QUESTION

Chicago, IL

What is the berakhah on Bao Buns? Prepared similarly to bread dough, but steamed not baked.

ANSWER

No question that it is mezonot, even if keviat seudah. It is steamed, not baked, and therefore like dough that was cooked. Only baking makes something bread. There are some who say that if it is cooked and has afterwards the appearance of bread, it might be HaMotzi in some cases – but here it absolutely does not have the appearance of bread. Pat haba’ah bekisnim becomes HaMotzi if