Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Buns {Sheng Jian Bao)

These sheng jian bao are filled with breakfast sausage, eggs, and cheddar cheese. They are then both pan fried and then steamed all in the same pan to produce juicy little buns that are crispy on one side and soft on the other. 

Typically filled with pork, scallions, and seasonings, Sheng Jian Bao are often served for breakfast in street stalls in Shanghai. They are similar in preparation to potstickers, except they are wrapped in a yeasted dough that rises as the buns cook in the steam. 

This process is also different from baozi that you steam first and then transfer to a frying pan or wok and briefly sear to crisp up and brown one side. With these Sheng Jian Bao (or Sheng Jian Mantou), you only need one skillet to both sear and steam the buns. 

These buns are filled with breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese for an American breakfast slant on these buns. The fat from the sausage oozes a little from the buns to mix with the frying oil to add a wonderful juiciness to these bao. 

Sometimes a little bit of the cheese might ooze out too, which adds a bit more crispness and flavor to the browned side of the bun. 

These sausage, egg, and cheese buns are a great way to take the flavors of your favorite breakfast sandwich and adapt them to Chinese-style cooking. You could also stuff steamed bao buns (gua bao) with the same fillings for another wonderful twist on the breakfast sandwich. 

The name Shang Jian Bao actually means “raw fried buns,” to indicate that the raw dough is seared before it is cooked. 

Ingredients in these sausage, egg, and cheese buns:

For the dough: All-purpose flour, instant yeast, baking powder, salt, sugar, and water. The baking powder helps make these extra puffy and adds a boost to the rise in the pan. 

While I used unbleached all purpose flour, you can use bleached flour if you prefer for a whiter bun. 

For the Filling: Eggs, breakfast sausage, and cheddar cheese. For the sausage, I used an 8 ounce package of Farmer John’s classic pork sausage links (skinless), which made it easy to measure, but you can use any bulk breakfast sausage. 

For the cheese, you could also substitute Monterey Jack, Swiss, or even Pepper Jack. 

Optional Garnish: Sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. 

Process to Make These Buns:

First, you make the dough by kneading all of the ingredients together and letting the dough rise at room temperature for about an hour or so before shaping the buns. Alternatively, you can immediately place the dough in the refrigerator to rise overnight, which is what I did. It’s so convenient and the cold dough is easy to shape. 

When you are ready to make the buns, first cook the eggs by lightly scrambling them for just 3 or 4 minutes. They should still be slightly runny.

Next, take the risen dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces. It’s really helpful to use a kitchen scale to ensure that you’ve evenly divided the dough. Form each piece into a ball and set aside, covered, as you work with each piece. 

To assemble and fill each bun, gather your fillings and begin by rolling out one dough ball into a four inch round. Be sure to roll the edges of the round thinner than the center. It’s helpful to use a mini rolling pin/dowel for more control. The smaller size also comes in handy for making dumpling or wonton wrappers, rolling out fondant, or making the crust for small tarts, etc. 

Once you’ve rolled out one of the dough balls, fill it with about a tablespoon of the sausage, two teaspoons of the eggs, and a piece of the cheese. Then wrap up the dough and gather the sides together in the center and press them together. If  you’re a master at shaping and pleating the dough, you can use your skills to create a gorgeous pleated top (video). I am not yet a master at this step so I simply gathered the dough together and placed the bao seam side down to rise. 

You can also fry the buns seam side up or down. By frying mine seam side down, there was less risk of the buns opening up and losing their contents. It’s up to you! Let the buns rise, covered, for about 45 minutes. 

Finally, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and place the buns in the pan to cook for about three minutes (the bottom side should begin to brown). Then, add a half cup of water to the pan, cover the pan, and steam the buns for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the buns sit, covered, for about five minutes. 

Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The sausage will have cooked through, the eggs will have finished cooking, and cheese will have melted. 

You can serve these with your favorite dipping sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, chili crisp, or plain. 

Make-Ahead Tips:

You can assemble these sheng jian bao up to the end of the second rise and then freeze them to cook later. Freeze them on a plate and then, when they are hard, place them in a freezer bag and leave in the freezer for up to 30 days. 

Cook them while they are still frozen, but add an additional 1/4 cup of water for steaming and steam them for about 14 minutes. I cooked half of the buns right away and froze the other half for later. 

If you have leftovers, cover and refrigerate them. They are pretty delicious rewarmed for about 45 seconds in the microwave. 

Steamed Bread Recipes: 

This month, the Bread Bakers are sharing recipes for steamed breads.

 

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Recipe adapted from Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet & Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries by Kristina Cho of the blog, Eat Cho Food. It’s a James Beard award winner along with One of the Best Cookbooks of the Year (2022) by New Yorker Magazine and The New York Times.