The Best Steamed Bao Buns

Bao buns are fluffy, steamed rolls stuffed with a savory or sweet stuffing. Our bao buns are stuffed with a combo of sweet and sour flavor, pickled veggies, tofu, and a delicious sauce. You really don’t need a special occasion to make these hand-held treats in your Instant Pot, so go ahead and make them tonight! The Instant Pot makes these bao easy to make! They cook in less than 20 minutes total after an hour of rise time. 

Jump to:

• What are Bao Buns
• Ingredients you’ll need
• How to make bao buns
• Pro tips and tricks
• How to serve
• How to freeze the Buns
• Other recipes you may like
• Let us know what you think
• Steam Bao Buns Recipe

What are Bao Buns

Bao buns (which are pronounced “bow” in English) are soft, fluffy, and sweet steamed bread that contain a delicious stuffing. The stuffing can be either sweet or savory. Our stuffing is a combination of sweet from sugar and sour from vinegar. 

Our bao buns are shaped like a “U” to help you pack them full of tofu and pickled vegetables. They are the perfect hand food that you can serve whenever you want a laid back entree.

Ingredients you’ll need

You’ll need four sets of ingredients to make these bao buns. Here’s what to gather for each.

For the bao buns:

• Active dry yeast - You can use loose or a packet of yeast.
• Warm water - Make sure it is lukewarm or slightly warmer to prevent accidentally killing the yeast.
• All-purpose flour - I strongly recommend using all purpose instead of bread or other flours.
• Granulated sugar - We use organic, but you can use any white sugar you prefer.
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Oil - You’ll need to divide the oil.
• Squares of baking paper - This will help prevent them from sticking.

To make the pickled veggies, you’ll need:

• Water
• Rice vinegar - You can use white if you cannot find rice vinegar.
• Granulated sugar - We use organic, but non-organic can work too.
• Salt
• Veggies - We use julienne cut cucumber and carrots and sliced jalapeno peppers.

For the tofu filling, you’ll need:

• Soy sauce- you can use  low sodium
• Rice vinegar - You can use white vinegar if you prefer.
• Maple syrup - hint of sweetness
• Sambal oelek - This is optional and used to taste.
• Sesame oil- Add a nice nutty flavor
• Oil - We use a light tasting oil that can withstand high heat.
• Firm tofu - The tofu needs to be pressed and sliced.

For serving the buns, you’ll need:

• Hoisin sauce  -  A must!
• Chopped roasted peanuts - You can use salted or unsalted.
• White and black sesame seeds
• Cilantro - You’ll need to chop the cilantro as a garnish.

How to make bao buns

Bao buns are pretty easy to make at home. For this recipe, you’ll need to fire up your Instant Pot and get steaming. Here’s how to make the buns.

Make the dough

• First, add flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, oil, and water to a large stand mixer bowl or a mixing bowl. Next, use a dough hook to mix everything on medium speed. You will need to add a little more warm water to add a bit more moisture to the dough once it comes together.
• Next, let it knead on medium speed until the dough turns glossy and soft. It should also feel smooth to the touch. The kneading will take around 5 to 7 minutes.
• Once the dough is ready, empty the dough out onto a work surface and knead for 1 minute or until smooth. Next, add extra flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough sticks to the palm of your hand. Once it no longer sticks, you can stop adding flour.

• When the dough is ready, lightly grease the inner pot with some oil and place the dough in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Next, cover with the lid and press the yogurt button and proof the dough for 60 minutes.
• Once it has risen and would have doubled in size, punch down the dough in the center. Next, transfer the dough to a work surface and dust with flour and knead it for 5 to 10 minutes. The goal is to remove as many air bubbles as possible from the dough.
• Next, divide the dough in 12 equal parts and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about a 1 cm thick circle.

Prep and steam the buns

• Once the dough circles are made, lightly spread the oil over the surface of the dough. Next, use an 8 cm diameter pastry cutter, parchment paper, or a plastic cup of the same diameter to cut out rounds from each piece of dough.
• When the cuts are made, remove the excess dough from the edges. Next, fold the rounds in half and flatten slightly with the rolling pin and then place the round on a square of baking paper and place directly into a large bamboo steamer or onto a tray. Repeat with remaining dough. You can also use excess dough to make more buns. Cover it with a cloth and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Next, prepare the Instant Pot to steam the buns by pouring in 1 cup of water into the inner pot and placing a trivet inside. Once the water is added, arrange the buns in a bamboo steamer and place it in the pot. You will need to steam the buns in batches.
• Finally, close the lid and steam it for 10 minutes. Once done, open the lid carefully and remove the bamboo steamer. Once they are steamed, you can fill them up.

Prep the fillings

• To make the pickled veggies, combine the water, sugar, rice vinegar, and salt in a pot or deep pan over high heat. Next, stir until the sugar dissolves and then bring the mixture to a boil.
• Once the sugar is dissolved, add the vegetables to the brine. First, stir to submerge, then remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. This is a great step to do before starting the steaming process. Finally, drain before adding them to the bao buns.

Tofu filling

• To prepare the tofu, first heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu and sear on one side until deep brown in color. 
• Flip and cook on the other side until deep brown or about 5 minutes more. Remove the tofu from the pan. 
• Finally, add all the sauce in the same pan and reduce until it thickens which will take about 5 minutes and then add in the tofu to coat with the glaze. Remove the pan from the heat and stuff the bao with the veggies and tofu.

Pro tips and tricks

Sometimes making baked goods can be intimidating. But making them with the Instant Pot is super easy and takes a lot of the stress out! Here are some tips for making the best bao possible:

• Use a neutral oil when making the bao buns to avoid over-powering the flavor. 
• Add water, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too dry to prevent it becoming too moist. 
• Let the dough rise in the Instant Pot with controlled temperature for the best results with the yeast.
• Serve the bao buns warm from the steamer with the pickled veggies and tofu.

How to serve

To serve, slather the inside of the bao buns at room temperature with hoisin sauce, then add the glazed tofu, the pickled vegetables, cilantro, peanuts, and the sesame seeds. These are the perfect handheld food and a great way to enjoy Asian inspired food without a need for chopsticks or other utensils.

How to freeze the Buns

You can freeze the buns after you steam them. Prior to freezing, allow them to cool completely. Once they are cooled, wrap each in a paper towel and place in a freezer safe bag. Before sealing the bag, squeeze as much air out as possible.  

When you are ready to serve, defrost them in the fridge overnight. You can reheat them in a steamer for a few minutes or until they are warmed through.

Other recipes you may like

• Spread our green chutney and stuff it up with our lip smacking Paneer Tikka.
• Spread out tamarind chutney and stuff it up with Dabeli to enjoy a fusion.

Do you love poofing breads in the Instant Pot? You should also try our other favorite bread recipes, including:

• Olive Garden Breadsticks
• Ciabatta bread
• Garlic Naan
• Dinner rolls

We love Asian fusion recipes. They hit the spot when you want the flavors of Asia and don’t want to leave the house. If you are hungry for more mouthwatering Asian-inspired flavor, try out these recipes tonight:

• Orange Cauliflower
• Garlic Noodles
• Instant Pot Fried Rice

Let us know what you think

If you make these fluffy bao buns, don’t forget to let us know what you think of these mouthwatering treats! Be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!