Description
Soft Fluffy Chinese Steamed Buns are a delicate and airy treat, made with a tender dough that rises to perfection before being gently steamed. This recipe yields light, pillowy buns with a smooth, silky texture, perfect for serving warm as a snack or accompaniment to your favorite dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 300 g All-purpose flour
- 60 g Potato starch
- 4 g (about 1 ¼ tsp) Instant yeast
- 60 g Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- 150–200 ml Milk
Instructions
- Make dough: In a mixing bowl, combine 300 grams all-purpose flour, 60 grams potato starch, 4 grams instant yeast, 60 grams sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Add 150 milliliters of milk initially, then add up to 200 milliliters more as needed. Mix until the dough is cohesive and no dry spots remain. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead: Knead the dough until smooth and pliable. If the dough feels too tough, pause to rest so the gluten relaxes. Continue kneading until the dough is silky, elastic, and smooth.
- Rest dough: Cover the bowl again and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes to further relax the gluten network.
- Divide dough: Lightly flour your work surface, knead the dough a few times, then cut it into 12 equal pieces.
- Shape dough: Take one piece at a time and pull and tuck the dough to hide seams underneath. Roll into a smooth ball. Hold the dough ball in your palms and gently cup and move it in circular motions to shape it taller and smooth.
- Prepare for proofing: Place each dough ball on a piece of parchment paper. Lightly brush the surface with milk and smooth it with your finger. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel.
- Proof: Let the dough rise in a warm place at room temperature for about 1 hour. The dough should puff up about 50% but not double, indicating proper proofing without overproofing.
- Use finger test: Gently press your finger into the dough; if the indentation springs back slowly, it is ready. If it springs back immediately, proof longer; if it does not spring back, it is overproofed—place in the fridge while waiting to steam.
- Prepare steamer: Fill a large pot with 2 cups cold water and place a steamer basket inside. Wrap the lid of the pot with a kitchen towel to absorb condensation and prevent water from dripping onto the buns.
- Steam: Arrange the buns inside the steamer basket, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Cover the steamer with the lid, leaving a small ¼-inch gap to allow steam to escape. Steam over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Turn off heat: After steaming, turn off the heat and let the buns sit in the closed steamer for another 1 minute, allowing residual steam to finish cooking the buns gently.
- Cool: Remove the buns from the steamer and transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly, which helps maintain their fluffy texture.
- Serve: Serve the steamed buns warm for the best texture and flavor. Enjoy them as a snack or alongside your favorite dishes.
Notes
- Make sure not to overproof the dough as it can lead to collapse and dense buns.
- Wrapping the steamer lid with a kitchen towel is essential to prevent water droplets from falling onto the buns, which can cause sogginess.
- If the dough is too stiff while kneading, resting to relax gluten is crucial for good texture.
- You can adjust milk quantity slightly depending on flour absorption but keep the dough soft and pliable.
- Steaming time may vary slightly by stove and steamer size; keep an eye to avoid over steaming which can dry out the buns.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Chinese steamed buns, bao buns, soft fluffy buns, steamed bread, homemade Chinese buns
