Try this Chicken Char Siu Bao (Manapua) recipe
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- red food coloring
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- filling
- dough
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- char sui chicken
- 1/2 cup white rice cooking wine
- 1/2 tablespoon chinese five spice
- 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring gel or 20 drops red food colorin
- 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 6 cups sifted flour
- char siu chicken cooked and shredded
- Carbohydrate 694.545887083134 g
- Cholesterol 752.9633342 mg
- Fat 72.7920136040942 g
- Fiber 37.604337430439 g
- Protein 283.415955324468 g
- Saturated Fat 14.2689791140059 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (3361g)
- Sodium 21832.5452552072 mg
- Sugar 656.941549652695 g
- Trans Fat 11.4181943919141 g
- Calories 4604 calories
Step-by-step
- Char Siu Chicken: Mix together marinade and pour over chicken; refrigerate overnight.
- Place chicken in a foiled lined 9 x 13-inch baking pan, pour remaining marinade over chicken then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Set aside cooked chicken to cool. Shred chicken with two forks, place in bowl pour any remaining marinade and mix.
- Dough: Place warm water in a bowl and sprinkle yeast; let stand until yeast softens.
- Stir oil, sugar and salt to 2 cups water until well combined. Add yeast mixture; set aside.
- Add sifted flour to mixing bowl using a dough hook. Pour ½ yeast mixture and mix together then slowly add remaining mixture. Mix to form a thick dough. Knead dough for 10 minutes until a ball is formed.
- Place sesame oil in bowl then coat all sides of dough ball; cover and let rise in a warm area.
- Filling: In a medium size sauce pan, add water, sugar, salt and cornstarch; mix well. Cook on medium heat and whisk until thickened. Add char siu chicken and mix well; add food coloring. Set aside and let cool.
- Dough Balls: After dough has risen, lightly oil surface and punch down dough. Stretch dough and cut into 12 even pieces. Shape each piece into a ball.
- Press dough ball down to flatten, then use a rolling pin to evenly flatten dough.
- Use a ⅙ measuring cup and fill with char siu filling and place in center of dough. Pinch ends together to and shape into balls. Place on a greased baking pan.
- Brush manapua with sesame oil and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Marinade and Meat Preparation
Marinating the boneless chicken thighs overnight allows the five-spice blend and rice cooking wine to penetrate the muscle fibers fully. Baking the meat covered in foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes traps moisture, while removing the foil for the final 10 minutes renders excess surface liquid and concentrates the glaze. Shred the cooled chicken using two forks to yield uniform strands that integrate evenly with the cornstarch-thickened sauce.
Dough Development
Dissolve the active dry yeast in warm water until the mixture foams, signaling microbial activity before it meets the flour. Kneading the dough for a full 10 minutes develops the gluten matrix required to trap carbon dioxide gas during the rise. Coat the resulting dough ball in sesame oil to prevent a dry crust from forming on the surface during fermentation.
Assembly and Baking
Divide the risen dough into 12 even portions to ensure uniform baking times across the batch. Roll each piece flat, keeping the edges slightly thinner than the center to support the heavy filling. Seal the edges securely by pinching the dough closed before baking at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the exterior turns golden brown.
