Mumma Zhou’s red bean bao recipe

The smell of these soft, steamed buns—slightly sharp, tinged with sweetness—evokes a special memory of my childhood. There was always an eager giddiness on the days that my mum would cook her red bean baos. The kitchen would turn into an organised chaos, flour on every surface. It was, and is, her way of saying, "I love you so much so that I'm going to spend half a day making these little baos of sweetness." 

These vegan treats make for the perfect afternoon snack or morning breakfast—traditionally served with a glass of homemade soy milk. 

Mumma Zhou’s red bean bao recipe

Makes 60 baos

Red bean filling

Ingredients

1.5 cups red beans

3-4 cups water

~1 cup brown sugar 

½ cup peanut oil (can be substituted for any oil)

Method

1. Add the red beans and water into a medium-sized pot, bring to boil then simmer for about 30 minutes until soft

2. Add in the brown sugar and peanut oil

3. Use electric mixer to mix until smooth (may need to add more water for desired consistency)

Dough

Ingredients

1.5 tbsp yeast

5 cups warm water

12 cups plain flour

Method

1. Add the yeast and 1 cup of warm water in a cup and leave for 20 minutes

2. In a large bowl, pour in the yeast water, add the plain flour and 4 cups of warm water

3. Use a wooden spoon to combine

4. With your hands, knead well until it doesn’t stick

5. Place the bowl on top of another bowl filled with warm water (about 40 degrees) for 2 and a half hours. Cover bowl with a tea towel (don’t peek under! Mum says this is when it’s sleeping). Change the water at half time. 

Alternative to the water, you can just place the dough in a warm spot for the same amount of time.

6. Wake up the dough by kneading about 200 times 

7. Separate the dough into 6 doughs. Roll out each roll and cut into 10 pieces

8. Flatten each piece into a disc, spoon in a tablespoon of red bean into the dough.

9. Lift the edges up around the filling and pinch them together to seal the bun tightly

10. Steam buns for 12 minutes

11. Turn off the gas, then leave the lid on for 5 minutes

12. Best served warm

Tip: When microwave reheating, sprinkle a bit of water on the baos, then microwave for approximately 20 seconds.

Feel free to DM me at @yemagz with any questions and Mumma Zhou will be right there to the rescue.