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Asian Steamed Buns

Asian Steamed Buns
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These Asian Steamed Buns will wow your friends and family. If you love bao buns as much as me, you’ll want to know how to make your own at home. Asian buns take some time, but they’re worth it.

bloom the yeast

As far as weaknesses go, this is a big one for me.  Asian steamed buns.  They are light, slightly sweet conveyors of all types of fillings.  Also known as Bao, these buns are a blank canvas for whatever you’d like to fill them with… Preferably something savory, sweet and spicy all at the same time.  But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Adding milk to the yeast mixture.

Because before we can start on the fillings, we have to make the buns and I have to say, this isn’t for the feint of heart.  It’s not difficult, but it takes time and patience.

 

Adding milk to the flour mixture.

This recipe is mostly from David Chang of Momofuku.  I say mostly because I’ve included a few helpful hints that I think will assist the home cook (like using parchment paper to steam the buns).  As I read through his recipe,  there were a couple steps that surprised me. The first surprise was NOT ADDING THE BAKING POWDER to the flour…  Instead, you sprinkle it over the dough after the first rise.  Weird.  I wish I understood the science behind that maneuver.

 

oil the dough and let rise. The dough after rising for two hours.

After the baking powder is sprinkled over the dough, you knead it into it.   Let it rise for another 30 minutes.

 

 

Cut the dough into pieces and roll into balls.

Then divvy up the dough into 16 equal portions and roll them into balls.  Let them rest for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile cut 16 pieces of parchment paper roughly 3″ x 2″ to tuck into the buns to prevent them from sticking together.

 

Let the dough balls rest.

After the dough has rested, roll out the dough balls into ovals on a floured board.

 

roll out the dough into buns.

Place the parchment paper on the bun, bisecting the oval.

 

fold the parchment paper into the buns.

Fold it over.

 

Place the Asian Steamed Buns in a bamboo steamer.

Line a bamboo steamer with more parchment paper so the buns don’t stick.  Place the buns inside.  Put about 1″ of water in a pot that will hold the steamer basket and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Fit the buns into the steamer and carefully place the steamer rack in the pot of steaming water (use oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself).  Cover the pot.

 

Asian Steamed Buns in a bamboo steamer.

Steam the buns for about 3 minutes until they are puffed and set.

 

Asian Steamed Buns cooling on a rack.

 

Transfer buns to a wire rack to cool…  Now you’re ready to fill them…  with Bulgogi Pork or Asian BBQ Pulled Pork.


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Asian Steamed Buns
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4 from 19 votes

Asian Steamed Buns

These steamed buns are the perfect receptacle for most Asian-Inspired fillings!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian Inspired
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 6
Calories 302kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water 105°-115°, divided
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons + 1 pinch sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
  • 3 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • canola oil for brushing bowl

Special equipment:

  • bamboo steamer with lid
  • 1 large pot with lid that will hold the bamboo steamer

Instructions

  • Stir together 1/4 cup warm water with yeast and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Whisk in dried milk and remaining 3/4 cup warm water.
  • Stir together flour and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl, then stir in yeast mixture (do not add baking powder yet) with a fork until a dough forms. Knead dough with your hands in bowl until all of flour is incorporated. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth but still soft, about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
  • Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.
  • Punch down dough, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and flatten slightly into a disk. Sprinkle baking powder over center of dough, then gather edges of dough and pinch to seal in baking powder. Knead dough with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking until baking powder is incorporated, about 5 minutes. Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then let dough stand 30 minutes.
  • Cut 16 (3- by 2-inch) pieces of parchment paper.
  • Form dough into 2 equal rounds. Cut each round into 8 equal pieces. then lightly dust the dough with flour and roll them into balls.  Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rest for 30 minutes before continuing.
  • Roll out 1 piece of dough into a 6- by 3-inch oval, lightly dusting surface, your hands, and rolling pin. Pat oval between your palms to remove excess flour, then place one of the small pieces of parchment paper over half of the bun and fold the other half over the parchment. Place bun on a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Make more buns with remaining dough, then let stand, loosely covered, until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.
  • Line a steamer rack or bamboo steamer (that will fit inside your pot or wok) with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  • Set a large steamer rack (bamboo steamer) inside a pot (or wok) and add enough water to reach within 1/2 inch of bottom of rack, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer.  Place buns  in steamer rack (do not let buns touch). Cover tightly and steam until buns are puffed and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate with tongs, then discard wax paper and wrap buns loosely in kitchen towels to keep warm. Steam remaining buns in batches, adding boiling-hot water to skillet as needed.
  • Notes: Buns can be steamed and cooled completely, then chilled, wrapped tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, up to 1 day or frozen up to 1 week. (Thaw wrapped frozen buns in refrigerator.) Reheat buns, wrapped in a dampened kitchen towel and wrapped tightly in foil, in a 350°F oven until soft and heated through, about 15 minutes.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 0.8mg

