Black Sesame Dragon Fruit Bao 黑芝麻包 (Vegan)
A fun twist to Chinese black sesame bao, 黑芝麻包 - these fluffy vegan steamed buns are filled with a smooth, sweet and aromatic black sesame paste.
Ingredients
Black sesame paste
- 20 g mung beans
- 35 g black sesame seeds*
- 35 g icing sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 70 ml water
Bao dough
- 50 g dragon fruit
- ¾ tsp instant yeast
- 10 ml lukewarm water
- 100 g bao flour sub for low-gluten flour or cake flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 15 g white granulated sugar
- ½ tbsp neutral oil
- ⅛ tsp salt
- all-purpose flour for dusting
Instructions
Prepare the black sesame paste
- Rinse and drain mung beans several times. Soak for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Steam for 15 minutes, until soft.
- Toast black sesame seeds in a pan until they start to crackle. Grind them to get a fine powder. Alternatively, you can blend it together with the other ingredients but it won't be as smooth.
- In a blender, combine steamed mung beans, black sesame powder, icing sugar, salt and water. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the bottom from sticking. After 4-5 minutes, you should get a mouldable paste. When you fold the paste over itself, it should hold its shape.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool before dividing and rolling into 5 balls, around 25g each.
Make the bao dough
- Combine instant yeast and water, mix well. Mash dragon fruit into a puree.
- In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour in the dragon fruit puree, yeast and oil. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms, then knead with your hands.
- Transfer to a floured work surface. With floured hands, knead the dough for a 2-3 minutes. Dust with flour whenever it starts to stick, but be careful not to add too much. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, then fold the ends towards the middle. Repeat 3-4 times (this helps you get a smoother dough).
- Roll the dough tightly into a log. Then divide the dough into 5 equal parts, around 38g each. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Roll the dough into a circle, then fold the edges of the dough towards the middle. Use the edge of your palms to cinch the bottom, creating a round ball. Repeat with the other dough, and now you're ready to fill them.
Fill the bao
- Flatten each ball of dough into a small round with your palm, smooth side facing downwards. Then 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 palm, place the black sesame paste in the center of the round. Gather the edges of the dough at the top and pinch to seal. Use the edge of your palms to cinch the bottom, creating a round ball.
- Place the bao on a piece of parchment paper and put directly in your steamer. Repeat until all buns are filled. Let rise for 40 minutes.
Steam the bao
- With the bao in the steamer, start with cold water and turn on the heat. Once the water starts to boil, steam the bao for 8 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes before opening the lid.
Notes
Black Sesame Dragon Fruit Bao is best eaten when fresh. Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can be frozen as well. Take note that the pink colour will fade when you reheat them.
*You can also use black sesame powder, however toasted black sesame seeds are more fragrant.
The bao recipe is adapted from my Vegan Char Siu Bao recipe.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!