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Lotus Leaf Bao (Chinese Steamed Buns)
Lotus leaf buns, also called hé yè bǐng, are steamed folded breads originally from the Fujian province of China. Traditionally they’re use for gua bao where the buns are filled with braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, and ground peanuts. They can be filled with all sorts of things though, and are perfect for little sandwiches of shredded chicken, BBQ glazed tofu, or even sweet pastes e.g. guava or red bean.
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Below you’ll find sourdough and yeast recipes for these soft and delicious bao. The yeast bao have the flavor I’m used to from restaurants. They do ferment quickly, with about 2 hours from mixing to being ready to steam (in the summertime), so you need to stay on your toes.
45 minutes yeast, 4 hours sourdough
The sourdough bao are also tasty, with a slight sourness I’m not used to in these steamed breads. I usually love a little sour in my breads, but I suspect in these buns, I miss how it’s usually paired with some additional sweetness from a Maillard reaction (browning during baking). In this video on bao by Karl De Smedt, I learned that some bakeries in China still use natural leavening but also add “alkali” to the dough to offset the sourness. I wasn’t sure if this referred to baking soda or baking powder as both have a high pH, but several yeast bao recipes online had baking powder so I tried that in a sourdough batch. The buns did come out a little less sour, so I’ve added it as an optional ingredient. Another option for reducing the sourness in the bao is to build a sweet stiff starter, and I’ve included the instructions for that in the recipe as well.
Even with a high percentage of starter in the dough and warm ambient temps, the sourdough bao took about 7 hours to ferment, from mixing to going into the steamer.
Yeast on left 20-60 minutes; Sourdough on right 3-3.5 hours
Equipment
For this recipe, you can use a bamboo or metal steamer, but the instructions below include a workaround that only requires a large saucepan with a lid, a small bowl that acts as a stand, a plate, and a dish towel. The bowl and plate should be glass or metal and able to be boiled. This article by The Woks of Life has good information about steaming food and various setups.
Steaming
The tricky part of making these soft folded buns is not the dough fermentation or the rolling and folding; it’s the steaming. I had a batch that was a little wonky before I got the steam intensity right, but these lotus leaf buns are so worth the effort!
Important Tips: Steam the buns at a low-to-moderate intensity, not a pan-shaking boil. Wrap your pan lid with a towel so condensation doesn’t drip onto your buns and leave the buns covered and untouched in the steamer for 8-10 minutes after you shut off the heat. This prevents a rapid drop in temperature that deflates the buns.
Chinese Lotus Leaf Bao (Steamed Buns)
Lotus Leaf Bao are steamed buns that open up to hold all sorts of delicious fillings from a grill, slow cooker, or baking sheet. This shape of bao is originally from the Fujian region of China but most associated with Taiwan and a classic pork belly filling. The steamed bread is fluffy and tender, with a wonderful mouth-feel to pair with crunchy vegetables and sauce-infused meats.
Ingredients
Yeast
Sourdough
Sourdough *Sweet Stiff Starter
Instructions
Starter or Yeast Prep
Dough Mixing and First Rise
Dividing, Shaping, and Final Proof
Steaming
Photo Gallery
Shopping List
Sourdough Starter (Dry)
All Purpose Flour
Stainless Steel 4 Pc Measuring Cup Set
$22.00Breadtopia’s Choice Kitchen Scale
$18.00JK Adams Dowel Rolling Pin
$18.00Magnetic Measuring Spoons
$17.00Red Star® Organic Instant Dry Yeast — 5 Packets
$7.50Dough and Storage Bucket w/Lid – 2 qt. Square
Lotus Leaf Bao (Chinese Steamed Buns)