Today, I'll be making bao, also known as steamed buns.

A lot of your probably know it

from the Pixar Animation Bao.

I have a very, very, very special guest coming in.

She's made some amazing pastries, amazing dishes,

and amazing bread, and she also made me.

(arrow popping)

So yes, today I will be making bao with my mom.

It's going to be incredibly fun.

I hope she doesn't lecture me too much,

but I'm excited, and let's do it!

- Hi, I'm Kelly, Inga's mother.

I'm happy here to make bao with my lovely daughter.

(women laughing)

- Today we're making pork and cabbage buns.

That's how you got me to eat vegetables as a kid, right?

- Yeah.

- Let's do it!

So this is ground pork.

- And we gonna put some salt,

and then we're gonna measure the water.

It will make the pork soft and then juicy.

More tender. - Yeah, that's right.

- You can try to help me.

- You've seen the dumplings I've made before.

They look good, right?

- Yes.

- Which means my buns will look good.

- Yeah, sure, let's see.

Same direction, yeah, like this.

Like this? - Uh huh.

Not easy, huh? - Yeah.

- And you can just add more.

- My mom, it's like when I wanna cook with her,

she's just like get out of the kitchen. (laughs)

- Yeah because when you was young,

and then, I think it's too dangerous.

Okay. - Okay.

- [Kelly] Okay, put the soy sauce.

- Every time I ask her like how much seasoning to put,

she's just like just from smelling it,

you'll know how.

How salted. - How salty it is.

- That's ming scent, not yet.

Some ginger.

(knife tapping)

- Like this much is enough, scallions?

- Uh, okay, fine, good.

Some sugar.

- Ooo, smells good.

- Cilantro.

- I cook a lot.

I learn all of it from my mom.

This is the OG, right?

- The texture is nice.

I need some more oil.

Tell me when to stop? - Yeah.

- Okay, enough.

- I put way more oil than that.

Can I smell it?

I feel like it's not salty enough. (laughs)

- I already washed, yeah. (pleasant music)

I cut in half for you maybe, easier.

(cabbage crunching)

(pleasant music)

- Smells good.

Smells like home.

Marinate.

I'll put it in the fridge.

- We make the dough now,

so we just clean the table first.

- It's lunch time.

- So we make it our lunch now. (Inga laughs)

Baking soda, sugar.

- Oh my god!

- [Kelly] Yeast, some water.

- How is it supposed to feel?

Huh!

I already worked out this morning, you know?

This is my second workout.

(pleasant music)

(glass bowl banging) - Let it rest 10 minutes,

and then we can wrap the bao.

Let's start the important part.

You can touch it, soft now, see?

- [Inga] Oh yeah.

Oh yeah.

- It's totally different, right?

- Like a little pillow.

- [Kelly] And cut it.

(pleasant music)

(Inga laughs) (pleasant music)

- It's like thicker.

- [Kelly] From edge to the center.

(Kelly laughs) (pleasant music)

(rolling pin banging)

- [Inga] This is like the only time I get to make my mom

look like she's on Chef's Table.

(dramatic music)

- [Inga] Look at those pleats!

Look, homemade bao.

(Kelly laughs) It's cute, right?

We just need to draw a face on it,

and it'll be like the animation.

There's so much filling.

(Kelly laughs) (pleasant music)

- This is the first time Inga make this one, not bad.

- Thanks for the encouragement, mom.

Oh wow!

Yeah, you made it look much better.

Put. - Yes.

Put. - Yeah, good.

- Yeah, how's that?!

Looks like yours.

(pleasant guitar music)

- We're gonna let it proof for a little bit more,

10 minutes, make it look a little bit bigger.

Then we can pop it in the steamer.

(pleasant guitar music)

- Okay, cover them.

When they have steam, you count the time, 15 minutes.

So now we wait? - Mmm hmm.

(pleasant guitar music)

- It's been.

- Open it, and we have the bao.

(tone beeping) - So it's been so. (laughs)

(tone beeping) It's been 15 minutes

since the steam came out.

- Just open it.

Yeah, wow.

- [Inga] Look at that!

- This is a bao.

Can I poke it? - Sure.

- Oh it's so soft.

- Quickly move to the.

Ahhh! - Ooof!

Ta da!

That's good right?

Wow.

Smells good.

Doing doing.

- Careful, you maybe have juice inside.

- Hot! (Kelly laughing)

(tone beeping)

(women laughing)

(tone beeping) - Okay!

Ta da!

That's what it looks like on the inside.

Cheers! - Cheers! (Kelly laughs)

- Oh it's hot.

Oh it's good.

It's really good! - We made it.

It looks a little bit like the Pixar Animation.

(women laughing)

- Thanks mom, yay!

- Now I need to take a rest. (Inga laughs)

- Oooooh. (woman laughing)

(pleasant guitar music)