Wild Yeast Gua Bao

Name: Wild Yeast Gua Bao
Total time: 10800 s
Yield: 6 buns, about 3.5 oz (100 g) each
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: [Wild Yeast Stiff Starter]; 2.1 oz (60 g) starter; 1 1/3 cups (170 g) all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup (70 g) water; [Dough]; 10.6 oz (300 g) wild yeast stiff starter; 1 2/3 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour; 7 tbsp (104 g) ice water; 1/4 tsp (1 g) fine sea salt

Kitchen Time @kitchentime

There was a breakfast food truck with a big sign that read 'Gua Bao.' It truly lived up to its name—it was the best gua bao I’ve ever had. Pan-seared lean pork, pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts, and a fried egg—simple and delicious. Today, I used my mantou dough recipe to make gua bao, reminiscing about that amazing flavor.

Kitchen Time @kitchentime

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Ingredients

Stiff starter: 1 day; Gua bao: 2–3 hours

6 buns, about 3.5 oz (100 g) each

[Wild Yeast Stiff Starter]
2.1 oz (60 g)starter
1 1/3 cups (170 g)all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (70 g)water
[Dough]
10.6 oz (300 g)wild yeast stiff starter
1 2/3 cups (200 g)all-purpose flour
7 tbsp (104 g)ice water
1/4 tsp (1 g)fine sea salt

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Steps

Stiff starter: 1 day; Gua bao: 2–3 hours

1

[Day 1: Make the Wild Yeast Stiff Starter] Mix 2.1 oz (60 g) starter, 1 1/3 cups (170 g) all-purpose flour, and 1/3 cup (70 g) water. Let it rest at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Refrigerate overnight.
2

[Day 2: Make the Dough] Combine the stiff starter, 1 2/3 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour, 7 tbsp (104 g) ice water, and 1/4 tsp (1 g) salt. Knead until smooth.
3

[Divide and Shape] Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Divide into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Let the dough relax, then use a rolling pin to roll each ball from the center out into an oval shape. Brush a thin layer of vegetable oil on the surface to prevent sticking, then fold each piece in half.
4

[Proof] Let the buns rise at room temperature for about 50–60 minutes.
5

[Steam] Place buns in a steamer over cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then steam for 15–20 minutes after the water boils.
6

[Serve] Fill the buns with both egg and meat. I wanted to recreate the nostalgic gua bao but didn’t have pickled mustard greens or peanut powder (︶^︶). So I made lean pork and cheese gua bao instead—marinated pork loin slices with soy sauce and garlic, paired with provolone cheese. For another version, I made a cheese omelet gua bao by mixing soft Brie cheese with eggs and pan-frying, then adding cilantro and pickled radish. Finally, I topped it with a little Sriracha hot sauce I found at the market. Delicious! Still, I’d love to have a bite of the traditional gua bao—next time, I’ll gather all the classic ingredients.