A fluffy and chewy steamed bun stuffed with a sweet roasted peanut filling. These Vegan and Oil-Free Steamed Peanut Buns/花生包 are perfect for snacking! All you need is 7 ingredients, and 20 minutes to proof.
I used to live in an old part of Kuala Lumpur called Cheras. Around that area was an uncle who sold all sorts of steamed buns by the roadside. They were all delicious, but one of the rarer flavours was this sugar peanut bao. It’s simple, yet so good!
I learnt this method of making mantou from Chinese pastry chef Zhu Li Mi. It only requires a single fermentation of 20 minutes, which is INSANE. Of course, I also tested the same recipe using the double fermentation method but surprise surprise, I couldn’t tell the difference! Both methods produce a fluffy and chewy bun.
The only downside I noticed is that the buns toughen up very quickly. They’re best enjoyed warm!
How to make steamed buns without a wooden steamer
Not using a wooden steamer can cause a few problems. I don’t have a wooden steamer myself, so here are a few guidelines I follow to ensure I get perfect, smooth buns:
- Leave a small gap in the lid while steaming the buns, to allow some vapour to escape. In wooden steamers, the wood helps to absorb some of the vapour. Doing this also prevents water from dripping on to the buns.
- After turning off the heat, leave the buns in the pot for at least 5 minutes before taking them out. This prevents craters or wrinkles from forming on the surface, due to a sudden change in temperature.
Tips to make perfect steamed vegan peanut buns
- Knead the dough for a good 4-5 minutes! I cannot stress this enough. The dough shouldn’t be sticking to your hands anymore. It should appear smoother and spring back when you press into it.
- After flattening the dough into a round, roll out only the edges of the dough. Otherwise the filling will be placed unevenly in the bun.
- Watch my bao dough tutorial on Instagram! Visual learning is usually the best.
I love the contrast between the fluffy bun and crunchy peanuts. I chopped the peanuts by hand, but you could blend them in a food processor to get a finer texture. You have got to give this bao flavour a try!
If you liked this recipe, here are a few desserts I know you’ll love too!
- Snow Skin Mooncake With Purple Sweet Potato Filling/紫薯冰皮月饼
- Mom’s Chinese Sweet Barley Soup/薏米糖水
- Chinese Pumpkin Cakes/南瓜饼 (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!
Steamed Peanut Buns/花生包 (V | OF)
Ingredients
Filling
- 2/3 cup (80g) roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp sugar
Dough
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour more for dusting
- ¾ tsp (4g) instant yeast
- ½ tsp (1.5g) baking powder
- ½ tbsp (7.5g) sugar
- ½ cup (60g) warm water
Instructions
- Chop the roasted peanuts into fine pieces OR blend in a food processor. Combine with sugar and set aside.
- Mix the dry dough ingredients together then pour in the water. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Alternating between hands, knead the dough in a rolling motion until it forms a log shape. Fold both ends over each other, and repeat for 4-5 minutes. You should get a dough that is no longer sticky and springs back when you poke it.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, 45g each. Cover them with a damp kitchen towel while you work.
- Flatten each ball of dough into a small round. Roll it out into a rectangle, then fold it on top of itself. Turn the dough 90° and repeat for 3-4 times. This helps produce a smooth top on our buns.
- After that, roll out the dough into a round. Start to roll only the edges of the dough, rotating the round 45° after each roll. The edges should be thinner then the center. With the dough on your left palm, place 2-3 tbsps of filling in the center of the round. Use your right palm to gather the ends of the edges of the dough and secure it together. Pinch the dough together then press it down.
- Place each bun seam side down on parchment paper. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let rise for 20 minutes. The buns should be bigger, softer and have a smooth top.
- Steam on medium heat for 8 minutes.*
- Best served fresh, while the're still warm. Enjoy!
Notes
I did a different filling. The recipe calls for 1/4 c water while the grams suggest a half cup. Doing the quarter did NOT make a dough. It made a little dry ball of evil that I couldn’t rescue. Once I redid the recipe with a half cup of water. It came out as it should. Quite tasty!
my apologies for that! i’ve edited the measurements. im glad it still turned out good though haha