History

Pepper bun came from Fuzhou with Hokkien settlers and is now sold at most Taipei night markets. Fuzhou Shihzu at Raohe Night Market in Songshan bakes them on the inner walls of a charcoal-fired clay-and-brick oven, the smoke giving them their distinctive flavour. The bun is Bib Gourmand-listed and the canonical version in Taipei. Each bun is NT$70 and made to order; the queue is 20 minutes deep most evenings.

Common allergens: Gluten, Pork

Make it at home

Yield Makes 12 bunsHands-on 45 minTotal 2 hr 30 minDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • Dough: 400g plain flour, 7g instant yeast, 250ml warm water, 30ml vegetable oil, 5g salt
  • Filling: 400g pork belly, hand-chopped
  • 100g spring onions, chopped
  • 20g fresh ginger, grated
  • 30ml light soy sauce
  • 15ml dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
  • 60ml sesame oil
  • 1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, to glaze
  • 60g white sesame seeds, to coat

Method

  1. Mix dough ingredients, knead 8 minutes until smooth. Rest covered 1 hour until doubled.
  2. Combine pork, ginger, soy sauces, Shaoxing, sugar, white pepper and sesame oil. Stir in one direction to bind. Fold in spring onions just before filling.
  3. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Flatten each into a 10cm disc thicker in the centre.
  4. Place 40g filling on each disc, gather edges up over the filling and pinch closed.
  5. Brush each bun with egg wash, dip top into sesame seeds.
  6. Bake at 220C on a hot stone or pizza pan for 20 minutes until deep golden brown.
  7. Serve immediately while juicy.

Tip from the editors. Hand-chopped pork has the right texture; minced goes too smooth. The bun is meant to drip juice when you bite it.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pepper bun

Pepper bun in Taipei

More cities are in research. Want pepper bun covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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