Shanghai-style soup dumplings built from a firm pork-skin aspic, cold cohesive pork filling, and an unleavened wrapper rolled thin at the edge but stronger in the centre. Pleats matter because they seal soup - not because one number is magic.
pork-skin aspic, cohesive ginger pork filling, thin-edged unleavened wrappers, black vinegar and ginger
Long-simmered skin stock sets into cuttable collagen, so soup can be folded into cold pork without wetting the wrapper. One-direction mixing binds the filling, a thicker wrapper centre supports its weight, and high steam melts the aspic only after the pleats are sealed.
Taste profile
Delicate unleavened wrapper, clear pork soup, cohesive ginger pork, aromatic black vinegar, and fresh ginger.
Xiao Long Bao is a Jiangnan and Shanghai soup dumpling. Eighteen pleats is a documented Nanxiang benchmark, but a complete seal - not numerology - is the beginner's first standard.
Cook plan
5 hr 45 min + overnight aspic setting
2–3 L saucepan
fine sieve
shallow metal aspic tray
digital scale
narrow rolling dowel
bench scraper
bamboo or metal steamer
probe thermometer
Versions
fresh 24-dumpling masterclass
12-pleat practice dumplings
tray-frozen and steamed from frozen
powdered-gelatin rescue for weak natural aspic
Diet & allergens
Check before you cook
Dietary notes: dairy-free.
Contains or may contain: pork, wheat, soy, sesame, sulphites depending on Shaoxing wine and vinegar.
Check packaged-ingredient labels and cross-contamination advice for the brands you use.
Budget
Planning estimate only · not live or locally verified pricing
Indonesia
≈Rp210k for 24
Australia
≈$42 for 24
What belongs where
One dish. Distinct flavour parts.
Xiao long bao is a Shanghai/Jiangnan soup dumpling assembled from four distinct systems. Pork aspic is made and chilled first, then folded into a cold seasoned pork filling; unleavened dough forms the sealed wrapper; black-vinegar-and-ginger dip stays at the table. None of these components should be flattened into a bumbu or sambal label.
Bumbu or sambal?A 30-second beginner glossary
Bumbu
The dish's seasoning system: it may be ground, sliced, or left whole, but it is cooked into the food. Bumbu does not automatically mean a jarred paste.
Sambal
A chilli-led preparation with its own salt, acid, aroma, and texture. It can be fresh or cooked and usually remains a condiment, even when you make it during the recipe.
Sauce, glaze, or broth
These words describe function and texture. A broth carries the dish; a glaze coats it; neither becomes bumbu simply because it is strongly seasoned.
Pelengkap
The accompaniments that complete a plate - lalapan, rice, crackers, herbs, lime, or fried shallot. Add them at serving unless the method says otherwise.
01
Broth or stockBuilt separately · combined later
Pork aspic
ròupí dòng · 肉皮冻
Make it
Blanch the measured pork skin and neck bones for 5 minutes, discard that water, rinse and scrub them, and wash the pot. Simmer them covered with 950 ml fresh water, ginger, scallion, and Shaoxing wine for 2 hours; strain and reduce to exactly 500 ml. Cool safely in a shallow tray, refrigerate at least 6 hours, then cut the firm gel into 3–4 mm cubes while very cold.
Ready when
Cold aspic lifts as one clear pale-gold, firmly wobbling sheet and holds sharp diced edges. A loose spoonable gel will melt into the filling before it can be wrapped.
Keep separate
Aspic is concentrated stock in a wrappable solid state - not soup poured into the wrapper and not a sauce. Never use the blanch water. If a chilled test stays loose, remelt and reduce by about 20%; if still weak, bloom and dissolve the recipe's documented gelatin rescue before rechilling.
Store safely
Cool from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours and to 5°C within 4 more hours. Refrigerate covered up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator and keep it cold while dicing.
Main component or fillingBuilt separately · combined later
Pork-and-aspic filling
xiàn · 馅
Make it
Stir 330 g cold 70:30 ground pork with the measured Shaoxing wine, soy, cold water, ginger, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper firmly in one direction for 2–3 minutes. Cook a 15 g test portion to 71°C and taste it; cool the bowl again, gently fold in 220 g diced aspic, chill 20 minutes, then weigh 25 g for each dumpling.
