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Steamed Bao Buns Recipe

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4.1 from 10 reviews

Soft and fluffy steamed bao buns made from scratch using plain flour, cornflour, caster sugar, yeast, and baking powder. These versatile buns are perfect for filling with savory or sweet fillings and are steamed to perfection for a light and airy texture.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 300 g plain flour (all-purpose flour or bleached flour)
  • 125 g cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 60 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 3 ½ g instant dried yeast (fast-action dried yeast)
  • 12 g baking powder
  • 180 ml warm water
  • 60 ml vegetable oil (plus extra for rubbing)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dry ingredients: Measure all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand-mixer.
  2. Combine liquid ingredients: Measure the warm water and vegetable oil into a jug. The water should be slightly warmer than lukewarm to activate the yeast, but not boiling hot.
  3. Mix the dough: Using the dough hook on medium speed, gradually mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Adjust the liquid amount slightly if needed depending on the flour type.
  4. Knead the dough: Continue kneading the dough on medium speed until it becomes soft and smooth, about 10 minutes with a stand mixer or 5 minutes by hand.
  5. Finish kneading by hand: Once soft and smooth, knead the dough on a clean surface by hand for a few more minutes.
  6. Let dough rise: Place the dough ball back in a clean bowl, cover with cling film or a reusable cover, and set in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes until it doubles in size.
  7. Punch down and knead: After rising, punch the dough down and knead by hand for about 5 minutes to release air bubbles.
  8. Roll out dough: Roll the dough out to about 1 cm thickness on a floured surface.
  9. Oil the surface: Rub some vegetable oil on the surface of the dough to prevent sticking.
  10. Cut out buns: Use an 8 cm (3 inch) cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough, re-rolling as needed.
  11. Shape the buns: Place rounds on small sheets of baking paper or flattened cupcake liners, fold each round over, and gently flatten with a rolling pin to form the bun shape.
  12. Second rise: Place shaped buns on a tray, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
  13. Prepare steamer: Meanwhile, prepare a stove-top steamer.
  14. Steam the buns: Steam buns in batches for 10 to 12 minutes until puffy, soft, and cooked through.
  15. Serve: Serve the steamed bao buns immediately while warm.

Notes

  • Warm water should be warmer than lukewarm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
  • You can use plain cupcake liners flattened with a rolling pin as a steaming platform to prevent sticking.
  • If you do not have a stand mixer, kneading by hand is an option but may take longer.
  • Do not over-steam as buns can become soggy; steaming times may vary slightly depending on your steamer.
  • These buns are best eaten fresh but can be steamed again briefly if leftover.

Find it online: https://yumntasty.com/steamed-bao-buns-recipe/