The cloud-like staple of Chinese mornings
Walk past any Chinese breakfast shop in the early morning and you'll see clouds of steam rising from bamboo baskets. Inside are baozi - soft, fluffy steamed buns filled with pork, vegetables, red bean paste or custard - and their unfilled cousin mantou. Across China, from northern wheat country to southern cities, these buns are the everyday breakfast of millions. And the good news for visitors: they are far easier to master than they look, which makes them one of our most satisfying workshops.
What the class covers
Our baozi workshop is a complete breakfast-table education. You'll start by mixing and kneading the dough - learning why a soft, slightly sweet dough makes the perfect bao - then watch it rise while you prepare a classic pork-and-spring-onion filling or a vegetarian option. The real skill comes next: pleating the wrapper shut to trap the filling, creating the distinctive "crown" of folds on top of each bun. Beginners produce buns of charmingly irregular beauty; masters produce rows of identical little clouds. Finally you'll steam your buns in a bamboo basket and eat them while they're still warm, with black vinegar and chilli. We also teach the simpler mantou so you can make both at home.
Where and how long
Baozi classes fit anywhere in China - from Beijing and Xi'an to Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou - and run about 2 hours. They pair beautifully with a morning market tour, or with our dumpling class for a full "dough day" of Chinese staple foods.
Why it matters
Baozi is Chinese food at its most democratic: cheap, filling and eaten by everyone. Making it by hand gives you a window into the daily rhythm of Chinese life - and a recipe you'll actually use back home.
Hungry for the experience? Tell PandaStudyTour your travel plans, and we'll steam up a baozi class for you.
