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Cucumber Pork Steamed Buns 1

Fresh Green Cucumber Pork Steamed Buns (One-Rise, Foolproof)

I love turning unexpected vegetables into comfort food, and these cucumber pork buns are a perfect example. The dough is soft and fluffy with just one rise, while the filling is juicy, fresh, and lightly fragrant from cucumber. No pre-fermenting, no stress—just simple steps and beautiful results that work even for beginners.
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Course Breakfast
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 500 g all-purpose flour
  • 5 g yeast
  • 270 g cucumber juice
  • 5 g sugar

Filling

  • 300 g ground pork 70% lean, 30% fat recommended
  • 300 g cucumber flesh about 1 medium cucumber
  • 50 g green pepper finely diced (optional)
  • 20 g scallions finely chopped
  • 10 g ginger minced

Seasonings

  • 3 g salt 1g for cucumber, 2g for pork
  • 1 g MSG optional
  • 1.5 g ground Sichuan pepper
  • 1.5 g ground white pepper
  • 30 ml light soy sauce
  • 5 ml dark soy sauce
  • 15 ml oyster sauce
  • 30 ml seasoned oil scallion–ginger oil preferred

Instructions
 

Prepare the cucumber

  • Peel the cucumber and keep only the inner flesh. Shred it, then finely chop. Add 1g salt, massage well, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Set aside. This step is essential to prevent soggy filling.

Season the pork filling

  • In a bowl, add the ground pork, remaining salt, MSG, ground Sichuan pepper, white pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir vigorously in one direction for about 5 minutes until sticky and elastic.
  • Add seasoned oil, scallions, and ginger. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Just before wrapping, fold in the squeezed cucumber and diced green pepper.

Prepare the cucumber juice

  • Add about 100g cucumber peels and 250g water to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then strain the mixture. Measure out 270g cucumber juice and add it to the flour.

Make the dough

  • In a large bowl, mix flour, one-step yeast, and sugar. Gradually add cucumber juice while stirring until shaggy dough forms. Knead for 5–8 minutes until smooth, soft, and non-sticky.

Divide and roll

  • No bulk fermentation needed. Divide the dough into 15–18 equal portions (about 35–40g each). Roll into smooth balls, then flatten into 7–8cm wrappers with thinner edges and a thicker center.

Fill and shape

  • Place about 20g filling in the center of each wrapper. Pleat and seal tightly. Place buns on a lightly oiled steamer tray, leaving space between each.

Final rise

  • Let the buns rest at room temperature for 20–25 minutes, until about 1.5 times larger. When gently pressed, they should spring back slowly.

Steam

  • Steam over boiling water on medium heat for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for 2 minutes before opening the lid to prevent collapsing.

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