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Why does nobody talk about how you can mess up a simple bao dough?
I was trying to make char siu bao at home for a year, and the dough always came out dense. Last week, I watched a street vendor in Guangzhou on a food show. He said the water for the yeast has to be exactly 105 degrees, not just warm. I had been guessing with my finger the whole time. My first batch after using a thermometer was a total game changer. Has anyone else had a kitchen fail that turned out to be one tiny step?
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oliver_mitchell6mo ago
Guessing with your finger, that was my whole bread making life too. I once made hockey pucks I called bagels because I thought "steaming" meant a quick wave over a boiling pot. Turns out you need actual steam for more than two seconds, who knew? It's wild how the smallest wrong idea can wreck something for so long.
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henry5976mo ago
Read a whole article about how over-kneading bao dough makes it tough because you burst all the little air bubbles. I was always told more kneading is better, so I'd go at it forever. Turns out you just need it smooth, not like a workout. My buns were like eating a cloud once I stopped doing that. It's crazy how one wrong tip can stick with you for years.
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