Small Batch Siopao Dough (Chicken Asado Filling)

Soft and fluffy steamed buns that are filled with sweet and savory pulled chicken, this small batch siopao dough recipe makes enough for 6 persons and yields a tasty and filling snack or meal anytime!

This small batch siopao dough recipe is just what I need. I love siopao but sometimes its dough to filling ratio can be too heavy for my liking. I have been having the itch to try my hand at homemade siopao but I do not want to make it such a big fuss, and I also end up with too many siopao than I need.

This siopao dough can be easily made one morning, and you can have siopao for a small family for lunch, or a special meryenda if you have guests coming over. No big deal! This is my vision when I made this small batch siopao!

Why I Love This Siopao Dough

• Since it is small batch, shaping and assembly is a breeze.
• Also included is a small batch chicken asado recipe for the filling. I chose chicken so it is quicker to cook.
• Easy dough recipe, almost like a beginner recipe with the use of a stand mixer.
• Dough is soft, fluffy and slightly sweet.
• Recipe for the filling includes enough amount of liquid to reserve as a sauce.

Siopao Shaping and Assembly Tips

• Do not overfill the dough. A heaping tablespoon is enough without making your dough hard to seal.
• There may be some leftover chicken. This is perfect paired with steam rice.
• To shape the siopao, you can either shape it into a filled smooth ball or make some pleated design.

Making the Pleats in the Shape of Siopao

Starting with the disc of dough laying flat on a surface, gently lift up one edge with your index finger and thumb. Pleat a portion by allowing it to take the shape of your index finger. Keeping your thumb as it is, release your index finger from the pleated dough and pinch it against the thumb.

Note the filling in some of the photos below are different. I used these photos for shaping illustration purpose.

Keep going around the entire edge of the disc, using the thumb to gather all pleated parts. Once you reach the end, twist the top of the dough to seal it. If that is confusing, which may be is, watch the video tutorial below.

Steaming the Siopao

• Make sure that your steamer water is in a steady simmer. The cooking time for this dough is 20 minutes. If your steamer water is not simmering, your dough can come out flat and undercooked.
• After you turn off the heat, keep the lid on for another 5 minutes so the steamed buns do not deflate.

More Filipino Snack Ideas

• Pork Siomai
• Baked Beef Empanada
• Baked Chicken Empanada
• Puto Pao
• Filipino Bread Pudding
• Coffee Jelly

Chicken Asado Siopao ( Small Batch)

Soft and fluffy steamed buns that are filled with sweet and savory chicken, this small batch siopao dough recipe makes enough for 5 persons and yields a tasty and filling snack or meal anytime!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Siopao, Steamed Buns

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

dough rise times and cooking the filling: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 5

Calories: 457kcal

Author: sanna

Equipment

• 1 steamer (I used this bamboo steamer) affiliate link
• 1 Stand mixer

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Ingredients

Small Batch Chicken Asado (BBQ Pulled Chicken)

• 2 Chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• 1 cup Chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 piece bay leaf
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• ¼ cup water

For the Small Batch Siopao Dough

• ¼ cup warm water 105-115 ℉
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 tbsp. sugar divided
• ½ cup warm milk 105-115℉
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups (264.17 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (8.12 g) baking powder

Instructions

Make the Chicken Filling

• Combine the Ingredients. In a medium saucepan, add chicken, chicken broth, minced garlic, chopped onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, bay leaf and pepper. Stir the liquid.
  
• Cook the Chicken. Turn on heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower heat and allow to simmer steadily for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked and tender. Meanwhile, start working on the dough.
  
• Thicken the Sauce. When the chicken is soft, add the brown sugar and sesame oil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Make a cornstarch slurry by dissolving cornstarch in ¼ cup water. Add this to the saucepan. Let the mixture simmer until it thicken to a sauce-like consistency. Turn off the heat for now.
  
• Reserve some Sauce for the Siopao and Thicken the Filling Some More. Scoop out about a cup of the sauce from the pot and set aside. Take the chicken out and shred it. Return the shredded meat to the pot, and turn on heat to low. Allow the sauce to thicken some more until it is no longer flowy. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.
  

Make the Dough

• Proof the Yeast. While the chicken is simmering, you can start with the dough. To proof the yeast, add yeast, warm water and about a teaspoon of the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, until foamy.
  
• Add the Remaining Ingredients. Add the remaining sugar, milk, oil and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Combine flour and baking powder, then add this to the stand mixer. Add the salt. Stir the mixture until all the flour is mostly absorbed.
  
• Knead. Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until it is smooth, and is cleaning the sides of the bowl (see note 1). It can be stretched thinly and should pass a windowpane test.
  
• Let the Dough Rise. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, place it in a bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour or so, until the dough ah doubled in bulk. Keep it covered with a clean towel or plastic wrap while rising.
  
• Divide into Portions and Start to Heat your Steamer Water. Take the dough and slowly deflate. Divide it into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth bowl.
  
• Fill the Dough. Roll each portion of dough into disc that is about 5 inches in diameter. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the cooled chicken filling and place it on the center of the disc. Don't be tempted to overfill the dough or the buns will be impossible to seal (see note 2).
  
• Shape the Dough. With the dough still on the surface, pick up one edge of the dough and start to pleat the dough around your pointer finger, then pinch the pleat against your thumb. Use the other hand to feed the rest of the dough to your pointer finger and keep pleating around the edge of the dough. Twist the top of the dough and pinch well to seal the top.
  
• Steam. Place each shaped bun on a small piece of parchment paper and arrange them on a steamer with lots of space in between. See to it that the water for your steamer is in a steady simmer. Steam the buns for 20 minutes. Turn off heat but the keep the lid on for another 5 minutes.
  
• Serve. Serve siopao warm and drizzle with the reserved sauce.
  

Video

Notes

1. Kneading. If the dough is very sticky after more than 8 minuets of kneading. Sprinkle up to 3 tbsp. of flour, a little amount at a time, just until he dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic.
2. The Chicken Filling. Do not overfill. The slippery sauce will make the dough impossible to seal. There may be leftover filling. 
3. Storage and Re-heating. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. It cam keep for up to 4 days. To serve, re-heat the siopao in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Serve with heated sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 823mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg