caster sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 5 g / 1 tsp instant active yeast
- 190 mL / 0.8 US cup milk
- 30 mL / 0.1 US cup water
- 1/4 US cup oil
For the Filling
- 4 salted egg yolks
- 100 g / 0.44 US cup unsalted butter
- 70 g / 1/3 US cup icing sugar
- 40 g / 3 tbsp custard powder
- 60 g / 4 tbsp milk powder
- 2 tbsp evaporated milk
Instructions
- Start by steaming the salted egg yolks for 20 minutes or until they turn a bright orange color, then use the flat side of a large cleaver to mash the yolks.
- Repeat the mashing until you have fine crumbs or a paste.
- Mix the salted eggs, butter, icing sugar, custard powder, milk powder and evaporated milk together in a bowl until well combined.
- Put the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
- Take the salted egg mixture out of the fridge and form them into balls, roughly 3cm (1.2") wide. Refrigerate them as you make the bread.
- Sift the flour in bowl and make a well in the center. Add yeast, caster sugar and baking powder into well, then pour the milk and water in.Note: Add the liquids in a little bit at a time while mixing it with the yeast, caster sugar and baking powder.
- When all the liquid has been added, work it into the flour until it forms a dough. Knead for 20 minutes.
- Pour the oil in and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth and waxy, then cover it with a clean towel to rest for 30 minutes.Note: If you find it too dry, add some water. Likewise, if it's too wet then add some flour until it reaches a dough consistency.
- Meanwhile, cut baking paper into squares approximately 10cm x 10cm (4" x 4"). Alternatively, use cupcake liners.
- After the dough has risen, take it out and knead for 2 minutes.
- Divide the dough into approximately 11 portions and cover with a towel to prevent drying out.
- Roll the ball until flat, roughly 5mm (0.2") thick and 12cm (4.7") wide.
- Take the filling out of the fridge and place one in the center of the flattened ball.
- Use your hand to wrap the dough around the filling while leaving an opening at the top.
- Use your thumb and index finger to seal the opening by bringing the ruffled parts together.
- When turned upside down, it should look like a sphere.
- Twist the seal until closed and push it in to flatten. If there is excess dough, you can tear it off before flattening.
- Place the ball on a baking paper square, sealed side down.
- Let the baos rest for 10 minutes before putting them in the steamer to cook.
- Steam the buns on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately as is!
Notes
- Don't overwork the dough. As soon as you've formed the basic dough, give it a chance to rise so it doesn't get tough.
- Keep the dough on the thicker side. If the bao gets too thin, there is a risk of it tearing which results in the filling bursting out.
- Steam over a medium heat from start to finish. The higher the heat, the higher the risk of the insides breaking out of the bun.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. This dessert is known for its smooth soft bread and this can be easily achieved by using a rolling pin.
- Use full cream milk for extra flavor.
- If you prefer a runnier custard, you can double the evaporated milk.
What a great recipe! Thank you for the details, when I go to make this, I know I’ll be successful!
You’re very welcome, Ashley!
I loved these bao buns recipe and such detailed instructions of making it. Surely a must-try recipe.
Thanks, Bhawana!
What a great recipe and the tips are super helpful!
Thanks, Whitney!
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family.
I’m glad to hear that, Shadi!
I have never heard of these before, but they sound amazing. I can’t wait to try.
This recipe looks great! The steps and photos refer to oil and baking powder, but this is not listed in the ingredients…Can you please let us know how much of each should be used in the recipe? Thanks!
Hi, Kylie! Thanks for letting me know. I’ve updated the recipe card to include those ingredients 😀
Hi there, I want to make these buns but I don’t have milk powder, is there anything I can use to substitute the milk powder for?
Hi Maddie, you can simply replace it with regular milk 🙂
Hi Jeannette – thank you for sharing this much craved for recipe! I am looking to substitute self rising flour with in bleached all purpose flour – Do you recommend a 1 for 1 substitute? Do I need to add more baking powder and salt in addition to what is already called out in the recipe due to the substitute? Thank you so much in advance for your feedback!
Hi, Lisa! Self rising flour is really just all-purpose flour with added baking powder, so you can try a 1:1 substitute and add in another 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. As with all baking recipes, it may be a case of trial and error! 🙂
Hi! Cant wait to try this! Can I prepare this in advance by refrigerating or freezing it? And then steam the following day? How long is the shelf life also? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi! I would suggest making it and steaming it before freezing. You can then take it out of the freezer and reheat it by steaming again. Shelf life is roughly a month in the freezer 🙂
i made this and it is excellent!
Thank you! That’s wonderful to hear!
Can you use salted duck egg yolks instead?
Hi Sharon, salted duck eggs are the ones we use for this recipe 🙂
Hello! Got so excited to try these out when I saw. the recipe because it reminded me of my hometown. But when I got to proofing the dough it didn’t seem to spring back even after almost an hour, though i followed all the measuremens exactly + my environment was nice and warm. How should I fix this- if it’s even fixable at all? D-: How much should the dough rise?
Hi, Pris! Dough’s such a tricky one especially in so many conditions all around the world. If it hasn’t sprung back, it could be that it was over-proofed D: What happens is once it rises to its limit, it starts to collapse back in again. Unfortunately this also comes down to every kitchen’s environment and the temperatures for a warm kitchen will vary from household to household. My suggestion for next time would be to try to poke it every half an hour to see if it springs back, which is the indicator that the dough is ready. Sorry this had to happen!
This looks like an amazing recipe! Can you help me figure out what bun I’m trying to find. It’s just like this one, but it’s baked with a crunchy topping. It seems to have the same filling!
Hi, Maggie! Thanks! I’m not sure I’ve seen that bun myself, but it sounds like it’s something like a Liu Sha Bao with the topping of a baked pineapple bun? Or the famous Tim Ho Wan BBQ Pork Buns with the crunchy topping but with a different filling?
Is there anyway to bake these?
Hi, Mae! I haven’t tried baking Liu Sha Bao before because they’re generally eaten steamed, but you can certainly give it a go. I would trialling it with just one to start, then continuing with the rest if it works out well.
OMG I will need to try this. Just curious, what’s the reason to add additional baking powder if already using self-raising flour? Does it add more fluffiness to the bun?
Hi, Stella! I hope you get to try this recipe soon! Yep, the baking powder and self-raising flour together help to fluff the bun out.
Are the salted egg yolks simply the yolks of hard boiled eggs that you just sprinkle with salt?
Hi, Tinamarie! These salted egg yolks are eggs that have been salted with their shell on. So they’re quite different to regular hard boiled eggs with salt sprinkled on top. You can get them from Asian supermarkets. I get the yolks on their own in the freezer section. Hope that helps!
Hi! The filling never firmed and too liquidity to make balls. Do you think 2 tbsp of evaporated milk is maybe a bit too much and prevents it from firming up? Do you have any tips for the filling mix to firm up? Thanks!
Hi, TK! I’m sorry to hear that they didn’t firm up for you. You can try lessening the evaporated milk or leaving it in to cool for longer. I hope that helps!