Steamed Buns

soft steamed bun dough, filled round or folded taco-style

Makes 9 buns · 151 kcal per serving

Ingredients

• 300 g all purpose flour
• 90 g milk
• 72 g water
• 30 g white sugar
• 12 g vegetable oil
• 3 g instant yeast
• 5 g baking powder
• 2 g salt

Method

1. Dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, water, and oil and mix to a shaggy dough, then knead until smooth and firm, ~8–10 min. Cover and rise until doubled, ~1 h.
2. Shape: Deflate and knead briefly, then divide into 8–10 even pieces. For filled buns, flatten each into a disk thicker in the center, add a spoon of filling, then gather and pleat the edges up over the top and pinch to seal; set seam-down on a square of parchment. For taco-style buns, roll each piece into an oval, brush lightly with oil, and fold in half over a chopstick so it steams open like a shell; set on parchment.
3. Proof: Cover and proof until light and puffy, ~30 min.
4. Steam: Steam over boiling water, spaced apart, 10–12 min. Turn off the heat and wait 5 min before lifting the lid, so they don't shrink. Split and fill the folded buns like a taco; the round buns are ready.

Notes

Unfilled dough. Round buns are pleated shut around a filling before steaming; taco-style folded buns are steamed empty and filled after. Common fillings: braised pork belly, char siu, teriyaki or fried chicken, tofu, or mushrooms, with pickled vegetables and hoisin or a chili sauce.