So my hubby, Danny, might as well take over the blog because he did it again. I mean, who knew he was such a great home cook? Shanghai style vegetarian steamed buns are spongy with a juicy, flavourful bok choy and mushroom filling inside bursting with all the familiar Asian flavours. Plus, when it's homemade from scratch it means that you are in full control of what is in your food = no MSG.
What are Steamed Buns?
Hot steamed buns is a very popular dish all over China. If you go into any big city market, you will find these buns. Particularly, if you head out in the mornings, you will easily find restaurants with people lined up, waiting to grab a few of these. They are also quite cheap, and people tend to eat 1-2 buns for a meal, usually buying a pair.
In Shanghai, bok choy and mushroom filled steamed buns are the most popular kind, and this Shanghai style steamed bun is well known across China because of it's mild flavour and relatively healthier version. They are also completely vegan!
Ingredients in Vegetarian Steamed Buns
We stuffed these buns with mushrooms and bok choy, but you could easily stuff these buns with any kind of filling that you want. Meat is also quite common.
- dried shiitake mushrooms - you can substitute this with fresh mushrooms, you just don't need to pre-soak them. You may need to pan-fry them a little longer to remove all the water content. Keep an eye on them and cook until browned.
- vegetable oil - for pan-frying the mushrooms
- large bok choy
- seasonings - sesame oil, light soy sauce, granulated sugar, ground white pepper
- steamed bun dough - lukewarm water, instant yeast, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt
How to Make Shanghai Style Vegetarian Steamed Buns
- Cook the mushrooms. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Cook the bok choy. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Dip the bok choy in for 15 seconds and immediately drain and place under running cold water to stop the cooking process. Using your hands, squeeze out the water from the bok choy.
- Prepare the filling. Transfer the bok choy and mushrooms to a food processor. Pulse mix a few times to finely chop the bok choy and mushroom. Do not overmix as you do not want the mixture to turn into a puree. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and drain any excess water. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper and mix together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate.
- Prepare the steamed bun dough. In a small bowl, whisk together water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a spatula until mixture forms into a dough. Knead the dough with your hands (or mixer) until the dough becomes smooth and soft, about 15 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hrs until it rises and doubles in size. Once risen, knead the dough for a few minutes to get rid of any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 10 even balls.
How to Fold Steamed Buns
- Roll each mini dough ball into a 4-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, adding more flour as needed.
- Scoop a spoonful of filling into the centre of your rolled out dough.
- Bring the edges of the dough up, enclosing the filling inside.
- Seal the filling inside by pleating the edges together with your finger.
- Place each bun on single 3x3-inch sheet of parchment paper. Repeat until all the dough and mixture is used up.
- Place buns on a pan and allow them to sit for another 20 minutes to allow it to further grow in size.
How to Cook Steamed Buns
Cooking steamed buns is super easy. All you need is a steamer. We used a steamer pot over boiling water. Simply place your buns in the pot, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. You then allow the buns to sit in the pot (still covered!) for 5 more minutes. This part is crucial. If you uncover the pot too early, the buns will shrink and collapse!
You can serve these vegetarian steamed buns immediately. Serve them on their own or alongside some soy sauce or black rice vinegar to dip into for extra flavour.
How to Store Steamed Buns
It's always better to eat these within a few days. You can store steamed buns for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze extras for up to 3 months. To freeze, simply place the steamed buns on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for an hour. Then transfer them into large ziploc bags or tupperware and use as desired.
To reheat, re-steam for 5-10 minutes.
More Dim Sum Recipes
- 25 Best Dim Sum Recipes
- Crispy Bottom Pan-Fried Vegetable Buns
- Crispy Bottom Shanghai Pork Buns
- Steamed Scallion Rolls
- Pork Dumplings
- Spicy Chili Oil Wontons
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Recipe
Shanghai Style Vegetarian Steamed Buns
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 steamed buns
Description
Homemade Shanghai style vegetarian steamed buns is spongy with a juicy, flavourful bok choy and mushroom filling inside bursting with Asian flavours.
Ingredients
Vegetarian Filling:
- 10 large dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 large bok choy (1 lb)
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ ground white pepper
Steamed Bun Dough:
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose white flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Vegetarian Filling:
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water for 15 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Dip the bok choy in for 15 seconds and immediately drain and place under running cold water to stop the cooking process. Using your hands, squeeze out the water from the bok choy.
- Transfer the bok choy and mushrooms to a food processor. Pulse mix a few times to finely chop the bok choy and mushroom. Do not overmix as you do not want the mixture to turn into a puree. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and drain any excess water.
- Add sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper and mix together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate.
Prepare the Dough:
- In a small bowl, whisk together water and yeast until the yeast dissolves.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a spatula until mixture forms into a dough. Knead the dough with your hands (or mixer) until the dough becomes smooth and soft, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a teaspoon of flour and knead. If the dough is too dry, add a few drops of water.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a chopping board or plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hrs until it rises and doubles in size.
- Once risen, knead the dough for a few minutes to get rid of any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 10 even balls.
Assemble and Cook:
- Set aside 10 pieces of parchment paper, cut into 3x3-inch squares.
- Roll each mini dough ball into a 4-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, adding more flour as needed. Note that the centre should be slightly thicker than the edges.
- Add 2 tablespoons of filling into the middle of each rolled out dough. Bring the edges of the dough up, enclosing the filling, and pleat the edges together into a little bag to seal the mixture inside. Place each bun on single 3x3-inch sheet of parchment paper. Repeat until all the dough and mixture is used up.
- Place buns on a pan and allow them to sit for another 20 minutes to allow it to further grow in size.
- Transfer 5 buns for a steamer pot, cover and steam for 10 minutes over boiling water. Turn off the heat and leave the buns, still covered, for 5 minutes. DO NOT uncover prior to this as uncovering too early will cause the bun to shrink and ruin them. Repeat with the remaining 5 buns. Serve immediately.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ 2 hours waiting time)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dim Sum
- Cuisine: Chinese
Mike says
Shouldn't "Do not overmix as you want the mixture to turn into a puree"
say "Do not overmix as you do not want the mixture to turn into a puree" ?
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yes Mike you are absolutely correct! Thank you for catching that typo. It has been updated.
Tami Price says
My husband made this recipe last night and let me tell you... it's absolutely delicious! So much flavor! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
That is so great to hear! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