Food Recipes Bread Yeast Breads Birria Bao Be the first to rate & review! The filling for these bao may be unexpected, but Claudette Zepeda's recipe for Birria, a chile-rich savory shredded beef, is a delicious match for the chewy and slightly-sweet dough. Birria is a mainstay of Mexican cuisine, a stew that originated in the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat, beef, or lamb. The meat is marinated in adobo, slowly braised until fork-tender, and then shredded. It's the perfect filling for tacos, quesadillas, or these bao. Be sure to line the bottom of your steamer with parchment paper so the bao dough sticks to the paper, and not the steamer. By Claudette Zepeda Claudette Zepeda Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning Mexican-American chef from San Diego known for her bold culinary style. She was the executive chef and creative force behind the critically acclaimed regional Mexican restaurant, El Jardin. Claudette competed on Top Chef Mexico Season 2 and Top Chef Season 15. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 3, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones Active Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 8 Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 ½ cups (340 grams) pastry flour or all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon dry active yeast ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons canola oil ½ cup warm milk (110°F to 115°F) ⅓ cup warm water (110°F to 115°F) ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups drained Birria, warmed Thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced chiles, thinly sliced avocado, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges, for garnish Directions In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, then oil. With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the milk; then the water and salt, mixing just until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is very soft and elastic, but does not stick to your fingers or the mixing bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. Lightly grease a medium bowl. On a work surface, form the dough into a smooth round ball. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rest in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes. Line a bamboo steamer with a parchment-paper round. Set another parchment-paper round nearby. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 10 rounds. Fold the rounds over, forming half moons (do not press together). Place 5 bao in the steamer, spacing apart, and cover with the lid. Place the remaining 5 bao on the other parchment-paper round and cover with an inverted bowl. Let the bao rest for 30 minutes. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a wok or a large skillet. Place the bamboo steamer on top and steam the bao until the bread is cooked, about 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining bao, adding more water to the wok if needed. When the bao are cool enough to handle, fill with the warm birria and garnish with onion, chiles, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Rate It Print