2nd try yielded very successful bao (steamed buns)!
I followed whattocooktoday’s recipe , which has lots of helpful explanations of rationale and alternatives. I used corn starch (didn’t have wheat starch or pastry flour on hand) and it worked just fine, the steamed bao are very light and delicate. I also used active (not instant) yeast; it didn’t bubble much when using cold milk (Oatley’s what I had) but the buns proved nicely in an hour at about 90F.
My 1st try was following some notes from a relative, which were about 65% hydration all AP flour, and came out much too dense/chewy.
I made a couple shapes, some with red bean paste and some plain:
Proved and ready to stream (10m steaming + 3 rest as in the recipe):
This looks fun! My kids got a library book about bao and asked if we could try. Your post might be the push I needed to try it!
They’re fun, and pretty quick turnaround. Good luck!
Congratulations! They look perfect and delicious. My first try was unsuccessful (grandmom’s recipe), thanks for giving me hope.
Looks great! I’ll have to give this recipe a try. Bao are one of favorite foods but I’ve never had good luck making them. They never turn out as fluffy as I would like.
