Shortly after becoming addicted to these pillowy soft little buns filled with various succulent meats & pickled vegetables, I knew I had to try and recreate them myself. I sought out the ever-inspiring and trailblazing David Chang's Momofuku's coveted Steamed Bun Recipe and got to work. And by work I mean, it was legit WORK because his recipe was for roughly a small restaurant scale of (give or take) 50-60 buns. Quite the undertaking for someone who just wants to shove a few of these delectable buns in her mouth for dinner (yes, maybe I will share with my husband too, haha). So I kept adapting different recipes and trying all sorts of different flours and ingredient ratios until I came up with the perfect No-Fuss, Super Easy Dough that is now my one and only Steamed Bun Recipe. It all comes together from start to table in about two and a half hours. This makes roughly 15-20 buns depending on the size of your round dough cutter.
**They freeze beautifully if you cut them into the rounds and then layer with parchment paper. Do not steam them if freezing. Simply take buns from the freezer and add to the hot bamboo steamer frozen; adding a few extra minutes to cook time when ready to use.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Bread Flour
2/3 Cups Warm Water
2 Tbsp. Whole Milk
2 Tbsp. Cane Sugar
2 tsp. Active Yeast
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
**extra flour for rolling out dough
Olive oil for brushing
Equipment:
Parchment Paper
Rolling Pin
Stand Mixer
Bamboo Steam Basket
In a stand mixer, stir the Warm Water, Yeast and Sugar together until just combined then set your timer for 10 minutes.
While that is doing its magic (you should be noticing the reaction of sugar to yeast starting to bubble and foam) you can sift your Flour, Salt and Baking Powder together in a separate bowl.
Once the 10 minutes is up, add the Dough Hook attachment and turn the mixer on to low. Add the Whole Milk to the bowl of wet ingredient and slowly begin incorporating the dry ingredients until a soft but slightly sticky dough forms.
Let this mix on medium to low for about 8 minutes. The dough should be a bit elastic to the touch and be fully free from sticking to the sides. (If you happen to have a slightly wet dough that is sticking, add a teaspoon of flour at a time until its no longer sticking to the bowl. Vice versa for a too dry dough; add a tsp. water until right consistency.)
Remove the Dough Hook and Cover the Bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 2 Hours. It will double in size.
Once it has proofed, remove the dough on to a lightly floured pastry board or counter. Roll the ball out into about 1/4"-1/2" thick slab. Using a round biscuit/cookie cutter (a round mouth cup will work in a pinch here too) Cut out your buns and re-roll the dough if desired or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days to use again.
Slightly roll each circle out and brush lightly with oil, then fold over into a half moon.
Let the steamed buns rise for about 15-20 minutes while your steamer is warming up.
On the Stove, Place your bamboo steamer basket over a large shallow pan of boiling water. I like to bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to about medium to allow not overcooking the buns too fast.
Cut parchment paper into 3"x3" squares and place each bun a piece of paper so they do not stick to the bamboo.
Add as many buns as you can into your steamer being sure to leave at least an inch between them. Cover and cook for roughly 8-10 minutes until they are visibly puffed and feel slightly firm to the touch.
Fill with your desired meats, vegetables, condiments and ENJOY!!
Please let me know how you like this no fuss (not to mention, extremely forgiving) Steamed Bun Recipe! I would love love love to hear what you make to go with them! Post your pictures and comments below and on social media tagging #saltsandseasons
-Alexandra
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