Description

If you love BLTs and Japanese pork buns as much as we do, I think you’ll love this non-traditional and very delicious BLT. One part childhood sandwich staple, and 2 parts Asian deliciousness makes one of the best BLTs ever. Super-soft homemade bao buns, slathered with a quick sesame-soy spicy mayo, slices of vine-ripened tomatoes, and your choice of crispy fried Prosciutto di Parma, Speck di Asiago, hickory-smoked bacon, or pan-seared tender braised pork belly, all topped off with crunchy shredded lettuce. This BLT sandwich recipe is 100% made from scratch, but you can make them in just about 15 minutes if you use store-bought bao buns!

Ingredients

Scale

Extra Soft Bao Bun Dough Ingredients

Tangzhong Bao Dough Starter

1/4 cup water (60g)
1/4 cup all-purpose or 00 flour (33g)*

Remaining Bao Bun Dough

3/4 cup warm water (177g)
3 1/4 cake flour or 00 flour (435g)*
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (or active dry) (2g)
1 tablespoon dehydrated potato flakes (sub potato flour) (7g)
2 tablespoons dried milk powder (20g)
3 tablespoons sugar (45g)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (2g)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2g)

Sesame-Soy Mayonnaise Ingredients

1 tablespoon soy sauce (14g)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise 45g)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed or whole (9g)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional but recommended) (2g)
1/4 teaspoon Japanese Nanami Togarashi chili pepper mix (optional) (1g)

To Serve

2 slices of pork per bun (Proscuitto di Parma, Speck di Asiago, bacon, or braised pork belly)
vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Make the tangzhong starter. (*If you are using store-bought bao buns, skip to step #5). In a small pot add 1/4 cup of water and bring it almost to a boil over high heat, slowly add 1/4 cup of flour while whisking the mixture with a fork constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring constantly for a couple of minutes more until the mixture starts to ball up around the fork. Remove it from the heat and place the tangzhong in a small bowl to cool completely to room temperature.
Make the bao bun dough & let it rise (1st rise). Add the flour, yeast, sugar, powdered milk, potato flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment and whisk the ingredients well to combine. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly and steadily add the warm water to combine. Stop the machine and add the cooled tangzhong pinching off small pieces into the bowl. Turn the mixture back on to medium-low speed and continue kneading and mixing for approximately 12 minutes stopping the machine periodically to pull the dough back down off of the hook (because it will climb). Once the dough has been kneaded and is smooth, remove it and shape it into a round. Lightly oil the mixing bowl and place the dough round back into it and turn it over to coat all sides with a little oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 to 1.5 hours).
Portion the dough & let it rise (2nd rise). Once the dough has risen, punch it down and form it into a log, and cut 16 equal pieces (about 48g each). Keep the dough covered while you work with one piece at a time to roll them into small round dough balls. Place the rounded dough balls onto a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely with sustainable plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for about 30 more minutes. While the balls are rising, cut out 16 pieces of 4×4-inch squares of parchment paper (this will make adding them to the steamer basket a cinch without damaging the risen buns).
Shape the buns & let them rest (3rd rise). Working with one dough ball at a time, press the ball down with your hand and then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an oval shape about 1/4-inch thick. I don’t use flour on the work surface in this step because I roll them out on stainless steel and the dough doesn’t tend to stick so much to the surface that I need flour. Just a light tugging is needed to get the rolled dough to pull away from the surface. Brush the top of each oval with vegetable oil, place a chopstick in the middle and fold the top over the bottom using the chopstick to form a bun and make it easy to gently pull up the bun and transfer it to a cut square of parchment paper. Keep all the buns and the dough covered while working so the dough doesn’t dry out. Let the buns rest covered for 30 more minutes to rise just slightly.
Steam the buns. Set a steamer basket over a pan with enough water to steam the buns for 10 minutes. Do not place the buns where they will be in contact with any water. Add the buns on the parchment squares to the basket making sure the buns do not touch. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the hot buns from the steamer basket and use them immediately, or allow them to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make the sesame-soy mayo & fry the pork. While your buns are steaming, mix all of the ingredients for the sesame-soy mayonnaise together and set aside. Fry thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma, Speck di Asiago, or bacon in a skillet until crispy and remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Assemble the BLT Pork buns. Remove steamed buns to a platter. Working with one bun at a time, smear the sesame-soy mayo on both sides of the bun, add sliced tomato, and crispy-fried pork, and top with shredded lettuce and serve, Enjoy!

Notes

NOTES FOR MAKING THE BUNS

Depending on the humidity absorption potential of the flour you’re using and the environment you’re working in, the weight (grams) of the measured flour may vary. Use the level and scoop method to measure the flour in cups and it works perfectly every time.
If using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, be sure to dissolve the yeast into the warm (105-115°F) water allowing it to sponge for about 10 minutes before using. Do not use water that’s too hot or it can kill the yeast.
If you don’t have dehydrated potato flakes, use potato flour, or simply omit them from the recipe.
Dehydrated potato flakes are not the same thing as potato starch. Do not use potato starch in this recipe. The potato flakes are the same thing you find in boxes at the supermarket and are used to make instant mashed potatoes by mixing butter and milk with them.
I used dried skim milk powder, but you can use whole milk powder if that’s what you have on hand.
If you don’t have a steamer basket, place a metal colander over a smaller pot with water in it and once the water is boiling, add the pork buns but make sure they do not touch. Cover with a lid (any lid that won’t touch the pork buns) and steam. Even though I have many bamboo steamers, this method is what I often use to reheat the buns when I’m making a small amount like 3 or 4 buns. It’s easy and less to clean.

Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Sandwiches + Panini + Wraps
Method: Steamed
Cuisine: Asian inspired

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 BLT buns