Ready when
Before aspic, the pork is glossy, stringy, and tacky enough to cling to an inverted spoon. After folding, distinct gel cubes remain visible and the cold filling holds a tidy scoop rather than spreading.
Keep separate
This filling remains raw until steaming: never taste it raw, and keep its bowl and utensils away from cooked food. A classic Nanxiang-leaning filling uses ginger but no onion or garlic. If the gel begins to smear, stop and chill for 10–15 minutes rather than adding flour or starch.
Store safely
Ground pork keeps only 1–2 days refrigerated; make seasoned filling no more than 1 day ahead. Keep at 5°C or colder and track cumulative bench time: under 2 hours may return to refrigeration, 2–4 hours must be cooked immediately, and over 4 hours must be discarded.
Knead 160 g plain flour with 110 g warm water for 10 minutes, rest covered for 20 minutes, knead 5 minutes, then rest 30 minutes. Divide into twenty-four 11 g pieces and keep them covered. Roll each to 8–9 cm, leaving an approximately 1 mm opaque centre and a 0.5 mm slightly translucent rim; add 25 g cold filling, make up to 18 narrow pleats, and twist the top completely closed.
Ready when
The raw dumpling stands upright with a thin even skirt, a small sealed knot, and no filling on the seam. After steaming, the wrapper is glossy and semi-translucent but its pleats remain defined and no soup has leaked.
Keep separate
The wrapper is fresh unleavened flour-and-water dough, not bao dough, gyoza skin, or a store-bought wonton wrapper. A stronger centre carries the soup while the thin edge prevents a doughy knot. A sealed 12-pleat practice dumpling is safer than a torn 18-pleat one; remove filling rather than stretching a strained skin.
Store safely
Make dough the same day and hold it covered for no more than about 2 hours. Steam assembled dumplings immediately, or tray-freeze at once without touching and bag when solid; for best wrapper quality, use frozen dumplings within 1 month and steam without thawing.
Cut 30 g peeled ginger into hair-fine matchsticks and place it beside 90 ml Chinkiang black vinegar. Steam fresh dumplings over already boiling water for 8 minutes, verify one first-batch pork centre reaches 71°C, then rest the basket for 60–90 seconds before serving with soup spoons.
Ready when
The dip is sharp, aromatic, and fluid rather than sweet or soy-heavy. A safely cooked dumpling is glossy and inflated but intact; on the spoon, a small side opening releases clear hot soup around fully cooked pork.
Keep separate
The vinegar dip is a separate table condiment, not filling, bumbu, or sambal; soy sauce is not required. Support each dumpling with a spoon, open the side to vent steam, and sip cautiously - its liquid centre can scald even after the wrapper feels touchable. Re-steam an under-71°C batch immediately for 2 minutes.
Store safely
Cut ginger and portioned dip are best made the same day; refrigerate until serving and discard a shared table portion after the meal. Refrigerate cooked dumplings within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days, reheating to 74°C, though their wrapper is best eaten fresh.
Storage notes are conservative home-kitchen guidance. Chill perishable food within 2 hours, keep it at 5°C or colder, and follow local food-safety and package directions when they are stricter.
Step-by-step method
Cook in order. Follow each cue.
Read the action and cue together. Move on when the food matches the cue.
01
2 hr 20 min + 6 hr chill
Blanch clean and extract the pork aspic
Cover pork skin and bones with cold water, boil 5 minutes, drain, and discard that water. Rinse, scrape residue from the skin, scrub dark matter from bones, and wash the pot. Add the cleaned parts, 950 ml fresh water, 15 g ginger, scallion, and 15 ml Shaoxing. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 2 hours. Strain and reduce if necessary to exactly 500 ml. Cool in a shallow tray and refrigerate at least 6 hours.
Cold stock is a clear pale-gold gel that jiggles as one firm mass and cuts into sharp 3–4 mm cubes.
Common mistake: Using the dirty blanch water or stopping with a loose spoonable gel produces cloudy soup or filling too wet to wrap.
