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)
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 ground white pepper
Steamed Bun Dough:
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose white flour
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 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