“Har gow — Chinese shrimp dumplings — had always been one of my favorite dim sum dishes, not because of the shrimp inside, but rather the wrapper, or the ‘skin,’ as I call it,” pastry chef and author Clarice Lam writes in her book Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond. Whether or not you’re familiar with this dim sum classic, it’s hard to argue with Lam’s reasoning for her har gow preference: “Visually, I loved how transparent it was and how cute all the pleats looked stacked on top of each other. Texturally, I loved the buoyancy of the dough.”

Inspired, Lam decided to combine those delicious dumplings with another all-time favorite meal: “One day, I was thinking about another Chinese dish…egg and chive pockets, which traditionally have vermicelli noodles in them, and how I wished I could feel and taste the noodles more. That led me to thinking how it would be more effective for my personal palate if the noodle was on the outside like a har gow, only bigger, so it feels more like a bao.”

Enter her breakfast crystal bao, a dumpling that deftly balances a thin yet squishy dough with a scrumptiously simple filling.

To make this adorable and snackable creation, you’ll throw together a straightforward dough, then scramble eggs with Chinese bacon (Lam says pork belly or thick-cut bacon is an amazing substitute). Then, you’ll fold your filling into sheets of the dough — feel free to get family and friends involved here, and don’t worry if your first try isn’t the most beautiful creation. When you’ve finished a couple of dumplings, you’ll feel like a pro. After steaming, you’ll fall utterly in love with the dish — and wonder how you can turn your other breakfast favorites into dumplings.

Clarice Lam’s Breakfast Crystal Bao Recipe

Yield: Makes eight 1 oz bao [26 g]

Ingredients

Crystal wrapper

½ cup + 1 tablespoon [100 g] potato starch
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons vegetable oil

Chinese bacon, egg & chive filling

5 large eggs
½ cup [35 g] finely chopped Chinese garlic chives
1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup [85 g] Chinese bacon cut into ¼ inch [6 mm] cubes
chili crisp, to serve (optional)
soy sauce, to serve (optional)

Instructions

To make the crystal wrapper, in a medium mixing bowl, add the potato starch and tapioca flour.
In a small pot, bring ½ cup [120 ml] of water and the salt to a boil. As soon as it boils, take it off the heat and pour it into the bowl with the potato starch.
Using a pair of chopsticks or a fork, stir the dough together until it looks like a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable oil to the dough and knead by hand until smooth, bouncy, and not sticky, about 5 minutes. Place it in an oiled bowl with plastic wrap directly on the dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, chives, cream, salt, and white pepper.
In a medium sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the Chinese bacon and cook until browned on the edges, about 2 minutes. Add the egg mixture, lower the heat to medium-low, and scramble the eggs. Cook until just done. Transfer the scrambled eggs to a bowl and allow to cool completely.
Cut eight 3-inch [7.5 cm] squares of parchment paper.
Roll the dough into an 8-inch [20 cm] log. Cut at every inch [2.5 cm] to make eight equal [26 g] pieces. Lightly grease your work surface with a tiny bit of vegetable oil. Flatten each piece into a disc and roll it out into a 5-inch [13 cm] circle, as thin as possible without breaking. The dough should be thin enough that you can see through it.
Place about 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of a dough circle. Imagine a triangle shape within the circle, one point on top and two points at the bottom. Fold the edges of the circle up at your imagined points to form a triangle shape and pinch to seal. Place the dumpling on top of a square of parchment and repeat with the rest.
Prepare a two-basket steamer and bring the water to a rolling boil. If you don’t have a steamer set, fill a wok or large pot with 1 to 2 inches of water, then place the steamer baskets inside. Make sure there is at least an inch of space between the bottom of the basket and the water. If you don’t have two baskets, work in two batches. Place the bao into the baskets without overcrowding. Turn the heat down to medium to keep it at a simmer and steam for 10 minutes.
Remove the steamer baskets from the water and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. The skins will become transparent as the dumplings cool a little. Serve with chili crisp or soy sauce, if desired.

Pro Tips & Storage

Leftover cooked crystal bao can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Uncooked crystal bao can be pre assembled and stored on a parchment-lined plate wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Freeze them flat in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate for at least 2 hours, before transferring them to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. This will prevent them from sticking together.
If you can’t find Chinese bacon, you can substitute pork belly, lardons, pancetta, or thick-cut bacon.
They can be steamed straight from the refrigerator or freezer; it will take a few minutes longer.