• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Somebody Feed Seb
  • Home
  • VEGANUARY
  • MAINS
    • MEAT & POULTRY
    • FISH & SEAFOOD
    • PASTA
    • RISOTTO
    • SALADS & BOWLS
    • SOUP
    • VEGETARIAN
    • VEGAN
    • BUDGET
  • SOURDOUGH
    • ACTIVE STARTER
    • DISCARD
  • DESSERTS & BAKES
    • CAKES & TORTES
    • TARTS & PIES
    • CHEESECAKE
    • COOKIES, BISCUITS, BARS
    • DESSERTS
    • SMALL BAKES
  • BREAKFAST
  • SIDE DISHES
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » BREAD

    Steamed Bao Buns Without a Bamboo Steamer

    Published: June 30, 2022 · Updated: November 21, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Incredibly soft and fluffy, Chinese Steamed Buns make a brilliant bread to stuff pulled or crispy chicken and pork in and serve as a tasty appetizer! Unconventionally, our Bao Buns are made without a bamboo steamer, which most home cooks do not have! We utilise our metal steamer pan and an electric vegetable steamer to recreate these delicious little buns!

    Take Me To:
    • What Are Bao Buns?
    • What Flour is Best for Steamed Buns?
    • Method: How to Make Bao Buns?
      • How to Steam Bao Buns in a Metal Steamer Pan?
      • How to Cook the Chinese Steamed Buns in an Electric Vegetable Steamer?
    • What to Fill Bao Buns With?
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Chinese-Inspired Recipes
    • Recipe Card

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

    What Are Bao Buns?

    Bao Buns are steamed sweet buns, originating in the Orient. Made with plain flour, cornflour (cornstarch), oil and yeast, they are proved, then shaped into a folded-over semi-circle and steamed to perfection to create a light and fluffy pocket to stuff savoury and sweet filling in.

    Buns are being filled with crispy chicken from a pan.

    What Flour is Best for Steamed Buns?

    For the softest fluffiest buns, use flour with lower gluten content. Plain (all-purpose) flour works just fine, but if you have some cake flour (with 8-10% protein), use that! Furthermore, if you are looking for that aesthetically pleasing snow-white colour for your Bao Buns, try making them with bleached flour. It will create prettier buns, but won’t affect the flavour. Make sure to add the cornflour into the mixture too – it helps to keep the buns light and fluffy when cooked in a humid environment.

    Method: How to Make Bao Buns?

    Mix the flour, cornflour (cornstarch), yeast, caster sugar and baking powder in a bowl of your stand mixer (we use and love Kenwood).

    Mix warm water with vegetable oil and pour it into the dry ingredients.

    Run your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on slow-medium speed for about 10-12 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough.

    Tip the dough onto a work surface and shape a tight ball. Place it in a large clean bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm spot to proof for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

    Once doubled, scrape the dough onto a kitchen surface and knock the air out using the bottom of your palm. Knead it gently for a few minutes, then roll it out into a large rectangle, approx 0.5 cm in thickness.

    Brush the whole surface of the dough with vegetable oil. Then use a 7-8cm pastry cutter to stamp out disks of dough. Reroll any scraps. We get 18-22 rounds of bao dough.

    The rolled out dough being brushed with oil using a green pastry brush.
    Three rounds of pastry cut out of the dough sheet.

    Cut 18-22 squares of baking parchment and arrange them on a large baking sheet. Brush each square of parchment lightly with vegetable oil. Place the stamped-out rounds on the sheets. Fold each round over and press down (the oiled dough will ensure the buns open up slightly when being steamed).

    Loosely cover the buns with a lightly oiled cling film and leave in a warm spot to prove again for 30-45 minutes. The buns will puff up, but they shouldn’t double in size.

    Buns are shaped on pieces of baking parchment.

    How to Steam Bao Buns in a Metal Steamer Pan?

    Pour boiling water into a large metal pan that fits a steamer/colander. You will need the steamer sitting above the water level, so make sure your pan is not too large. Bring the water to a gentle simmer.

    Place 3-4 buns (still on the baking parchment squares) in the colander/ steamer and lower them down. Make sure the bottom is at least 2 cm away from the water. Make sure the buns don’t touch the sides of the pan, as the water will drip directly down the sides.

    Steam the buns in batches for 10-12 minutes per batch. Be careful when taking the lid off so that the condensation doesn’t drip down on the bao buns. You can also try to cover the pan with a tea towel before placing the lid on top. The fabric will absorb the water and prevent the condensation from making your bao buns soggy. The bao should cook all the way through and be all soft and fluffy.

    Bao Buns steaming in a metal steam pan.

    How to Cook the Chinese Steamed Buns in an Electric Vegetable Steamer?

    Preheat the water in a water compartment of the steamer. Place the buns in the second tear of the steamer still on the baking parchment. Make sure the buns don’t touch the sides of the steamer, as the water will drip directly down the sides. Cover and steam for 10-12 minutes. Be careful when taking the lid off so that the condensation doesn’t drip down on the bao buns.

    Bao Buns steaming in an electric vegetables steamer.
    A steamed bao bun being take out of electric vegetable steamer.

