bbq tofu bao buns. homemade eats.

bbq tofu bao buns

I have only delicious memories of bao buns. Ridiculously delicious. These little buns of joy are a doughy goodness filled with the most savory fillings. Saucy BBQ pork nestled inside sweet, fluffy dough. Sometimes it would take multiple bites to find that pocket of tastiness within the puff of soft doughy outside, but I was ok with that. I actually loved that. The dough, though sweet, works surprisingly well with the salty meaty insides, creating a balanced little ball of flavor.

When I was young, my family would meet together in San Francisco for Easter, Russian style, and cruise to hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants for dim sum brunch. I would watch as carts rolled by wrinkled, seasoned Chinese women passed by piled with little round bamboo boxes. Soon, our table would be covered with these bamboo boxes, each one a surprise dumpling sample. Little translucent dumplings filled with shrimp and pork and beef and mystery meats galore. Some with veggies, mushrooms and scallions, some golden fried and others steamed to soft perfection. And I always awaited to open that little bamboo box filled with bao.

Now when I go out for dim sum as a vegetarian however, I find a much smaller array of savory dough balls. After translating the broken English of the server in Oakland's Chinatown, I find only one or two oddly sweet non-meaty bao, still delicious, but not the same as those scrumptious memories. So here I adapt a meaty BBQ pork bao bun recipe into a veggie tofu remix, still with those distinct dim sum flavors. The filling is more substantive in these small buns, but you can double the dough recipe to make thicker doughy outsides if you like less filling. I also used white/whole wheat flour instead of white flour just to add a bit more nutrition without subtracting any flavor. Though the original recipe uses melted butter in the dough, I bet you could try olive or canola oil with similar results for a vegan option.

The results were fantastic! The dough was spot on, and the fillings, though slightly different in texture, had a balanced savory taste. The recipe is somewhat time intensive, but its great for making a large batch at one time, so try doubling or tripling the recipe. You can freeze the pre-cooked buns and then steam them later, adding 5 more minutes to steaming cook time. These are great for a grab-and-go-lunch or for a Chinese appetizer for dinner, but to get the real dim sum experience, eat them for brunch on a special occasion with other steamed or fried dumplings. Enjoy!

Instead of pork, I used firm tofu along with scallions, a traditional bao ingredient.

these soft little dough balls expand in the steamer, so make sure to give them some space! Be sure to put  a square of wax paper underneath each one to prevent them from sticking to the steamer. 

Recipe time!

BBQ Tofu Bao Buns (Vegetarian)

Ingredients
Dough:
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water (between 105 to 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup flour (I used white/whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp melted butter or canola oil

Filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp black bean sauce

8oz firm tofu, chopped roughly
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp bbq sauce of choice
1/4 cup minced cilantro (optional)

Process

To make dough, combine yeast and water in a small bowl and add 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp flour. Mix until well combined. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place until frothy, about 15 minutes.

Once the mixture is frothy, mix remaining flour and sugar in a large bowl and add the yeast mixture and butter/oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Place dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place, like a lightly warmed oven, until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

To make the filling, heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat and fry the garlic and ginger until aromatic, for about 1 minute. Add sesame oil, hoisin sauce, soy sauce black bean sauce, and bbq sauce and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tofu and carrots and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and add to pan. Bring to a boil and stir until sauce thickens, for about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions. Allow to cool completely

Punch down the dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces and roll or press into 2-3 inch circles. Keep the dough covered with a damp towel while you work to fill the dough circles with 2 tsp of filling each. Gather edges together, twist to seal and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cut out 16 squares of parchment paper to keep the buns from sticking to the steamer. Place buns seam side down onto the parchment paper. Fill a steamer pot or wok with about 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Working in batches, arrange buns in steamer so that they have about 1/2 inch between buns. Place over pot or wok and cover, steaming for 15 minutes. If the water starts reducing, add more between batches. Carefully remove buns once cooked. Serve plain or with soy sauce or hoisin sauce.

These little buns may look bland on the outside, but are filled with warmed, smokey fillings that are just the best! And veg too!