 

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If you love Bao Buns, but have never made them, get this step-by-step recipe that will teach you how to make Asian Steamed Buns at home! These Asian buns are delicious with any number of fillings. #bao #asianbuns #baobuns #baobunrecipe #asianbunrecipe #steamedbuns #steamedbunrecipe #howtomakesteamedbuns #asiansteamerrecipe #asiansteamer

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Appetizers// Breads// Vegan/Vegetarian37 Comments

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Comments

  1. Del says

    November 5, 2020 at 10:42 AM

    I want to ask if the listed calories are 306 calories for 6 servings or 306 calories per serving?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      November 5, 2020 at 2:50 PM

      per serving.

      Reply
  2. Elisia says

    February 15, 2020 at 10:55 PM

    How can I steam my buns if I don’t have a steamer

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      February 16, 2020 at 8:07 AM

      If you have a vegetable steamer basket, you could use that. Be sure to line it with parchment paper to avoid sticking to the bottom.

      Reply
  3. Milos Komlenic says

    July 19, 2019 at 11:42 PM

    Can you use something else instead of bamboo steamer?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 22, 2019 at 7:31 AM

      Hi Milos, you can use a steamer basket, but you’d want to line it with cabbage leaves or something of that nature so they don’t stick.

      Reply
  4. John M Ventimiglia says

    June 4, 2019 at 6:49 PM

    I had to use bread flour instead of cake flour and I found I had to add almost 1/2 cup more water little by little. The dough ball is tough, not soft. Hope it works anyway.

    Lot of 5 star ratings, so I have to assume no typos in the recipe. Is it just because I am not a baker and didn’t automatically know to add more water to start?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 5, 2019 at 5:02 PM

      Cake flour is more tender than bread flour, so there may be some difference in texture and chew with the bread flour. As far as the water goes, I reread the recipe and it used 1 cup total of water. (1/4 cup mixed with yeast & 3/4 cup added with the nonfat dry milk later) Are you saying that you had to add 1 1/2 cups?

      Reply
  5. Eric says

    January 29, 2019 at 1:05 AM

    What size bamboo steamer do you recommend, 8″ or 10″?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 29, 2019 at 10:33 AM

      I would go with the largest you can find to be able to steam more buns at once and make sure you have a pot (or wok) that will accommodate it. Mine is quite small — I need to invest in a larger one.

      Reply
  6. Juliette Hadad says

    January 15, 2019 at 8:37 AM

    My household is Gluten Free, Im wondering if you ever tried this with cassava or rice flour.
    Im longing to make a steamed dumpling or a bun without wheat flour.
    Thank you for your amazingly easy and tasty recipes. Its always a go to for me, and a favorite at family gatherings.

    Reply
  7. Bob says

    December 16, 2018 at 12:09 AM

    Is there a non-dairy substitute for the powdered milk?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      December 16, 2018 at 7:30 AM

      I’ve honestly never tried any powdered milk substitutes in this recipe, but I think you could probably use dried coconut milk or dried soy milk as a swap. Note: powdered coconut milk is not the same as coconut flour (which soaks up liquid like a sham-wow!)

      Reply
  8. Gail says

    July 6, 2018 at 1:53 AM

    Lisa thank you and I love you for all the details- I’m crazy about Bao and instead of buying them I’m going to start making them

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 6, 2018 at 7:04 AM

      Thanks, Gail! These buns take a while to make, but they’re not difficult. Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Shikha handa says

    June 18, 2018 at 1:52 PM

    My buns r not rising enough. Plz tell me where m I going wrong.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 18, 2018 at 2:02 PM

      The buns don’t rise a lot — so I doubt you’re doing anything wrong unless your yeast was out of date. If you look at the photos, my buns don’t rise enough to fill the bowl. When you steam them, they’ll puff.

