Steam Buns

April 2024

Ready in 3 hours 50 minutes
 
Follow this recipe carefully and you will be rewarded with comforting, fluffy and tasty Chinese steamed buns. 

 

Steam Bun Ingredients

Serves: 24 

  • 1 tablespoon dried active baking yeast
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1/4 cup (30g) plain flour
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • extra 1/2 cup warm water
  • extra 1 1/2 cups (190g) plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • extra 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preparation:20min  ›  Cook:30min  ›  Extra time:3hours rising  ›  Ready in:3hours50min 

  1. Mix together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar,1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup warm water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
  2. Mix in the remaining warm water, flour, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and vegetable oil. Knead until dough surface is smooth and elastic. Roll over in a greased bowl, and let stand until triple in size, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  3. Punch down dough and spread out on a floured board. Sprinkle baking powder evenly on surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 2 parts and place the piece you are not working with in a covered bowl. Divide each half into 12 parts. Shape each part into a ball with smooth surface up. Put each ball on small greaseproof paper squares. Let stand covered until double, about 30 minutes.
  4. Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns, still on greaseproof paper, as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate, leaving 2 to 5cm between the buns. At least 5cm space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 minutes. Ensure that water does not come in contact with the buns.
  5. REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto the bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters". Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

Note:

You can fill these buns with anything you like, including chicken, tofu or veggies.

 

Char Siu Bau - Chinese Barbecued Pork Steamed Buns

Ingredients

Serves: 24
  • 280g boneless pork loin roast, cooked and shredded
  • 8 tablespoons barbecue sauce
  • 3 eschalots, chopped
  • 5 tablespoons chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1 recipe Chinese Steamed Buns

Preparation method

Prep: 50 minutes |Cook: 30 minutes | Extra time: 6 hours, marinating
1.Mix together pork, barbecue sauce, eschalots, chicken stock, soy sauce, oil and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
 
2.Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns.
 
3.Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a flat circle. Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared pork mixture in the centre of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seams down onto greaseproof paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
 
4.Bring water to a boil in wok, then reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns, still on greaseproof paper, as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate, leaving 2 to 5cm between the buns. At least 5cm space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 minutes. Ensure that water does not come in contact with the buns.
 
5.REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto the bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters". Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.