Sticky Hoisin Mushroom Bao Buns

February 05, 2021

Sticky Hoisin Mushroom Bao Buns

Hello there!

It is nearly Chinese New Year and I am a massive fan of Chinese cuisine. I have seen bao buns on Instagram a lot recently so I thought they would make a great recipe. The great thing about bao buns is that they are very light since they are steamed and you can fill them with whatever you like. I followed the BBC Good Food recipe for the bao buns so I will link this at the end of this post. Alternatively, if you prefer to buy the buns, you can buy them from a few different places which I will link at the end too. Enjoy!

The Recipe: Sticky Hoisin Mushroom Bao Buns

Makes 8 buns

For the Bao Buns:

265g plain flour
3/4 tbsp caster sugar, plus a pinch
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp instant dried yeast
25ml milk
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the Filling:

Drizzle sesame oil
250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
4 tbsp caster sugar
8 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp water
3 spring onions, sliced
Red chili, sliced (optional)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

To make the steamed buns, combine the flour, caster and a pinch of salt. Dissolve the yeast with a pinch of caster sugar and 1 tbsp water, add to the flour mix with the milk, oil, vinegar and 100ml warm water.

Bring together and knead on a floured surface for 10-15 minutes until smooth.

Place in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth, leave to rise for 2 hours. Knock the air out and tip onto a clean work surface. Flatten the dough and sprinkle with baking powder. Knead for 5 minutes.

Split the dough into 8 balls that weigh about 60g each. Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball, one by one, into an oval shape about 3-4mm thick. Rub the surface of the dough ovals with oil and brush a little oil over a chopstick. Place the oiled chopstick in the centre of each oval. Fold the dough over the chopstick, then slowly pull out the chopstick.

Place on 8 individual squares of parchment paper on a baking tray. Leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hr 30 mins, or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, make the filling by frying the sliced mushrooms in sesame oil until soft. Combine the caster sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin, cornflour and water in a jug, whisk until smooth.

Once the mushrooms have softened, add the sauce mixture and heat on low until thickened and sticky.

Heat a large steamer over a medium-high heat. Steam the buns for 8 mins until puffed up. Gently open each bun and fill with the mushroom filling. Top with spring onions, chili, coriander and sesame seeds.