Pau, da bao or steamed bun is a large version of ‘mantou’ that has filling inside. ‘Da bao’ literally means big bun in Chinese. Pau is commonly sold in Malaysia and Singapore. They are usually taken right from the steamer, and the customers get to eat a warm and filling pau.
Nowadays, manufacturers have made pau flour which can also be known as Hong Kong flour. This flour is a highly bleached flour that has its gluten broken down to make the flour extra fine and delicate. Therefore, pau made using this flour will have an airy texture with a gleaming soft surface. It is also bleached to give the steamed pau its pure white colour. Compared to cake flour, this flour has a slightly higher protein content which is about 8 % to 10 %.
Here are the top 10 pau flours that are available in Malaysia!
1. Healthy Baker Pau Flour
Healthy Baker Pau Flour is made using special formulation which includes wheat flour, sugar, shortening and baking powder. This flour will give your steamed pau a luscious smooth outer layer with an airy texture on the inside. This flour is made in Malaysia.
Ingredients: : Wheat Flour, Sugar, Shortening and Baking Powder.
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM3.30
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
2. Happy Grass Premium Pau Flour
Happy Grass top quality pau flour included all of the components needed to produce delectable pau flour. Everyone can bake their own pau at home using this easy to use pau flour. This flour has received certifications of Halal and Mesti.
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Shortening and Baking Powder.
Country of Origin: Singapore
Size Available: 1.3 kg
Price: RM7.90
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
3. Blue Key Pau Flour
Blue Key Pau Flou is specialised in pau-making. This flour is ideal for pau making because it improves the texture and volume of pau. With BlueKey Pau Flour, you will get fine texture and good volume of pau.T Now you can enjoy the fun of making your own homemade pau.
Ingredients: Wheat Flour and Permitted Food Conditioners.
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM4.65
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
4. Baker’s Choice Pau Flour
Baker’s Choice Pau Flour contains wheat flour which is specially formulated to make the perfect pau flour. This pau flour has a pure white colour, perfect to make white pau. Make some pau with your favourite pau filling and this flour!
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM4.00
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
5. Prima Hong Kong Flour
Prima Hong Kong Flour is ideal for producing Hong Kong-style steamed buns (bao), dumping skin, Japanese cotton cheese cake, steaming cake, kuih bahulu, nyonya kuih, waffles, and other desserts that need a delicate texture. It will give a smooth texture to your baked goods.
Ingredients: Unbleached Wheat Flour
Country of Origin: Singapore
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM8.95
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
6. Pink Horse Pau Flour
Pink Horse Pau Flour is the best for steamed buns (bao) of Hong Kong style, dumpling skin, Japanese cotton cheese cake, steam cake, kuih bahulu, malay/nyonya kuih, and waffles. This pau flour will give your baked goods the soft texture that you desire.
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM3.60
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
7. BreadOz Hong Kong Flour
BreadOz Hong Kong Flour is a wheat flour that has a white colour, suitable to use to make pau, steam cakes, dumpling skins and more. It will give a smooth and soft texture to your baked goods. This flour is packaged and made in Malaysia.
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Size Available: 500 g and 1 kg
Price: RM5.40 (1 kg pack)
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
8. Baking Empire Hong Kong Flour
Baking Empire Hong Kong Flour comes in a resealable packaging for your convenience. This flour has an excellent flour quality and love by its buyers. It has small granules of white coloured flour which are perfect to be used for making pau, dumpling, and other food.
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM6.00
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
9. Nam Huat Pau Flour
Nam Huat Pau Flour comes in an attractive colorful packaging that will entice you in one glance. This pau flour has a smooth texture and small granules. When creating steamed buns or ‘Pau,’ it is prized for its softness. It’s also used to make vermicelli and mee suah.
Size Available: 800 g
Price: RM5.50
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
10. Macadams Hong Kong Flour
Macadams Hong Kong Flour is one of the famous line of Macadams flours. This flour is ideal for creating Chinese pastries since it is quite soft. Since this Hong Kong Flour is extensively bleached, Hong Kong flour is comparable to cake flour.
Size Available: 1 kg
Price: RM3.95
*Prices may vary at the time of purchase
Ready to make some delicious pau? Here are some pau-making tips for you!
- Use instant yeast or active dry yeast or fresh yeast. (It leaves your pau much faster).
- Add a bit of sugar in your pau batter. (Sugar helps to activate the yeast and gives a good rise to your pau dough).
- Steam your pau using bamboo steamers. (Metal steamers can be too hot for the pau, it can make the pau soggy or overcook).
- Make sure you knead the pau dough until it is soft and smooth to touch. (By hand, 5 minutes kneading should be enough but if you’re using a stand-mixer, let it knead for about 10 minutes on medium speed).
Disclosure: This list was compiled by the team at My Weekend Plan after extensive research and shared opinions to suggest helpful recommendations for the public. The sequence of brands is in no particular order so if you have any other great suggestions too, please email us support@myweekendplan.com.my. For more information, kindly refer to our copyright, privacy & disclosure policy