    What to Fill Bao Buns With?

    The world is your oyster! Whether you’re a meat-eater or a vegan, there are so many delicious options you can enhance your Bao Buns with. We love to stuff our buns with sticky chicken, pork, or pulled jackfruit, and then add some crunchy Asian-style slaw for a bit of texture. Some of our favourite recipes for bao bun fillings are:

    • Asian-Style Satay Pulled Jackfruit (Vegan)
    • Quick & Easy Honey Chicken
    • Chinese BBQ Chicken
    Steamed Bao Buns filled with crispy chinese bbq chicken being picked up with two hands.

    And if you are looking for a great slaw recipe, we absolutely love this Asian Cabbage Slaw with Sesame Mayo.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I Make Bao Buns in Advance?

    Yes, you can! Make them 1-2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container. When you are ready to eat them, place them back into a steamer for a couple of minutes to soften and warm up.

    Can Steamed Buns Be Frozen?

    Yes. Once steamed and cooled, place them in an airtight container/ bag and freeze. Before using them, defrost and reheat in the steamer for 2-3 minutes for the best results.

    Why is Cornflour Used in Bao Buns?

    Cornflour is a perfect ingredient for these steamed buns that are cooked in an extremely humid environment, as cornflour absorbs moisture very well. This means your buns stay light and fluffy!

    My Bao Buns Are Less White Than the Ones From the Restaurant. Why?

    Typically, the restaurant Bao Buns are made with bleached flour, which gives them bot a snow-white colour and makes them softer. However, flavour-wise plain (all-purpose) flour is perfectly ok to use for steamed buns.

    How Many Bao Buns to Serve?

    Serving size is always a subjective topic. Seb once ate 9 (!!!) of these buns filled with Chinese BBQ Pulled Chicken! If you are serving these buns as an appetiser, I would suggest 1 or 2. But if you want to make a meal centred around bao buns, serve 4-5 per portion with a side of edamame beans and other Asian-style salads.

    Steamed Chinese Buns are being filled with cabbage slaw.

    More Chinese-Inspired Recipes

    We love the sticky and sweet Chinese-inspired dishes. Especially the ones that come together quickly. Here are some of our absolute favourites:

    • Chinese-Spiced Beetroot & Sweet Potato Salad (Vegan)
    • Crispy Chilli Beef | Home-Made Chinese Take-Away Favourite
    • Quick & Easy Honey Chicken

    Recipe Card

    Steamed Bao buns lined up on a black tray with other buns in the background on wooden board.

    Bao Buns Without a Steamer

    Incredibly soft and fluffy, the Chinese Steamed Buns make a brilliant bread to stuff pulled or crispy chicken and pork in and serve as a tasty appetizer! Unconventioanlly, our Bao Buns are made without a bamboo steamer, which most home cooks do not have! We utilise our metal steamer pan and an electric vegetable steamer to recreate these delicious little buns!
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Proving Time: 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course Bread, Snack
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 30 buns
    Calories 77 kcal

    Equipment

    • Metal Steamer Pan or Electric Vegetable Steamer

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Steamed Bao Buns:

    • 300 g plain flour
    • 120 g cornflour
    • 60 g caster sugar
    • 3.5 g fast-action yeast about ½ a packet
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • 180 ml water lukewarm
    • 60 ml vegetable oil

    Instructions
     

    • Mix the flour, cornflour, yeast, caster sugar and baking powder in a bowl of your stand mixer.
    • Mix warm water with vegetable oil and pour it into the dry ingredients.
    • Run your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on slow-medium speed for about 10-12 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
    • Tip the dough onto a work surface and shape a tight ball. Place it in a large clean bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm spot to proof for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
    • Once doubled, scrape the dough onto a kitchen surface and knock the air out using the bottom of your palm. Knead it gently for a few minutes, then roll it out into a large rectangle, approx 0.5 cm in thickness.
    • Brush the whole surface of the dough with vegetable oil. Then use a 7-8cm pastry cutter to stamp out disks of dough. Reroll any scraps. We get 18-22 rounds of bao dough.
    • Cut 18-22 squares of baking parchment and arrange them on a large baking sheet. Brush each square of parchment lightly with vegetable oil. Place the stamped-out rounds on the sheets. Fold each round over and press down (the oiled dough will ensure the buns open up slightly when being steamed).
    • Losely cover the buns with a lightly oiled cling film and leave in a warm spot to prove again for 30-45 minutes. The buns will puff up, but they shouldn't double in size.

    Cook in a Metal Steamer Pan:

    • Pour boiling water into a large metal pan that fits a steamer/colander. You will need the steamer sitting above the water level, so make sure your pan is not too large. Bring the water to a gentle simmer.
    • Place 3-4 buns (still on the baking parchment squares) in the colander/ steamer and lower them down. Make sure the bottom is at least 2 cm away from water. Steam the buns in batches for 10-12 minutes per batch. Be careful when taking the lid off so that the condensation doesn't drip down on the bao buns. The bao should cook all the way through and be all soft and fluffy.

