These Vegan Char Siu Baos are easy to make and packed with flavor. They are a childhood favorite and would be loved by children and adults alike.
I would walk back and forth from the living room to the kitchen waiting for my mom to finish making Char Siu Bao (BBQ pork buns). I was not waiting for the buns themselves but any flour she had leftover so I can play with it.
My hands were too small to be able to help her make the buns at one point so I would stand next to her in the kitchen watching her carefully, yet quickly, fold and twist the buns to close them off. When she would hand me a piece of dough she had left to play with, I would pick up the rolling pin she was using, rolling it to a circular shape and practice folding the buns like she did. I would repeat over and over, loving the feeling of the dough on my hand, the softness of the flour I would grab to dust the surface so the dough would not stick.
The kitchen became a haven for my mom and I, a time for us to be together, sharing the moment of kneading dough together and bringing the kitchen alive. The kitchen being a place for us to freely explore what we love, our personality, style, and voice. The kitchen where cooking and baking becomes a labor of love that gets passed down from generation to generation.
If you love to bake or cook, what was the moment that you realized you fell in love with it? Let me know in the comments below or DM on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
If you are ready to make these Vegan Char Siu Baos, let’s get started!
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These Vegan Char Siu Baos are easy to make and packed with flavor. They are a childhood favorite and would be loved by children and adults alike.
Ingredients
Dough
-2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour + more for dusting
-1 ½ tsp (9 g) active dry yeast
-1 cup (150 ml) unsweetened, plant-based milk of choice
-1 tbsp (15g) sugar
-1 tsp coconut oil, melted
Filling
-1 can jackfruit, drained and squeezed dry (if you do not like jackfruit, you can also sub with firm tofu)
-½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-½ tsp dark soy sauce
-1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
-1 ½ tbsp hoisin sauce
-1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (can sub for dry sherry)
-½ tbsp minced ginger
-1 ½ tsp sesame oil
-¼ tsp Five-spiced powder
-¼ tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
- Make the dough. Heat the milk until warm in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds, making sure it is not overly hot. Add the yeast and sugar to the milk, mix and allow the yeast to foam for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the flour to a large bowl. Once the yeast foamed, add the mixture to the dough slowly. Knead until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add about ½ tbsp of flour at a time. Once ready, add the oil and knead again. Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Drain the jackfruit or tofu from the water if you have not already. Using a kitchen towel, squeeze all the water out of the jackfruit. Shred the jackfruit and add to a bowl.
- Squeeze the water from the mushrooms and dice into small pieces. Add the mushrooms along with the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl with the jackfruit. Mix well and allow it to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add some cooking oil. Once hot, add the filling and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- When the dough is ready, dust a clean surface with some flour. Knead the dough and divide into 12 pieces and keep covered to not dry out the dough. Roll each dough out into a circular shape. Add about 1 ½ tbsp of the filling to the center of the dough. Pleat the dough by folding the edges of the dough like a paper fan. Make a twist once you reach the end, making sure the dough is closed in. Add to a bamboo steamer lined with paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Once ready, allow the buns to rest for 10 minutes.
- Add water to a large saucepan. Place your bamboo steamers in the pan. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to low and allow the buns to steam for 15 minutes. Once ready, turn off the heat and allow the buns to rest for another 5 minutes, covered. Do not remove the cover immediately as it would wrinkle the buns.
- Serve and enjoy! You can freeze the buns for 1 week. Reheat by microwaving it for about 2 minutes or you can steam it on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Keywords: bao, vegan bao, vegan buns, Chinese buns, BBQ, jackfruit, tofu
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