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Dousha bao (red bean buns)
Dòushā bāo (豆沙包): soft steamed buns filled with sweet red bean paste
All over China, from Beijing breakfast stalls to Shanghai school bags, dousha bao are the sweet buns people grab in the morning and tuck into a lunch box for later: fluffy white yeasted dough wrapped around smooth red bean paste and steamed until springy. They freeze beautifully, so families make a big batch on Sunday. The mistake is opening the steamer lid as soon as the timer goes; the sudden cold makes the buns wrinkle and collapse. Turn off the heat and wait five minutes before lifting the lid. Chef's tip: chill the bean paste and roll it into balls before wrapping; a firm filling is much easier to seal neatly.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz plain flour
- ⅛ oz instant yeast
- 1 oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
For the filling
- 12 ½ oz sweet red bean paste (smooth)chilled
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, ⅛ oz instant yeast, 1 oz caster sugar and 1 tsp baking powder in a bowl. Add 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 8–10 minutes into a smooth, soft dough that springs back when poked.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Step 3: Roll 12 ½ oz sweet red bean paste (smooth) into 12 balls of about 30 g each and keep them cold.
Step 4: Knock back the dough and knead for 2 minutes to remove bubbles, then divide into 12. Roll each into a 9 cm circle, thinner at the edges than the middle.
5 minStep 5: Put a ball of paste in the centre, bring the edges up around it and pinch tightly to seal. Turn seam side down and place each on a square of baking paper in a steamer basket, 3 cm apart.
Step 6: Cover and leave for 20 minutes until slightly puffed and light when lifted.
Step 7: Steam over boiling water on a medium-high heat for 12–15 minutes until the buns are puffed, smooth and spring back when pressed.
14 minStep 8: Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 5 minutes before opening. Eat warm or cool; freeze extras and steam from frozen for 10 minutes until hot through.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dousha bao (red bean buns) take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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