Bao Buns

(2)
Bao Buns

Have you tried bao buns? This satisfying Asian street food is perfect for parties or weekend dinners with friends. The savoury fillings make them particularly well-suited for enjoying with a chilled beverage.

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https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/bao-buns/

Ingredients

4 servings

Bao buns

Yeast
25 g
Milk
150 ml
Water
100 ml
Cooking oil
1 tbsp
Caster sugar
1 tbsp
Flour
360 g
Baking powder
½ tsp
Salt
2 pinches

Chili mushroom

Portobello mushrooms
450 g
Butter
2 tbsp
Sriracha sauce
2 tbsp
Japanese soy
2 tbsp
Liquid honey
2 tbsp

Garnish

Spring onion
1
Mayonnaise
100 ml
Fresh coriander
1 bunch
Roasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp

Instructions

Bao buns

  • Crumble the yeast into a dough pan.
  • Heat milk and water to a maximum of 37°. Pour the dough liquid over the yeast, a little at a time, until the yeast is dissolved. Add the remaining dough liquid, oil and sugar.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the bowl and work into a smooth dough. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for about one hour.
  • Cut baking paper into 12 8x8 cm pieces.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured baking sheet. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into round balls. Roll out each ball into an oval.
  • Brush the tops with a little oil. Fold the dough in half and place on the paper. Leave to rise for about 10 minutes.
  • Fill one third of a pot with water and bring to the boil. The size of the pot should match your steamer basket.
  • Place the buns on baking paper in a steamer basket with a lid and place the steamer on the pot.
  • Let the buns steam for about five minutes. Remove the basket from the heat and let stand for about one min.
  • Store the buns under cling film until serving.

Chili mushroom

  • Slice the mushrooms and place in a dry, hot frying pan. Fry for about two minutes. Add butter and fry until mushrooms are soft.
  • Stir in the other ingredients and cook together for 3-4 minutes.

Garnish

  • Slice spring onions.
  • Fill the bread with mushrooms, mayonnaise, spring onions, coriander and sesame seeds.
Enjoy!
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Bao Buns

Are steamed buns and bao buns the same thing?

Can you make bao buns without a steamer?

What does a bao bun taste like?

What do you serve bao buns with?

Are bao buns Vietnamese or Chinese?

Can you freeze bao buns?

Bao – fluffy buns with savoury fillings

Steamed bao buns with savoury filling are an irresistible Asian street food. The word bao simply means bun, and bao come with a wide range of shapes and fillings. The open bao is a popular version, often filled with savoury pork, beef, duck, or prawns. Our version is vegetarian, with portobello mushroom and sriracha sauce that lets you turn up the heat as far as you want.

Try these tasty variations of bao buns

Steamed bao buns can be served with an almost infinite number of fillings. For meat lovers, sticky pork belly, pulled BBQ beef, and hoisin duck are perhaps the most popular fillings. Miso-glazed salmon or tempura prawns are the perfect choice for a seafood version. Vegetarian bao can be filled with mushrooms or miso-glazed aubergine. Lettuce, coriander, pickled onions, and a fresh Asian slaw are all perfect complements to the savoury filling. Finally, add extra moisture and flavour with sriracha and mayo, mixed to your preferred level of hotness.

The vegetarian variant

Bao is by no means only for carnivores. Our vegetarian mushroom version is guaranteed to satisfy even the most ardent meat lover. The trick is to sauté the mushroom in butter until it develops a deep flavour and browned surface with soft centre.