Happy Year of the Snake, everyone! 🐍✨ I hope you all had a wonderful start to the new year—safe, healthy, and filled with joy.
Every year, I set new goals, and this time, I have big plans for growing this little blog. I’ll continue sharing authentic Vietnamese recipes while expanding into more Asian desserts and baked goods. Plus, I’m working on improving my social media strategy! On a personal note, I’m starting my Mandarin journey and continuing to improve my Japanese. Wish me luck! 🍀
Now, onto today’s recipe: Pork Floss Buns (Rou Song Mian Bao)—a classic you’ll find in any Chinese bakery. Like most Asian-style breads, these buns are incredibly soft and fluffy. I don’t use the Tangzhong method in my dough, so they won’t stay soft for days, but a quick splash of water and a few seconds in the microwave will bring them right back to life. No problem at all! 😋
What is Rousong?
Rousong (肉鬆), also known as meat floss, is a dried meat product with a light, fluffy texture similar to coarse cotton. It’s a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine, often sprinkled over steamed rice, stuffed into sandwiches, or used as a topping for congee, tofu, or savory soy milk.
Beyond its role as a garnish, rousong is also a key ingredient in many Asian baked goods. It’s commonly used as a filling for savory buns and pastries or as a topping for sweet breads filled with bean paste or taro paste.
In Vietnam, a similar version exists, known as Ruốc in the North and Chà Bông in the South. While the texture is comparable, the flavor differs—Vietnamese meat floss is seasoned with fish sauce instead of soy sauce.
Rousong isn’t limited to just pork—it can also be made with chicken, beef or even fish. You can find Chinese or Taiwanese meat floss at Asian markets, or you can make it at home—it’s surprisingly easy!
Besides, across Asia, you could find many variations of dried meat, such as Bò Khô (Vietnamese beef jerky), Khô Gà Lá Chanh (Vietnamese dried shredded chicken with lime leaves), and Bak Kwa (Chinese-style grilled jerky).
Meat Floss Buns – A Staple in Asian Bakeries
Asian bakeries are filled with an incredible variety of flavorful baked goods. As a Vietnamese, I grew up with classics like Bánh Mì, Bánh Bao (steamed buns), Bánh Pate Sô (Vietnamese meat pies), and sweet treats like Pandan Honeycomb Cake or Pandan Chiffon Cake.
When it comes to Chinese-style baked goods, I’m a big fan of their Chinese swiss rolls, soft sponge cake as well as ultra-soft milk bread like Cocktail Buns, Sausage Buns, Bolo Bao, and Scallion Buns.
One thing you’ll notice across most Asian bakery items is their signature soft, fluffy, and pillowy texture, which sets them apart from their Western counterparts. They also tend to be much less sweet, making them perfect for both sweet and savory fillings.
Pork Floss Buns (Pork Sung Buns, Rousong Mian Bao, 肉鬆麵包) are a popular treat across Asia, especially at well-known bakeries like BreadTalk. If you don’t feel like baking from scratch, you can simply buy soft sweet milk buns from the store and assemble them yourself with the same steps!
Instructions
1. Make the Dough: In a stand mixer bowl, add milk, egg, sugar, bread flour, yeast, and salt (keep yeast away from sugar and salt). Mix on low speed, then increase speed. Once combined, add softened butter and knead for 5-6 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. First Proofing: Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until 1.5X–2X in size. Knead dough briefly, then divide into 6 equal pieces.
3. Shape the Buns: Flatten into an oval shape (4×3 inches/10×7.5 cm), roll into a cigar shape, seal edges, and tuck ends. Cover the leftover dough to prevent them from drying out while you work on the others.
4. Second Proofing: Place buns on a parchment-lined tray, cover, and let rise for 45–60 minutes until 1.5X–2X in size.
5. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes before baking. Bake for 15–17 minutes until golden brown.
6. Prepare the Sauce: The sauce for these buns should be a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Many prefer the Breadtalk copycat mayo, a lower-fat version made with cooked egg. For a quick option, just mix Kewpie mayo with condensed milk. I also love using Vietnamese mayo—it’s rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious!
7. Prepare the Pork Floss: Mix meat floss with furikake or finely chopped roasted seaweed.
8. Assemble the Buns: Slice the buns lengthwise from the top, keeping the bottom intact. Spread the sauce inside and on top, then generously sprinkle the topping inside and over the buns. Enjoy!
Fluffy & Soft Chinese Pork Floss Bun (Meat Floss Bun)
Ingredients
Soft Milk Dough
- 2⅖ cup bread flour (300g)
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast (for active dry yeast, activate with 2 tbsp lukewarm milk from the total amount)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅔ cups milk (160ml)
- 1 egg (size L)
- 3 tbsp soft butter (45g)
Toppings
- Chinese meat floss (rousong)
- Finely chopped roasted seaweed / Furikake
- Roasted sesame seeds
Sauce Option 2: No-Raw Egg Mayo (Light & Cooked)
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅖ cup water (100ml)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12g)
- 2½ tbsp butter (40g)
Sauce Option 2: Condensed Milk Mayo (Quick & Easy)
- 4 tbsp kewpie mayo
- 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk and egg(keeping the yeast away from sugar and salt). Start mixing on low speed, then gradually increase. Once the ingredients come together, add softened butter and knead for 5-6 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl's sides.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place, such as an oven with a bowl of steaming water, for 1 hour until it expands 1.5X–2X in size.
- Gently knead to release air, then divide into 6 equal pieces. Flatten each into an oval (4×3 inches / 10×7.5 cm), roll into a cigar shape, seal the edges, and tuck in the ends. Be sure to cover the remaining dough to prevent it from drying out.
- Arrange the buns on a parchment-lined tray, cover, and let them rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes until they've doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and let it heat for 15 minutes. Bake the buns for 15–17 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Prepare the Sauce:– Option 1: Mix all ingredients together, strain to remove any lumps. Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens.– Optional 2: Simply mix the mayo and condensed milk together.
- Mix the meat floss with furikake, finely chopped roasted seaweed, and toasted sesame seeds.
- Slice the buns lengthwise from the top, keeping the bottom intact. Spread the sauce generously on both the inside and the top of the buns. Sprinkle the meat floss mixture inside and on top, and enjoy!
