Taiwanese Pepper Pork Buns
Crispy, golden pork buns with a fragrant, juicy filling, inspired by the famous Raohe Night Market in Taipei
Taiwan’s Raohe Night Market is famous for its sizzling street food, and one of its most beloved treats are these crispy baked pork buns. With a juicy, aromatic filling wrapped in a slightly chewy, golden crust, they offer the perfect balance of crunch and tenderness. Traditionally cooked in a tandoor-style oven, this home-friendly recipe captures the same rich flavors and textures, making it easy to recreate an authentic taste of Taipei in your own kitchen.
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Ingredients
For the dough:
300g (2½ cups) plain all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
150ml (⅔ cup) milk, warmed
2 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp dried active yeast
2 eggs
2 tbsp lard, melted
Neutral oil, for greasing
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
For the flour paste:
3 tbsp flour
80ml (⅓ cup) warm water
40ml (⅙ cup) warm milk
For the filling:
350g (1½ cups) fatty minced (ground) pork (>20% fat)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine/vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp fine sea salt
5 spring onions, finely sliced
Method
1. Make the flour paste:
Place 3 tablespoons of flour in a small saucepan. Add 80ml of warm water and 40ml of warm milk. Cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until thickened and gluey, then set aside.
2. Make the dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine the 300g of flour with the sugar and salt. Add the yeast to the rest of the warm milk and combine until the yeast is completely dissolved and the mixture is slightly frothy. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, along with one of the eggs and the melted lard, then add the flour paste. Combine everything until it comes together to form a dough. Knead for 10–15 minutes (or use a stand mixer for 5–8 minutes) until smooth and even-textured.
Coat your mixing bowl in oil. Put your dough into the bowl and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for 1–1½ hours.
3. Prepare the filling:
While the dough is proving, make the filling. Place all the ingredients for the filling except the spring onions (scallions) in another mixing bowl and beat together until well combined. The mixture should resemble a paste.
4. Shape the buns:
When the dough has finished proving, turn it out onto your work surface and knead to knock out the air. Roll the dough into a long sausage and split it into 8 equal-sized pieces (65–70g), then roll each one into a ball.
5. Assemble the buns:
Flatten the dough balls and roll each into a wrapper about 15cm (6in) in diameter. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of each wrapper, top with the spring onions, and pinch the dough closed. Place the buns pinch-side down on a tray lined with baking paper, spaced not less than 1cm (½in) apart, and leave to rise for at least 15 minutes.
6. Bake the buns:
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).
Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops of the buns with it before sprinkling with the sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for about 25-35 minutes, or until the tops of the buns are golden and crisp. Let the buns cool slightly before devouring.
This recipe was adapted from Dumplings and Noodles by Pippa Middlehurst