Basic Chinese Bun Dough

By Rhonda Parkinson

Updated 08/18/18

Large steamed buns

Calvin Chan Wai Meng/Getty Images

Ratings (28)
  • Total: 3 hrs
  • Prep: 3 hrs
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 12 buns (12 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
119 Calories
7g Fat
12g Carbs
4g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This dough makes slightly sweet, light, and fluffy buns. Use this dough to make steamed filled buns (baozi or bao), unfilled steamed buns (mantou), baked Chinese cocktail buns, and other basic Chinese bun recipes.

This recipe uses bread flour, which has a high protein and gluten content to help the bread rise and take shape. The basic principles of making Chinese bun dough is the same as for making any type of yeast dough. You need to have the right conditions for the yeast to do its work of digesting sugar and producing carbon dioxide gas. This gets trapped in the dough, causing it to rise.

This recipe is reprinted with permission from "Chinese Cooking (Company's Coming)." by Jean Pare.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup water (very warm)
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1/4 cup water (boiling)
  • 1 large egg (fork-beaten)
  • 2 1/4 cups white bread flour

Steps to Make It

  1. Stir the warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small dish until the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over top. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve the yeast.

  2. Stir 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, and cooking oil in large bowl. Add boiling water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the egg and the yeast mixture.

  3. Slowly work in enough flour until a soft dough forms. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

  4. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

  5. Place the dough in large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover it with greased waxed paper and a tea towel. Let it stand in the oven with the oven light on and the oven door closed for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until doubled in bulk.

  6. Punch down the dough. Cover. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Shape it into a 12-inch (30-centimeter) long log. Cut it into 12 pieces.

  7. Fill, shape, and bake the buns according to your desired recipe.

You can use the dough immediately or refrigerate it overnight before shaping and filling it as desired.

Use this bun dough for both sweet and savory buns. In Chinese steamed pork buns (char siu bao) the savory barbecue pork plays well with the slight sweetness of the bun itself.

You can also roll out the dough and cut it into 3-inch circles, brush it with oil, fold in half, and steam. This makes the bread into little fillable delights you can stuff with pork belly for "tiger bites pig", barbecue pork, or many creative combinations. Or, simply serve them with Peking duck.

For a sweeter treat, Chinese coconut buns have a coconut filling. The dough is crimped into a half-moon shape, brushed with egg wash, baked, and brushed with a honey wash.