Chinese Steamed Buns (Printable Version)

Soft buns stuffed with rich, savory beef and an Asian-inspired sauce. This easy homemade version will easily beat takeout and is ready fast.

# Ingredients:

→ For the Dough

01 - 3/4 cup warm milk (or water)
02 - 3 cups all-purpose flour (swap in some cake flour for softer buns, if you like)
03 - 1 tablespoon sugar
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1 teaspoon instant yeast
06 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

→ For the Beef Filling

07 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
08 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1 lb beef (chuck roast, flank steak, or short rib), chopped finely
10 - 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (or use soy sauce plus a little honey)
11 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
12 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
13 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 2 green onions, sliced thin
15 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (for thickening)

# Steps:

01 - Combine flour, sugar, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the warm milk until the mixture clumps into a rough dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth. Work in the vegetable oil until the dough stops being sticky. Cover it with a damp towel and let it sit in a warm place until it grows to double its size, about an hour.
02 - Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and let it cook until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the finely chopped beef along with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice vinegar. Cook everything together, stirring now and then, for 10-15 minutes until the beef softens and the mixture thickens.
03 - Mix cornstarch and water until lump-free and add it to the beef mixture. Stir for roughly a minute as it thickens. Toss in the sliced green onions and mix them through. Set the filling aside to cool while you finish prepping the dough.
04 - Once the dough has grown to twice its size, sprinkle the baking powder over it. Knead for another minute to mix it in, which will make the buns softer. Put the dough on a floured counter or board and divide it into about 14 to 16 chunks.
05 - Take a single piece of dough, roll it into a ball, then flatten it into a circle about 4-5 inches wide. Keep the edges thinner than the center. Scoop a healthy amount of beef filling onto the middle. Pull the edges up and twist them together on top to seal. Repeat for all dough pieces and filling.
06 - Cut parchment paper into small squares and place a bun on each square. Line your steamer basket with buns, leaving space between each to allow for swelling. Rest them for 10 minutes while you heat up water in the steamer pot to a boil.
07 - Steam the buns with the lid on for 12-15 minutes until they puff up and the dough is cooked through. Leave the lid on for another 2 minutes after turning off the heat, then carefully lift the buns out.
08 - Take the buns off the parchment paper and let them cool a bit before enjoying them warm.

# Notes:

01 - Want fluffier buns? Replace 1 cup of regular flour with cake flour.
02 - Make the beef filling a day ahead and store it in the fridge to save time.
03 - Freeze extras for up to three months and steam to warm them up later.
04 - No steamer? Use a heat-proof plate raised on foil balls in a pot with water.

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