Big Island Dreams
Soft Bao Buns are a fantastic vessel for all sorts of tasty things! We recently had a Meetup gathering for our Maine Culinary, Wine and Craft Beer Travelers group. The organizer of the group, Diane Bean from Off On Vacation and I chose to make Hawaii the topic of discussion.
The Hawaiian themed food that I made was inspired by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. His new restaurant, Asia, just opened at the Alohilani Resort on Waikiki February 15th, 2018. You need to check out the resort and his restaurant! They are absolutely breathtaking!!
Someday Hawaii, Someday
Of course I now have the Alohilani on my bucket list as well as dining at Iron Chef Morimoto’s Asia. Dreams will have to do for now. We are at that time in Maine when it is almost the end of a long winter, but, not quite yet. There is another nor’easter scheduled to hit us as I am writing this post and we are battening down the hatches! All I want to think about is warm weather and sun! Maybe I’ll do that while shoveling. 😉
Steamy Bao Buns
If you are ever in need of guidance for cooking techniques then be sure to check out ChefSteps.com It is a fantastic resource! I might be an experienced baker, but, I am a novice Bao Bun creator. I needed to do a little research and testing to get the buns to turn out just right. ChefSteps has a wonderful recipe and video tutorial for Bao Buns by the way.
Second Time Around
For our Meetup I used the ChefSteps recipe and the buns turned out Great! Great is good, but, I was looking for more. If you know me, then you know that I am really into perfecting things. I wanted lighter buns so I tweaked the recipe increasing the milk, adding a bit of extra leavening and proofing my yeast with some extra yeast-loving ingredients. Not so good. 🙁 The buns were too airy, too soft and didn’t open easily for the fillings. Creating with baked goods is definitely a trial and error thing – be warned!
Third Time a Charm for Soft Bao Buns
You know the old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed…” Well, luckily it only took three times. Thank goodness – I mean…How many Bao Buns can one family eat?! Luckily they freeze beautifully.
Proof of Persistence
These Bao Buns were easy to work with and proofed wonderfully! They ended up super soft yet firm enough to open and hold the fillings. Proofing the buns right in the steam baskets helps to prevent them from deflating. A tip worth noting!
Layers of Flavors
As an additional layer of flavor I used a little bit of Sesame Oil mixed with plain olive oil to brush them.
Dressed and Ready to Go Bao Buns!
The addition of sesame seeds gives added texture and it dresses the Bao Buns up a bit. Sesame seeds of course are totally optional. These black ones are cool don’t ya think?
Taste Now, Travel Later
Fill your Bao Buns with Seasoned Pulled Pork, Shrimp or Asian Vegetables and dressing – whatever you like! We opted for Hawaiian Pulled Pork, Asian Pickles & Radishes and some Dijon Mustard. More recipes to come!
Small but Sensational
Truth be told we only had three people at our meeting – me, Diane and Carmen. Hey, it’s a start! We did have a fun evening talking about Hawaii, travel, food and drinking some wine of course. We even got a Livestream in!
Pono Ono! Let’s Eat Some Soft Bao Buns!
I am definitely looking forward to our next meeting, eating some more delicious food and talking about travel! If you live close to Bangor, love all things Culinary/ Wine/Craft Beer/Travel and would like to be part of the Meetup group just look us up!
If you are looking to purchase a bamboo steam basket then be sure to check out the “Products I LOVE” page.
Mahalo!
PrintSoft Bao Buns
Soft Bao Buns will be your new favorite buns for a wide variety of fillings! They cook in just minutes and add Asian flair to your meal.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 2 cups bread flour, divided
- 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
- Olive oil for greasing
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 115°F. Pour into a medium sized bowl. Add the yeast and whisk until well combined. Mix in 1/4 cup of the flour and 1 tsp. of the sugar. Cover, and place bowl in a warm draft free area to proof for 10 minutes. (On top of the refrigerator is an ideal spot.)
- Sift together the remaining flour, remaining sugar, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center; set aside.
- Combine the 3 Tbsp. of olive oil and sesame seed oil in a small bowl; set aside.
- When the yeast mixture has proofed pour into the bowl of dry ingredients. With a dough hook combine until the mixture is incorporated and the flour is fully hydrated. Knead on medium-high for eight minutes.
- Form the dough into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with oil as well as the ball of dough.
- Place the dough into the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free area (top of the fridge) until doubled in size – 1 hour.
- Prepare a bamboo steamer by lining the baskets with parchment circles and cutting some vent holes in them; set aside.
- When the dough had doubled remove and place onto a pastry board.
- Cut the dough into quarters and cut each quarter into quarters to make 16 even sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball. Cover with saran wrap. Working with each piece roll out into an oval shape then lightly brush with sesame oil mixture. Fold oval in half oiled sides meeting to form into a Bao Bun.
- Place shaped bun into the parchment lined bamboo steamer baskets. Repeat with remaining pieces. You should be able to get 8 into each basket.
- Cover buns with saran wrap and allow to proof for 30 minutes.
- Bring water to a boil in a wok or pan large enough to fit the bamboo steamer baskets. Be certain that the water will not touch the bottom of the basket where the bao buns are. (A large wok works really well for this.)
- When the buns have finished proofing, uncover and give one final brush with the mixed oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Stack baskets and place bamboo steamer over boiling water.
- Cover and steam Bao Buns for 8 minutes until puffed and cooked through.
- Serve immediately with fillings of choice.
Bao Buns are one of my favorite things! Eddie Huangs restaurant Baohaus NYC is where I first tried one.
I am going to try this Cathy!
Love,
Vikki <3
Hi Victoria,
Finally getting around to replying to comments on my website. It’s been a long time coming lol. Yes, Bao Buns rock! I will have to try the Tangzhong method used for Japanese milk bread to see if they can be even softer. Love to you Lucho and the kitties! xoxoxoxo…