Gua Bao
Savor the mouthwatering delight of Gua Bao, featuring succulent shrimp nestled in fluffy steamed buns. This irresistible treat comes alive with crisp vegetables and a drizzle of savory sauce, creating a burst of flavor in every bite. Get ready to elevate your snacking game with this fun and vibrant dish!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 carotte coupée en julienne avec 1 cac de sucre, 1 cac de sel, 2 cac de vinaigre blanc, 1 cas d’eau. Laissez poser 10 minutes
- 1/2 concombre coupé en lamelles
- 20cl d’eau tiède (6.76 fl oz)
- 70ml d’eau (2.37 fl oz)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- Une vingtaine de crevettes crues
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1 jaune d’oeuf
🫙Pantry Staples(6)
- 400g de farine (3.2 cup)
- 65g de farine (0.52 cup)
- 1 cas d’huile (15 ml)
- Chapelure panko
- 1 cac de sucre (5 ml)
- 1 sachet de levure boulangère
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1 cac de sel (5 ml)
- Sel, poivre
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- 2 cas de mayonnaise (30 ml)
- 1 cac de sauce sriracha (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
633
Protein
24g
Carbs
104g
Fat
12g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dough for the buns by mixing flour, yeast, warm water, sugar, salt, and oil. Knead until smooth and let rise.
- 2
Prepare the tempura batter by mixing egg yolk, flour, water, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Dip the raw shrimp in the tempura batter and coat with panko breadcrumbs, then fry until golden.
- 4
Prepare the pickled vegetables by mixing julienned carrot with sugar, salt, white vinegar, and water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- 5
Slice the cucumber.
- 6
Assemble the Gua Bao by placing the fried shrimp, pickled vegetables, and sauce in the buns, and garnish with chives.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Hydrate your dough to 50% water-to-flour ratio (20cl water to 400g flour) to achieve the characteristic tender, slightly sticky crumb of gua bao; higher hydration creates steam pockets during steaming that keep buns pillowy rather than dense.ingredient50% hydration ratio
- ✓Let your dough rise for 60-90 minutes at 26-28°C until doubled in volume, then shape and proof for exactly 20-25 minutes before steaming; under-proofing results in dense buns, while over-proofing causes them to collapse during the steam application.timing60-90 minutes bulk fermentation + 20-25 minutes final proof
- ✓Mix your tempura batter to a 1:1 flour-to-water ratio (65g flour to 70ml water) with the egg yolk, and work it minimally for just 10-15 seconds until barely combined; overworking develops gluten, which thickens the batter and creates a heavy crust instead of the delicate, crispy coating.technique1:1 flour-to-water ratio, 10-15 seconds mixing
- ✓Fry your shrimp tempura at exactly 170-175°C for 90-120 seconds per batch; temperatures above 180°C burn the exterior before the shrimp cooks through, while below 165°C prevents the Maillard reaction needed for golden color and crispy texture.timing170-175°C, 90-120 seconds
- ✓Pickle your julienned carrots with a 1:1:1 ratio of sugar, salt, and white vinegar by weight (approximately 10g each per 100g carrots) and hold for exactly 10 minutes; this osmotic time softens the cell walls while the acid denatures proteins for crunch without mushiness.technique1:1:1 sugar:salt:vinegar ratio, 10 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Gua Bao
Savor the mouthwatering delight of Gua Bao, featuring succulent shrimp nestled in fluffy steamed buns. This irresistible treat comes alive with crisp vegetables and a drizzle of savory sauce, creating a burst of flavor in every bite. Get ready to elevate your snacking game with this fun and vibrant dish!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 carotte coupée en julienne avec 1 cac de sucre, 1 cac de sel, 2 cac de vinaigre blanc, 1 cas d’eau. Laissez poser 10 minutes
- 1/2 concombre coupé en lamelles
- 20cl d’eau tiède (6.76 fl oz)
- 70ml d’eau (2.37 fl oz)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- Une vingtaine de crevettes crues
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1 jaune d’oeuf
🫙Pantry Staples(6)
- 400g de farine (3.2 cup)
- 65g de farine (0.52 cup)
- 1 cas d’huile (15 ml)
- Chapelure panko
- 1 cac de sucre (5 ml)
- 1 sachet de levure boulangère
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1 cac de sel (5 ml)
- Sel, poivre
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- 2 cas de mayonnaise (30 ml)
- 1 cac de sauce sriracha (5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
633
Protein
24g
Carbs
104g
Fat
12g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dough for the buns by mixing flour, yeast, warm water, sugar, salt, and oil. Knead until smooth and let rise.
- 2
Prepare the tempura batter by mixing egg yolk, flour, water, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Dip the raw shrimp in the tempura batter and coat with panko breadcrumbs, then fry until golden.
- 4
Prepare the pickled vegetables by mixing julienned carrot with sugar, salt, white vinegar, and water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- 5
Slice the cucumber.
- 6
Assemble the Gua Bao by placing the fried shrimp, pickled vegetables, and sauce in the buns, and garnish with chives.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Hydrate your dough to 50% water-to-flour ratio (20cl water to 400g flour) to achieve the characteristic tender, slightly sticky crumb of gua bao; higher hydration creates steam pockets during steaming that keep buns pillowy rather than dense.ingredient50% hydration ratio
- ✓Let your dough rise for 60-90 minutes at 26-28°C until doubled in volume, then shape and proof for exactly 20-25 minutes before steaming; under-proofing results in dense buns, while over-proofing causes them to collapse during the steam application.timing60-90 minutes bulk fermentation + 20-25 minutes final proof
- ✓Mix your tempura batter to a 1:1 flour-to-water ratio (65g flour to 70ml water) with the egg yolk, and work it minimally for just 10-15 seconds until barely combined; overworking develops gluten, which thickens the batter and creates a heavy crust instead of the delicate, crispy coating.technique1:1 flour-to-water ratio, 10-15 seconds mixing
- ✓Fry your shrimp tempura at exactly 170-175°C for 90-120 seconds per batch; temperatures above 180°C burn the exterior before the shrimp cooks through, while below 165°C prevents the Maillard reaction needed for golden color and crispy texture.timing170-175°C, 90-120 seconds
- ✓Pickle your julienned carrots with a 1:1:1 ratio of sugar, salt, and white vinegar by weight (approximately 10g each per 100g carrots) and hold for exactly 10 minutes; this osmotic time softens the cell walls while the acid denatures proteins for crunch without mushiness.technique1:1:1 sugar:salt:vinegar ratio, 10 minutes