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Hollow Fried Buns 1

Hot-Water Dough Hollow Fried Buns (Crispy Outside, Soft & Hollow Inside)

I love turning simple pantry ingredients into something exciting, and these Hot-Water Dough Hollow Fried Buns are one of my favorite comfort snacks. The dough is soft and pillowy, while high-heat frying creates a golden crispy shell with a big hollow center. They’re surprisingly light, not greasy at all, and perfect for eating plain or stuffing with your favorite fillings.
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Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 500 g all-purpose flour
  • 4 –5g salt
  • 150 g boiling water
  • 180 g cold water

Fermentation

  • 5 g baking powder optional
  • 5 g yeast
  • 5 g sugar

Other

  • extra flour for dusting
  • cooking oil for deep frying

Instructions
 

Step 1 – Make the hot-water dough

  • In a large bowl, combine 500g flour and 4–5g salt and mix well.
  • Pour in 150g boiling water and quickly stir with chopsticks until the flour forms small clumps with no dry patches. Then add 180g cold water and continue mixing until the dough comes together.
  • Let the dough rest for several minutes until it cools to room temperature. The dough should no longer feel warm before adding yeast.

Step 2 – Add yeast and knead

  • Add 5g yeast, 5g baking powder (optional), and 5g sugar.
  • Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Continue kneading until the surface becomes soft and smooth.
  • Place the dough into a bowl, cover, and let it ferment in a warm place until doubled in size. The inside should show a honeycomb texture.

Step 3 – Degas and divide

  • Transfer the dough onto a work surface and knead again to remove excess air until it returns close to its original size.
  • Roll the dough into a long log and divide into 70–80g portions.
  • Shape each portion into a smooth ball, cover, and let them rest for 5 minutes so the gluten relaxes.

Step 4 – Roll the dough

  • Lightly dust the surface with flour.
  • Roll each dough ball into a round disc about 0.5–0.8cm thick.

Important:

  • If small air bubbles appear, do not pop them. These bubbles help create the hollow center when frying.

Step 5 – Fry the hollow buns

  • Heat a pot with enough oil for deep frying.
  • The ideal oil temperature is 180–200°C. To test: place a dough disc into the oil—if it floats within 2 seconds, the oil is ready.
  • Carefully add the dough into the oil. It will quickly puff up. Fry until one side turns golden, then flip and fry the other side.
  • Keep the heat high so the dough sets quickly and absorbs less oil.
  • Once both sides are golden and the bun is fully puffed and hollow, remove and drain on paper towels.
  • Serve hot.

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