Recovery: Lower the heat immediately, skim or stir gently, and continue at a small simmer until the surface calms.
02
1 hr 5 min
Knead rest and divide the wrapper dough
Add 110 g warm 40–45°C water to 160 g flour in three additions and stir with chopsticks until shaggy. Knead 10 minutes, cover and rest 20 minutes; knead another 5 minutes and rest covered for 30 minutes. Roll into a uniform rope and weigh twenty-four 11 g pieces. Keep every piece under a damp cloth so no dry skin forms.
The rested dough is smooth, soft, and springs back slowly without cracks or sticky smears.
Common mistake: Adding lots of bench flour before the first rest makes wrappers dry; uncovered portions crack before pleating.
Recovery: Pause before the next step, compare the cue, then correct heat, moisture, or seasoning while the dish is still flexible.
03
30 min
Build sticky pork then fold in cold aspic
Mix pork, 22 ml Shaoxing, 14 ml soy, 22 ml cold water, 10 g ginger paste, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper firmly in one direction for 2–3 minutes. Cook a separate 15 g test portion to 71°C and taste; never taste raw filling. Re-chill the bowl, gently fold in 220 g very cold aspic cubes, chill 20 minutes, then portion 25 g for each dumpling, bringing only six portions to the bench at once.
Pork is glossy and tacky before aspic; afterward distinct gel cubes remain visible and each cold portion holds a tidy scoop.
Common mistake: Warm loose filling smears the gel and wets the seam; flour or starch does not repair melted aspic.
Recovery: Spread the food out, raise heat only after moisture drops, and hold back extra sauce until the pan is frying again.
04
2 min each
Roll a thin edge and stronger centre
Flatten one 11 g piece and use a narrow dowel while rotating the disc with the opposite hand. Roll from the outer edge toward - but not all the way through - the middle until 8–9 cm wide. Keep the perimeter about 0.5 mm and slightly translucent while the centre remains about 1 mm and opaque. Work one wrapper at a time so it cannot dry.
The edge shows fingertips faintly through it, while the stronger centre remains visibly opaque and supports filling without sagging.
Common mistake: An evenly thick wrapper makes a doughy knot, but a paper-thin centre tears when the aspic melts.
Recovery: Reduce uncovered and season in small rounds, checking the visual cue before adding more salt, sugar, or sauce.
05
3 min each
Portion pleat and seal without chasing a number
Place 25 g cold filling in the wrapper centre and keep the border clean. Pinch one point, rotate the dumpling while the thumb stays near the filling, and make narrow overlapping pleats. Aim toward 18 on a confident batch, but seal a sound 12-pleat practice dumpling rather than tearing it. Twist the final opening into a small closed knot; remove a little filling if the wrapper strains.
The raw dumpling stands upright with a symmetrical pouch, narrow pleats, a small sealed top, and no grease or filling on the seam.
Common mistake: Overfilling or touching the rim with pork prevents a complete seal and leaks the soup before it reaches a spoon.
Recovery: Pause before the next step, compare the cue, then correct heat, moisture, or seasoning while the dish is still flexible.
06
5 min
Line and space the steamer
Use perforated parchment or individual napa-cabbage leaves so steam can pass. Arrange no more than eight dumplings per basket, leaving at least 3 cm around each and keeping them clear of the wall. Bring the water to a rolling boil before setting the basket on top; water must never touch the dumplings.
Every matte raw dumpling has open space to expand and every liner opening remains visible between them.
Common mistake: Touching dumplings fuse together, while a solid unperforated liner traps water and cooks the base unevenly.
Recovery: Pause before the next step, compare the cue, then correct heat, moisture, or seasoning while the dish is still flexible.
07
8 min + 90 sec rest
Steam high and verify the first batch
Cover and steam fresh dumplings over already boiling water for 8 minutes without lifting the lid. Move the whole basket off the heat and rest 60–90 seconds. For the first batch, sacrifice one dumpling and insert a clean probe through the top: minced pork must reach 71°C. If not, return the basket immediately for 2 more minutes and recheck.
Wrappers are glossy and semi-translucent, pleats remain defined, dumplings look slightly inflated, and no soup has leaked.
