Gala Pao

Gala pao is the Lao style steamed buns, usually filled with pork and hard-boiled eggs. Growing up my mom would put wood-ear mushrooms and Chinese sausages giving the dish an umami, savory, slightly sweet flavor that’s somehow still all balanced and keeps us wanting more. Nowadays, I’d make a batch, freeze some, and warm them up for whenever I am craving them.

I’ve previously shared a gala pao recipe but wanted to update the recipe as it has evolved over the years.

Notes:

Flour – you can use high gluten flour, but it tends to be pricy. I have made steam buns with cake flour and that works as well. But nowadays, I have my go-to flours, all-purpose or bread flour. Both work very well with minimal differences.

Yeast – it has been years since I originally shared my steam bun recipe and the process of making yeast has changed since then. We used to have to proof active dry yeast before using it, whereas instant yeast can be added directly into the dry ingredients. However, I find that you can add active dry yeast into the dry ingredients the same way you do instant yeast and I use both interchangeably.

Kneading the dough – hands down the hardest part of the process. A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment can be used. Kneading time will vary depending on methods used. Knead the dough until it is smooth and soft. The process of kneading the dough is to develop the gluten structure. There will be textural differences between dough that has been kneaded properly versus ones that have not.

Chinese sausages / lap cheong – is optional. This is something that my mom added. If you don’t have this, just omit it.

Second resting – resting the buns after they have been filled is not required, but I have found that buns that are steamed in the second batch due to small steamer size get a second resting tend to be fluffier. I let buns rest and rise in the time it takes the water to come to a rapid boil.

Freezing – to freeze, cook the buns, let them cool completely and place them in a freezer safe bag. They are good for one month in the freezer. Microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute to heat. Or re-steam them again for a better quality. Note that you may want to omit the hardboiled eggs if you plan on freezing them. Hardboiled eggs can taste rubbery if frozen or heated and reheated.  

Gala pao / Steamed Buns

Yields: 24 buns

Dough:
5 cups (725g) all purpose or bread flour (I used bread flour)
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 ¼ teaspoon (7g) instant dry or active dry yeast
2 tablespoons (24g) baking powder
1 cup (237 ml) warm water
¾ cup (177 ml) warm milk (or use all water if not using milk)
2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable) + more for greasing bowl

Filling:
1 lb. (~450g) ground pork
4 tablespoons (15g) dried wood-ear or shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
2-3 scallions (35g), chopped
½ small yellow onion (60g), chopped
2 tablespoons (30ml) thin soy sauce or light soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30ml) oyster sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sweet soy sauce or black soy sauce (I used sweet soy sauce)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper (or a combination of both)
½ teaspoon salt
3 links Chinese sausages /lap cheong (~110g) – optional
6 large hardboiled eggs, cut into quarters

1. For the dough, in a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar. Mix well. Add water, milk, and oil. Work until all ingredients come together and you have a rough ball.
2. Turn the ball onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until you get a smooth and soft dough ball. Grease a bowl and the dough ball. Cover the bowl and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Time may vary.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling by combining ground pork, Chinese sausages, mushrooms, scallions, yellow onions, sauces, sugar, salt and pepper. (All ingredients except for the hard-boiled eggs).
4. After the dough has doubled in size, turn onto a floured surface. Cut into 24 equal pieces. Keep the dough covered until you are ready to use it.
5. Roll each piece of dough out into a flat round disc.
6. When assembling, fill the dough disc with a little bit of the filling and one quarter of hardboiled egg. Pull the edge of disc and pinch to close.
7. Place on wax paper and arrange on a steamer tray. Allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes while you bring the water in the steamer pot up to a rapid boil. Steam for about 30-40 minutes depending on size. Steam in batches if you have a smaller steamer.
8. Enjoy.