These steamed buns of Chinese origin are perfect for an appetizer, a buffet dinner, or why not, a delicious snack filled with our favorite hazelnut cream or simply with jam. The Bao Buns, Chinese Steamed Buns are quick to prepare.
You will need all-purpose flour, yeast, extra virgin olive oil, naturally water, and a pinch of sugar to speed up the leavening process, and in a few hours (especially in summer), they will be ready to be steamed.
Whether you have an electric steamer, the typical bamboo basket, or simply a pasta cooking basket, these Chinese Steamed Buns will win you over. They remain very soft even after days if you store them in a bag in the refrigerator. You just need to warm them up in the microwave or in a pan for a few minutes, open them gently, and fill them as you like.
Below I leave you other ideas for perfect buns for any occasion, and then let’s go right below the photo to find out how to prepare the Bao Buns Chinese Steamed Buns!!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Steaming
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Seasonality: All Seasons
What we need to prepare Bao Buns Steamed Buns
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Steamer electric
- 1 Pastry Cutter round 4 inches
How to prepare Bao Buns Chinese Steamed Buns
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the crumbled yeast.
Add the sugar and extra virgin olive oil and start mixing with a wooden spoon or fork, then incorporate the water and the salt.
Turn the mixture onto the work surface and form a smooth, compact ball with your hands.
Cover with an inverted bowl and let the dough rise for 2 hours or until doubled.
Divide the dough into pieces of 50/60 grams each and form an equal number of balls, cover with a dry cloth, and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Then roll out each ball using a rolling pin and cut them with a pastry cutter or rolling pin to give it a perfectly round shape.
Fold each circle in half, forming a half-moon and placing a piece of parchment paper on each bun to prevent them from sticking during cooking.
Let them rise for another 30 minutes, always covered with a clean cloth.
Then fill the bottom of the steamer or pot with water, cover the bottom of the basket with perforated parchment paper and place the Bao Buns spaced apart.
Steam for 15/18 minutes, remove them gently and let them cool slightly before removing the parchment paper that keeps the half-moon separated and fill them as desired.
Storage, tips, and variations for Chinese Steamed Buns
The Bao Buns can be stored in the refrigerator closed well in a plastic bag for 4 or 5 days, and you can also freeze them.
You can fill them with:
with braised pork: Braised pork, cucumbers, carrots, fresh spring onion.
with fried chicken: Fried chicken, lettuce, mayonnaise, wasabi.
with vegetables: Sauteed vegetables (e.g., Chinese cabbage, peppers, mushrooms), soy sauce, sesame.
with chicken strips in curry.
with salmon: Smoked salmon, avocado, sweet and sour sauce, lettuce.
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