      Reply
  10. Raine says

    May 12, 2018 at 12:31 PM

    Hey, I am doing this bun for the first time ( not a real baker). However, the water (one cup)??? is that for real!!!! 31/2 cups of flour against 1 cup of liquid????

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 12, 2018 at 1:07 PM

      For real. I’ve checked several different recipes — many call for 4 1/2 cups of flour : 1 1/2 cups liquid. If, however, the dough is too dry, or all of the flour isn’t being incorporated to the dough, I’d add a bit more water one tablespoon at a time, but no more than 2-3 tablespoons extra total.

      Reply
  11. mara says

    October 30, 2017 at 7:15 PM

    You add the baking powder at a later stage because the BK starts to react immediately. as you want to get the most out of it, it makes sense to add it later in the process, otherwise, it´ll run out of steam. That´s also why many recipes for Asian buns add in a small amount of vinegar.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 31, 2017 at 7:09 AM

      I really wish I’d paid more attention in Chemistry! Thanks for the tutorial!

      Reply
  12. Nancy Steinbach says

    September 25, 2017 at 3:01 PM

    Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Lisa Lotts says

      September 25, 2017 at 6:03 PM

      Enjoy, Nancy!

      Reply
  13. Sabrina says

    June 9, 2017 at 10:28 AM

    I LOVE steamed buns, and I’m so excited to add this to my to-try list! it does sound intensive, so I’ll make sure to have some backup food in case its a total fail, lol. Off to find myself a steaming basket…

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 9, 2017 at 12:45 PM

      Those chinese steamer baskets are really inexpensive — Let me know how it goes for you!

      Reply
  14. Rose says

    June 7, 2017 at 12:55 AM

    Oh, I love it! How to make it step-by-step… Clear photos of the different phases of ‘production’ 🙂 instead of millions of finished product images under different angles. Thank you Lisa!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 7, 2017 at 7:10 AM

      Thank you, Rose! It takes a little longer to shoot the whole process, but sometimes I think the process shots are more fun!

      Reply
  15. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

    June 5, 2017 at 11:14 AM

    These are amazing, I’ve actually never seen or eaten one, but now I’m fascinated to try my hand at them. All your bread recipes look so good, Lisa!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 5, 2017 at 2:25 PM

      I can’t tell you how addicted I am to these buns. We have an Asian Gastropub near our house and every time I’m there, I have to order several types of their steamed buns. Now we can have them at home. Dangerous!

      Reply
  16. Sandhya Hariharan says

    June 2, 2017 at 3:41 PM

    I have never tried Bao Buns… But they look so much fun to make . Sure to come back when I am planning to make them.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 2, 2017 at 7:31 PM

      If you haven’t tried them it might be best not to. You’ll never want to stop eating them.

      Reply
  17. Natalie says

    June 2, 2017 at 1:39 PM

    I just can’t stop staring at this buns. These looks soo amazing. I never tried steamed buns before, but I bet it tastes just incredible. Thanks for this recipe Lisa 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 2, 2017 at 2:49 PM

      The buns are just the conduit to whatever Asian fabulousness you stuff them with. I’ve got a recipe coming next week for it, but these buns were an endeavor enough to warrant their own post!

      Reply
  18. Mary // Chattavore says

    June 2, 2017 at 1:06 PM

    I’ve never even TRIED bao buns, much less made them, but they always look so fun when I see them! I will have to give this a try.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 2, 2017 at 2:48 PM

      If you’ve never tried them, then it’s best you don’t start. They’re addictive and you’d just have to make them and eat them in an endless cycle.

      Reply
  19. Michelle | The Last Food Blog says

    June 2, 2017 at 12:54 PM

    This is such a great tutorial! I love steamed buns but have avoided making them so this is brilliant. Pinning 😉

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 2, 2017 at 12:58 PM

      I’m glad you like it, Michelle. Next time you have a rainy day with nothing else to do, this is a good project!

      Reply

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Meet Lisa

Lisa

Calling all cooks! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, I’ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

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