Homemade steamed buns with avocado, cabbage, and sriracha filling.
This was a little holiday break project… while others were most likely baking cookies, Jack and I were trying our hand at steamed buns. I actually had no intention of posting this, it was just something we wanted to try (we were prepared for the possibility of failure). Then it occurred to me – I should post this as a work in progress. After all of the kneading, waiting, punching, waiting, rolling, waiting & finally steaming… they came out pretty good, but they were a little dense and didn’t puff up quite enough. They were still tasty (and we ate them all), but we definitely have to try again.
So this is my call for help – we would LOVE some tips & tricks… possibly a link to your favorite tried and true recipe? The dough seemed stiff, so I think this one may have had too much flour? I’m not sure if we kneaded it too much or not enough? We followed this recipe to the T… help? (I’ll be sure to report back with an update!) Update – we have figured it out! Stay tuned for a future post with our final recipe.
And now about what went right – the filling. It’s simple (because good lord the steamed buns took long enough!). I have an obsession with avocado + yuzu kosho. Yuzu kosho is a fermented Japanese chile paste… it’s very pungent so a little goes a long way. Of course, if you don’t feel like searching it out, a dab of wasabi and/or a squeeze of spicy mayo would also be delicious. Along with the avocado, I lightly marinated some shredded cabbage and finished these little guys with some spicy sriracha.
avocado steamed buns
- we used this steamed buns recipe
- avocado slices
- squeeze of lime
- shredded cabbage (napa and/or red cabbage)
- rice vinegar
- pinch of sugar
- pinches of salt
- yuzu kosho or a bit of wasabi
- sprinkle of sesame seeds
- sriracha
- Make (or buy) the steamed buns.
- Marinate the shredded cabbage in a splash of rice vinegar and a few pinches of sugar and salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes (or up to a couple of days in the fridge).
- Slice the avocado and squeeze a bit of lime juice on top along with a few pinches of salt.
- Spread a bit of yuzu kosho or a tiny bit of wasabi onto the inside of the bun.
- Stuff with avocado and cabbage. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with sriracha.
Totally off topic, but where did you get this gorgeous plate from ??
Canvas Home (it’s my favorite plate ever!): http://www.canvashomestore.com/
Oh superb !! Thanks. I checked they don’t have it in stock now, but have signed up, keeping my fingers crossed. I love the plate too… saw it in Elizabeth Street Cafe the other day… my bahn-mi came in this… that’s when I remembered I had seen it here.
I am so pleased that I just stumbled upon this you guys! I have some bao from the Asian market stowed in freezer because they were such a good price (and obviously so convenient) but I hadn’t decided what to fill them with. We don’t eat a lot of meat and frankly, the idea of a low-and-slow caramelized pork or otherwise was just making me tired. Now I can get these beauties finally on the table! LOVE the inspiration I find here!
Love the idea of these and will look forward to the update post!
Love love. Pinned it
Another veg option that would work great with this recipe: shiitake mushrooms in place of, or in addition to, the avocado!
yep, of course – love shiitakes!
oh! i’ve never even thought of making bao at home! inspirational.
thanks!
i have no advice for making steamed buns {sadly} but LOVE where you’re going with this.
Molly {Dreams in HD}
http://www.dreamsinhd.blogspot.com
ha, thanks 🙂
Probably less than helpful, but this is the bao recipe I’ve been eyeing and hers look lusciously fluffy! http://www.ladyandpups.com/2013/02/06/who-took-the-gua-out-of-bao-eng/
wow, those are SO fluffy… thanks for sharing!
I’ve made bao using the recipe from Rasa Malaysia, which includes wheat starch (I found it at the asian supermarket) – which kind of looks like cornstrarch, but is softer in texture. They worked pretty well, but like you, I think I’m going to need to play around a bit. I rolled the dough out too thick, so it was a little more than you wanted by the time it had expanded. Also, I found that wherever the dough expanded over the greaseproof paper squares it stuck to the bamboo steamer and messed up the nice smooth exterior of the buns. I think next time, I’m going to line the steamer with a damp muslin cloth.
I’m going to make my paper pieces a little bit bigger next time, that same thing happened to me but I was able to gently get them to unstick. (I also put a little bit of oil on the steamer underneath in case that happened)
I don’t have any tips for you in this subject, but I want to hear some as well. I’d like to make a nice steam bun.
we’re going to try again this weekend, hoping #2 works out better!
I’ve always wanted to make steamed buns but have been terrified of trying. Yours look great and even though you mention they were a bit dense, you finished them all. So that’s a good sign. Now I am inspired to try too! Thanks for that. 🙂
Ha, yep, not a one left… (our next attempt will for sure be a half batch).
I can’t find the recipe I used to make pork steamed buns but mine turned out very similar and just weren’t as fluffy as you would find in a restaurant. I hope you find a good recipe to re-test and post your findings! They’re too delicious to not perfect!
http://www.inbetweenmimosas.blogspot.com
I’ve actually never done steamed buns at home, so afraid can’t be much help in that department.
They do however look delicious, so looking forward to the recipe you find that works perfectly!
{Teffy’s Perks} X
I have not made it myself but this recipe is the one I have been eying for a while. http://veganmiam.com/recipes/salt-pepper-tofu-gua-bao
Oh, I’ve seen that post before… (I just didn’t know where to find soy milk powder). I was going to experiment making these non-dairy after I got the regular recipe to work first 🙂
I’ve been meaning to make my own, but definitely don’t have any hints! You gotta find this out and share! But for now, these look pretty darn good 😉
How exciting! I actually made these a few times this year (initially with the help of some Chinese flatmates when I was living in St. Andrews) and then made them for new years. Instead of yeast, I would try baking powder and sticking with regular all purpose flour. I usually sift mine a few times before making the dough. I usually warm about 6 tbs of whole milk and use that with 2 tbs sunflower oil and 3 tbs water. I’m actually featuring my recipe on the blog in a few weeks, but would love to discuss my variations with you!
thank you! I love these tips… I’ll look out for your post!
I’ve never made steamed buns myself so I don’t have a recipe to point you to, but maybe try to find one that is measured in metric vs US units….for tricky things like this its nice to be exact. Also different flours have different moisture contents so possibly playing around with the flour content (as you mentioned) will help until you have a dough that feels right….
Having said that, your photos are amazing as ever and the buns look so so tasty…avocado is a fantastic idea! 🙂
Great idea, I’ll definitely try weighing the flour next time to get the right amount…
Hi there! This is a really old post of mine so the pictures might look wonky but it has my family’s recipe for steamed buns that I make allllll the time! http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/nameisyeh.com/2010/08/watch-out-eddie-huang.html