    Cook in an Electric Vegetable Steamer:

    • Preheat the water in a water compartment of the steamer. Place the buns in the second tear of the steamer still on the baking parchment. Cover and steam for 10-12 minutes. Be careful when taking the lid off so that the condensation doesn't drip down on the bao buns.

    Notes

    Filling ideas: 
    • Asian-Style Satay Pulled Jackfruit (Vegan)
    • Quick & Easy Honey Chicken
    • Chinese BBQ Chicken

    Nutrition

    Calories: 77kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 33mgPotassium: 11mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Bao Buns, Bao Buns Without A Bamboo Steamer, Bao Buns Without a Steamer, Gua Bao Buns, Steamed Bao Buns
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Pin for Pinterest.

    More BREAD

    • A Korean Garlic Cream cheese bread being torn in two.
      Korean Garlic Cream Cheese Bread
    • Hot Cross Bun Loaf on a black slate with white tulips all around.
      Wholemeal Hot Cross Bun Loaf
    • A slice being cut from baked Paska
      Paska | Ukrainian Easter Bread With Apricots and Marzipan
    • Two halloween breads shaped like pumpkins on a black surface with bramches and dry leaves around.
      Spooky Halloween Bread

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natalie

      July 01, 2022 at 10:43 am

      5 stars
      These bao buns are a total discovery for me! It looks amazing and it is not hard to prepare. Will be making them soon again, thanks!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        July 01, 2022 at 6:15 pm

        So glad you found these! We felt the same way when we first made them 🙂

        Reply
    2. Dionne

      July 06, 2022 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      I didn’t know you can make them without a bamboo steamer. That is great to know there is an alternative.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        July 07, 2022 at 8:16 am

        Absolutely! It’s really not hard to make without the bamboo steamer!

        Reply
    3. Mahy

      July 11, 2022 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      I always wanted to learn how to make bao buns but it never was a perfect timing really. Well, this recipe is too good – time to give the bao buns a try!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        July 12, 2022 at 8:32 am

        Thanks for the kind words, Mahy! Glad you decided to give them a try! Let me know how it goes 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tracy

      October 12, 2022 at 2:27 pm

      hi, thank you so much for your most inspiring post. these Boa were so lovely, leftovers were enjoyed the following morning for breakfast with jam! can you believe it, yes JAM! a total win. Although they’re weren’t as authentic as my gtrsandma used two make them, it definitely was simple and easy to follow that left a taste of memories tingling on our tastebuds.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        October 12, 2022 at 5:32 pm

        Thank you so much for trying the recipe! I wish I could taste some truly authentic buns one day! And I have to try them with jam too – thanks for the idea 😀

        Reply
    5. Sarah James

      October 13, 2022 at 10:40 am

      5 stars
      What an informative post, I’ve never tried making Bao Buns and looking forward to having a go. I’ll being using a tea towel to stop the buns from going soggy and making them the day before and warming them up, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        October 13, 2022 at 2:58 pm

        You are most welcome! A fabric teatowel is a great way to stop the water from dripping on them! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Gina Abernathy

      October 26, 2022 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      First time making steamed buns, but will not be the last. Loved them!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        October 27, 2022 at 8:33 am

        Thanks, Gina! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Dana

      October 29, 2022 at 6:17 pm

      5 stars
      oh my gosh, these turned out amazing!! I never thought I’d be making bao buns, but here we are, and it was so easy with your post!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        October 30, 2022 at 8:32 am

        Oh, I’m so glad you tried making these buns! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Katherine

      November 08, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for showing how to make them without a bamboo steamer!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 09, 2022 at 6:52 am

        You are most welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Jen

      November 16, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      5 stars
      These delicious little buns are so fun to make and eat!! MY whole family enjoyed it!

      Reply
    10. Michelle

      December 30, 2022 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      My husband has begging me to try making these at home. I’m so glad to find your recipe to make without a steamer!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        January 02, 2023 at 12:30 pm

        Hope both you and your husband like them 💗

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Author of the blog holding a fork with spaghetti on it.

    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

    More about me →

    Seasonal Recipes

    • A stack of pumpkin oatmeal pancakes with butter on top on a small brown plate.
      Pumpkin Oat Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
    • Cream being poured onto apple and blueberry crumble.
      Apple and Blueberry Crumble
    • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust decorated with torched Swiss meringue.
      Pumpkin Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust
    • A slice of apple crumble cheesecake on a small brown plate.
      Apple Crumble Cheesecake

    Trending Recipes

    • lithuanian pink soup in a brown bowl in a saucer on a wooden table.
      Lithuanian Cold Beetroot Soup a.k.a Pink Soup
    • Tenderstem Broccoli with garlic in a frying pan garnished with slices of lemon.
      Fried Tenderstem Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon (Garlic Broccolini)
    • The first slice coming out of the no-bake biscoff cheesecake decorated with llotus biscoff biscuits.
      Irresistible No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake (6 Ingredients)
    • Crispy Chicken Filled Steamed Bao Buns on a black tray on a rustic wooden table.
      Sticky Crispy Chicken Bao Buns
    Featured in image with brand names and websites Somebody Feed Seb has been featured in.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Somebody Feed Seb