Steamed Buns Recipe

Activate yeast and combine liquids

Warm the water and milk together until about 100–110°F (warm to the touch). Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar and sprinkle the instant dry yeast over the liquid. Let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy.

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, remaining sugar (2 tbsp), baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Form dough

Make a well in the flour mixture. Add the foamy yeast mixture and vegetable oil. Stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, dust with up to 2 tbsp additional flour.

First rise

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 60–75 minutes.

Divide and rest

Punch down the risen dough and turn onto a work surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces (about 90–100 g / 3 oz each). Shape each piece into a ball, cover and let rest 10 minutes to relax the gluten before shaping.

Prepare filling while dough is rising so it’s cool when used. In a bowl combine ground pork, finely chopped napa cabbage (squeeze out excess moisture if very wet), sliced green onions, grated ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until sticky and well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Keep refrigerated until assembly.

Mix chopped char siu with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch until evenly coated. Set aside at room temperature until assembly.

If your red bean paste is very firm, soften slightly by mashing and warming a few seconds in the microwave so it’s easy to portion. Divide into 6 equal portions (about 2–3 tbsp each) and roll into balls. Keep covered to prevent drying.

Measure Nutella into six rounded spoonfuls (about 1/2 tbsp each) and chill briefly on a parchment-lined tray so it is easier to handle. If too runny, place in the fridge 10–15 minutes.

Working with one dough ball at a time, flatten into an 4–4.5 inch (10–11 cm) disk with your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll to a slightly larger circle about 5 inches across, keeping center slightly thicker than edges.

Place approximately 2–3 tbsp of your chosen filling in the center (for pork & veg use about 3 tbsp, for BBQ pork 2–3 tbsp, for red bean about 2–3 tbsp, for Nutella 1–1.5 tbsp). Do not overfill.

Gather the dough edges up around the filling, pleating or simply pinching to seal at the top. Twist slightly to secure the seal and gently roll in your hands to form a smooth bun. Make sure there are no gaps.

Place each bun seam-side down on a parchment paper round or square. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. This recipe yields 6 buns; you can mix fillings to taste (e.g., 2 pork & veg, 2 char siu, 1 red bean, 1 Nutella).

Cover the assembled buns with a clean towel and let rest/proof for 20–25 minutes until slightly puffy.

Set up a steamer (bamboo steamer or metal rack over a pot) with about 3–4 cups of simmering water. Bring water to a gentle boil.

Place buns in the steamer basket in a single layer with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) between them to allow expansion. If using stacked bamboo steamer tiers, rotate tiers halfway through steaming for even heat.

Cover and steam over medium-high heat: steam 12–14 minutes for regular buns (pork/BBQ), and 8–10 minutes for sweet fillings (red bean/Nutella) if you prefer slightly softer insides. Do not open the lid during steaming.

After steaming, turn off heat and leave the lid in place for 3–5 minutes to prevent sudden contraction, then uncover and transfer buns to a plate.

Serve warm. For BBQ pork and pork & veg buns, optionally brush tops with a little sesame oil or a light glaze (1 tsp sugar dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water) if desired. Red bean and Nutella are best served slightly warm.

Store cooled buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat by steaming 4–6 minutes from chilled or microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 30–60 seconds until warm. For longer storage freeze individually wrapped and re-steam from frozen for 10–12 minutes.