Vegan Baozi(Chinese Steamed Buns)

Baozi is also known as Chinese Steamed filled buns. In China, it has the same position with dumplings.
The difference between baozi and dumplings lies in the final shape and the dough.

Usually the dough for dumplings does not use yeast while most of the dough for baozi needs yeast. However soup dumplings is a member of baozi in China with the name of .
Besides, baozi is usually around while dumplings are of different shapes.  I have write a general post introducing Chinese baozi.




Making the dough for baozi is similar with the dough for mantou , meat baozi usually is called Chinese steamed pork buns. However a little bit more water is added compared with the dough for making Chinese Mantou.
For the details about making the dough, check Chinese steamed buns.
Scatter some flour on your board and cut the log to small sections around 1 inch long.
Roll the small dough into round wrapper with thinner edges.

Another part for making baozi at home is to fold baozi. The process is quite simple and contains the following steps.

Prepare the wrapper and the filling.
Place the wrapper in your left hand. Place 1 ~2 tablespoon of the filling in the center of your wrapper (depending on the size of the wrapper).
Fix the starting point with the thumb of right hand and begin to fold the edge counterclockwise.
Move the thumb slowly in the process until the boazi is completely sealed.
For more pictures about how to fold baozi, check here.
The filling used for today’s vegan baozi is stir-fried tofu with the similar taste of mapo tofu. I love it so much!

 

 

Vegan Baozi(Chinese Steamed Buns)

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serve: 4

Vegan Baozi with tofu as filling, similar taste to mapo tofu.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil for brushing
For the dough
• 300g all-purpose flour
• 1 packet instant yeast = 2¼ teaspoons
• 160g water
For the fillings
• 1 box of regular tofu
• 1 tablespoon chopped spring onions
• 1 teaspoon doubanjiang
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1 inch ginger chopped
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 
  

Instructions

Making the wrapper
1. Prepare warm water around 35 °C. And mix the yeast with the water. Mix well and set aside for around 5 minutes. If you do not want sugar, just skip it.
2. Prepare the flour in a large bowl. Pour the water with yeast slowly to the bowl with flour and stir with a chop sticker.
3. Then knead the flour into smooth and soft dough. At the very beginning, it might be a little bit sticky.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for around 1 hour or until the paste ball doubles in size. This process can be done by mixer.
5. When the dough is double in size, get paste ball out and punch the air out.
6. Then roll the dough into a long log around 1 inch in diameter or any size you want.
7. Scatter some flour on your board and cut the log to small sections around 1 inch long.
8. Roll the small dough into round wrapper with thinner edges.
Making the filling
9. Heat up cooking oil in pan. Stir fry ginger, garlic and doubanjiang firstly until you can sell the aroma.
10. Add scrambled tofu in with salt and light soy sauce. Mix well.
11. Remove the pan from the fire and mix chopped spring onions in. Then we have the fillings.
Making Baozi
12. Fold the boazi one by one like the picture shows.
13. Brush some oil on the bottom of each baozi and put into the steamer.
14. Heat up water in wok and begin to steam. Count at least 15 minutes after the water in wok begins to boil.

Notes

Since the dough needs to be fermented for around 45 minutes, filling can be down during the process.

When lift the cover of the steamer, please be quick and do not let any water drop on the surface of the baozi. 

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