Bao buns – the soft, fluffy steamed buns of the Asian kitchen – are far easier to make at home than they look. Here is the complete guide: dough from scratch, the steaming technique that gives a perfect result every time, three fillings that always work, and how to freeze and reheat them.
What are bao buns?
Bao (or baozi) are Chinese steamed buns made from a light, slightly sweet wheat dough. The version most people know from street food – the open, folded bun you fill like a taco – is called gua bao and comes from Taiwan. The dough is steamed rather than fried or baked, and it is the steaming that gives it that signature soft, cloud-like texture. No crust, just a cloud of dough around a juicy filling. In China and Taiwan, bao is everyday food eaten for breakfast, lunch and as an evening snack – here at home it has become one of the most popular street food dishes to make yourself.
The dough – how to make bao from scratch
You don't need any special ingredients for a good bao dough. This makes 10–12 buns:
- 350 g wheat flour (fine wheat flour gives the lightest, softest result)
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 180 ml lukewarm milk
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Here's how: Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the milk and oil. Knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and glossy. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise somewhere warm for 60–90 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 10–12 pieces and roll each piece out into an oval, about 10 centimetres long. Brush the surface thinly with oil and fold the oval in half over a small piece of baking paper – the oil keeps the bun from sticking together, so you can open it and fill it after steaming. Let the buns prove for another 20–30 minutes before they go into the steamer. You'll find wheat flour and other flours in our flour collection.
How to steam bao buns
- Bring a couple of centimetres of water to the boil in a wok or wide pot.
- Place the bamboo steamer on top – it should sit steady without touching the water.
- Place the buns in the steamer with baking paper underneath and plenty of space between them – they grow.
- Steam homemade bao for 10–12 minutes. Store-bought frozen buns need 8–10 minutes straight from the freezer.
- Don't lift the lid along the way – the temperature drops and the buns can collapse.
- Turn off the heat and let the buns rest for 2–3 minutes with the lid ajar before opening fully. The gradual cooling keeps them from shrinking.
Serve immediately – bao is at its very best piping hot. If you're steaming in batches, keep the finished buns warm under a clean kitchen towel, or stack two bamboo steamers on top of each other and steam everything at once. Check the water level between batches – if the pot boils dry, the steaming stops and the buns turn chewy.
Three fillings that always work
- Sticky pork with hoisin. Shredded pork – neck or ribs work well – tossed in hoisin sauce, topped with pickled cucumber, spring onion and sesame seeds. The classic gua bao combination.
- Crispy chicken. Breaded, crisp-fried chicken with sriracha mayonnaise and pickled red onion. The contrast between the soft bun and the crispy chicken is unbeatable.
- Mushroom or tofu. The vegetarian option with full flavour: fried aromatic mushrooms or fried tofu glazed in soy sauce, hoisin and a little sesame oil, with cucumber and coriander.
Whatever the filling, the same principle applies: something juicy and full of flavour at the base, something tangy to cut through, and something crispy or fresh on top. The sauces do half the job – you'll find hoisin, sriracha and soy-based glazes among our Asian sauces. A small splash of soy sauce in the filling adds extra depth with no fuss.
Freezing and reheating
Bao buns are excellent for freezing. Steam the buns fully, let them cool completely, and freeze them in an airtight bag or container. They keep for 2–3 months in the freezer.
Reheating is easy: steam the frozen buns for 5–6 minutes and they are just as soft as freshly made. Short on time? Wrap the bun in damp kitchen paper and microwave it in short bursts of 20–30 seconds. The filling is best frozen separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make bao without a bamboo steamer? Yes. Place a plate on an upturned bowl in a wide pot with a couple of centimetres of boiling water, and put the lid on. A drip-proof metal colander over a pot with a lid also works. The result is almost as good as with a bamboo steamer.
Why do my bao turn out flat? The three most common culprits are over-proving, boiling too hard during steaming and abrupt temperature changes. Let the buns prove until they are light and airy – no longer – steam over medium heat, and always let them rest a couple of minutes with the lid ajar before opening.
Can you freeze bao buns? Yes – steam them fully, cool completely and freeze in an airtight bag. Steam for 5–6 minutes straight from the freezer when you want to eat them. Store-bought frozen buns, however, should not be thawed and refrozen – steam only what you're going to eat.
Where can you buy ready-made bao? At FUDI – in our stores at Holmen in Asker and Røa in Oslo, or in the online store. You'll find ready-made buns and other steamed treats in our dim sum selection.
Get started with FUDI
Whether you make the dough from scratch or take the shortcut with ready-made buns from the freezer, bao is a guaranteed winner – easy enough for a weekday, fun enough for the weekend. At FUDI you'll find everything you need: flour, sauces, dim sum and dumplings. And if you love steamed delights, you should also try our dumplings recipe from scratch – or read the dumplings guide for a full overview of the types.
