Pick bun size, filling type, count and leavening. The card gives per-bun dough weight, per-bun filling weight, total flour, and steamer time.
Why this exists
Bao dough-to-filling is a balance: too little filling and the bun feels like bread; too much and it bursts during steaming. Most home recipes give absolute amounts but ignore that bun size matters more than recipe count. The filling-to-dough ratio varies by filling wetness (custard needs less weight per gram of dough than char siu).
Who this is for
Anyone making dim sum at home. Vegetarian cooks trying to scale bao recipes that assume pork. First-timers whose bao collapse or leak during steaming.
How to read the result
The "per-bun filling" is the maximum your bun can hold without leaking. Go 20% lighter if you are a beginner; the seal is forgiving when there is room to fold. Wet fillings (vegetable, custard, curry) must be wrung out or thickened before filling - otherwise steam pressure pushes liquid through the seal and the bun deflates.
Honest limitations
Yeast activity depends on temperature. Cold kitchens need longer rise. Steamer pressure varies by stove - if your lid is loose or your pot is too shallow, add 2 minutes.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What are the common mistakes when using Bao (Steamed Bun) Filling Ratio?
Most common mistakes come down to four habits: entering 20 when the field expects 0.2 because the field is a percentage; leaving a field blank and accepting the default without checking what it stands for; changing one input and reading a result that was calculated before the change; and quoting the output as an exact figure when the page describes it as a reference estimate. Press calculate again after any edit, and treat the number as a reference point rather than a final answer.
How do I read the result from Bao (Steamed Bun) Filling Ratio?
Read the final figure first, then come back to this section for the conditions behind it: The "per-bun filling" is the maximum your bun can hold without leaking. Go 20% lighter if you are a beginner; Keep two things apart: the number itself, which comes from the values you typed, and the assumptions it depends on, which decide whether that number is meaningful. The page sets out what a higher or lower result means for your case, so check that direction as well as the magnitude.
Can I act on the Bao (Steamed Bun) Filling Ratio result directly?
Treat it as one reference sheet before you decide, rather than as the answer itself: Yeast activity depends on temperature. Cold kitchens need longer rise. Steamer pressure varies by stove - if your lid is loose or your pot is too shallow, add 2 minutes. The output describes a magnitude under the conditions you entered. It does not include what it actually costs to act, what might change while you act, or how the other side behaves. Before you commit, compare the result against reality and note which assumptions do not hold where you are.
What inputs does Bao (Steamed Bun) Filling Ratio need?
Bao (Steamed Bun) Filling Ratio takes 1 inputs: Number of buns. They are listed in the order they feed the calculation, so an earlier value can change a later one. Do not skip a field you do not recognise - work out what it means first, because a silently guessed value produces a number that looks reasonable and is not. Before typing anything, make sure every figure uses the same unit and the same time period.
Why did my bao deflate? Either under-steamed (lift the lid, wait 30 sec, then remove - sudden cold air collapses yeasted bao) or filling was too wet.
Can I freeze shaped bao? Yes, freeze before the second rise. Steam from frozen, add 5 min.
Why are my bao yellow not white? Baking powder leaves a trace yellow tint. Use yeast for whiter buns.