Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

Smell that? That warm, eggy, slightly sweet, but oh-so-savory scent wafting from your oven? We’ve eaten enough baked bao over the last few weeks to know that smell on an intimate level, and trust us, we are never mad about it. A traditional Chinese bun, bao have been adapted in countless ways and come in all manner of shapes, sizes, and cooking methods. Many bao are steamed, but ours go the happy Chinatown fusion route by baking, which gives more of a pastry feel than a dumpling one. We couldn’t help but take inspiration from our Pike Place Market neighbors Mee Sum Pastry, whose irresistibly rich yet fluffy baked bao are a regular ChefSteps staff lunch.Our dough has just the tiniest hint of sweetness—adding more decadence than dessert—and pairs beautifully with just about any savory (or sweet) filling you can dream up. Baked bao are portable, lovable, and eminently adaptable. So bounce over and get to baking. Your oven will thank you.

Homemade Baked Bao