Common mistake: Weak steam or opening early undercooks the centre; oversteaming eventually tears a wrapper that cannot be repaired.
Recovery: Spread the food out, raise heat only after moisture drops, and hold back extra sauce until the pan is frying again.
08
2 min
Support open and sip without a burn
Cut 30 g ginger into hair-fine matchsticks and serve with Chinkiang vinegar. Lift each dumpling gently by the knot while supporting it immediately in a Chinese soup spoon. Add a little vinegar and ginger, make a small opening in the side, wait for steam to escape, and sip the clear soup cautiously before eating the wrapper and pork.
An intact dumpling reaches the spoon, a small side opening releases clear golden soup, and the pork centre is fully cooked and juicy.
Common mistake: Biting a whole dumpling straight from the steamer can scald; squeezing with chopsticks ruptures it over the basket.
Recovery: Spread the food out, raise heat only after moisture drops, and hold back extra sauce until the pan is frying again.
These links open searches, catalogues, or store locators. Check the exact form and local availability there.
Jakartakulit babi yang sudah dibersihkan (cleaned pork skin)
Start with pasar stalls for kulit babi yang sudah dibersihkan, tulang leher babi berdaging; use supermarkets or online marketplaces for sealed pantry staples.
Shaoxing wine, divided: dry sherry, or equal water plus 2 ml mild rice vinegar for an alcohol-free path.
cleaned pork skin: Contains pork. Remove hair and thick surface fat before blanching.
These links open searches, catalogues, or store locators. Check the exact form and local availability there.
Fix problems
Find the decision that changes the result.
The active method already includes its most likely mistake and recovery. Open the reference library when your question falls outside the current step.
Browse 9 recipe answers
9/9
Must Xiao Long Bao have exactly 18 pleats?
Eighteen pleats is a documented Nanxiang and restaurant benchmark, but seal quality comes first. A neat sealed 12-pleat practice dumpling is better than a torn 18-pleat one.
Is Xiao Long Bao the same as a fluffy bao bun or gyoza?
No. It uses fresh unleavened flour-and-water dough, a thin round wrapper with a stronger centre, and chilled aspic that melts into soup. It should not be shaped or textured like leavened bao, gyoza, or an oversized dumpling.
How do I rescue aspic that will not set?
Remelt it, reduce by about 20%, and test a spoonful on a chilled plate. If it remains weak, bloom 7 g powdered gelatin in 30 ml cold water, dissolve it into the hot stock, and chill again.
Can I freeze assembled dumplings?
Yes. Tray-freeze immediately without touching, bag airtight when solid, and use within one month for best wrapper quality. Steam from frozen without thawing for 10–12 minutes and verify the first batch reaches 71°C.
What is the decisive ready cue for Xiao Long Bao?
Seal clear hot soup inside a delicate wrapper that survives the steamer and reaches the spoon intact. Look for semi-translucent wrapper, defined pleats, slight inflation, and no leaked soup: Fresh dumplings steam over already boiling water for 8 minutes; the first batch is verified to 71°C through one sacrificial dumpling.
What should I do if Xiao Long Bao misses its cue?
Using the dirty blanch water or stopping with a loose spoonable gel produces cloudy soup or filling too wet to wrap. Lower the heat immediately, skim or stir gently, and continue at a small simmer until the surface calms.
How should I scale Xiao Long Bao?
Scale the measured ingredients with the serving count, then scale the vessel or work in batches. Keep the same visual finish - semi-translucent wrapper, defined pleats, slight inflation, and no leaked soup - rather than forcing the original timer.
Which substitutions are tested for Xiao Long Bao?
Shaoxing wine, divided: dry sherry, or equal water plus 2 ml mild rice vinegar for an alcohol-free path
Which Xiao Long Bao ingredients should not be swapped casually?
cleaned pork skin: Contains pork. Remove hair and thick surface fat before blanching.; meaty pork neck bones: Contains pork. Discard the first blanching water and scrub away grey residue.; Shaoxing wine, divided: Contains alcohol and may contain sulphites.; plain flour: Contains wheat and gluten.
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