Crispy veggie bao buns
Easy step-by-step method to make bao buns plus two different dipping sauces. Don't be intimidated, it is not hard at all!
Equipment
- (Small) rolling pin
Ingredients
The dough
- 225 gr white whole wheat flour (or sub regular all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp sugar (of choice, I used coconut sugar)
- 150 gr (plant based) milk or water (luke warm)
Filling
- 2½ tbsp avocado oil (or other type of oil of choice)(divided)
- 4 cups cabbage (shredded)
- 1 cup kale (chopped)
- 6-8 mushrooms (of choice)(thinly sliced or cubed)
- 1 medium carrot (finely diced)
- 2 tsp ginger (thinly sliced or diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (or sub tamari or coconut aminos)
- 2 tsp stir fry sauce (of choice)(optional)
- 1 tsp sugar (I used coconut sugar)
- 1 tbsp scallions (diced/rings)(optional)
- 2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Sweet chili dipping sauce (optional)
- 6 tbsp sweet chili sauce (of choice)
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice
Soy ginger dipping sauce (optional)
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (finely diced)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
The dough
- Mix the milk/water, yeast and sugar in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes. This is to proof the yeast; is it foamy you can continue. If not, throw out your yeast; it is probably old. Start over with new yeast.
- Add flour and salt to a large bowl and mix. Add the yeast mixture and the oil. Either transfer it to a food processor with the dough hook attached or knead by hand until a soft dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth. Kneading by hand might take 5-10 minutes, but you will end up with a silky smooth dough.
- Now let it rest in a bowl for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel.
The filling
- While the dough is resting, heat up a skillet with a tablespoon of avocado oil to sauté the ginger, mushrooms and garlic. Stir until fragrant and then add the cabbage, carrots, soy sauce and stir fry sauce. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes, add some salt + pepper and transfer it to a medium size mixing bowl.
- In the same skillet heat up another tablespoon of avocado oil and quickly stir fry the kale with a pinch of salt.
- Add the kale to the cabbage mixture together with the chopped scallions and sesame oil. Set it aside until the dough is rolled out and ready to be filled.
Sweet chili dipping sauce (optional)
- Mix sweet chili sauce with lime juice and stir.
Soy-ginger dipping sauce (optional)
- Mix soy sauce with ginger and sesame seeds and stir.
Making the veggie bao buns
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll the dough into a log with your hands. Divide it into 12-14 pieces and roll each one into a ball.
- Take one dough ball and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Place it on the countertop and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 3-inch round. Make sure to leave a good thickness in the middle; roll out the edges thinner by only going over the edges and not the middle of the dough.
- Take the rolled out dough in the palm of your hand and place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto it. Pleat the dough to seal the bun. Place it on a plate, pleated side down. Continue filling and closing until all buns are ready.
- Heat up a skillet with 2 teaspoon of oil and swirl it around. Place all buns in the skillet next to each other. Make sure the buns are not touching (if you want perfectly round bao buns). Pan fry them for 30 seconds until the bottoms are light brown.
- Slowly pour hot water into the skillet until the buns are ⅓ covered in water. Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low and cook/steam them until all water is absorbed.
- Serve bao buns with dipping sauce and sides of choice such as noodles and stir fried green beans.
Notes
Nutritional information:
the information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
Nutritional information is for 1 bao bun without dipping sauce.