Make soft, fluffy bao buns at home in under an hour. Unlike traditional recipes that need hours to rise, this dough uses yeast and baking powder to speed things up without sacrificing that signature pillowy texture. Perfect stuffed with your favorite fillings for a better-than-takeout night in.
Table of Contents
- Fluffy Steamed Bao Buns, at a Glance
- Why I Love Making Bao Buns at Home
- Why These Bao Buns Work
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Your Bao Buns
- Kate’s Tip For Knowing When Your Bao Buns Are Cooked
- Steamed Bao Buns FAQs
- Watch How to Make Bao Buns
- Like this recipe? Here are more better-than-takeout ideas for you
- Quick, Fluffy Bao Buns – in Under an Hour Recipe
Fluffy Steamed Bao Buns, at a Glance
⏰ Time: 60 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 12 bao buns
🛒 Key Ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, instant yeast
🧠 Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
👩🍳 Cooking Method: Steamed
🍳 Equipment Needed: Mixing bowl, bamboo steamer, or regular pot steamer (or a DIY hack)
💃 Perfect For: A better-than-takeout night in, date nights, dinner parties, and general entertaining.
Why I Love Making Bao Buns at Home
I don’t know what it is about bao buns, but I can never stop at just one! Soft, fluffy, and pillowy, they’re somewhere between a burger and a taco, making them the ultimate better-than-takeout treat.
While you can easily find frozen bao buns in the grocery store back home in New Zealand, I haven’t had the same luck overseas. But the good news is that homemade ones taste so much better. Plus, this version skips the overly sweet dough you sometimes get with frozen buns, while still delivering that gorgeously light, airy texture.
I’m filling mine in the recipe below with grilled Korean-style chicken (similar to this miso grilled chicken or sticky gochujang chicken) and crunchy slaw, but there are SO many options you could go for. Crispy fried chicken, sticky pulled pork, crispy pork belly, miso aubergine or pulled mushrooms…they all work. It’s also a fab way to use up any leftovers 👀
Why These Bao Buns Work
- Quicker to make than traditional bao. Baking powder combined with yeast supercharges the buns and means you can have them ready within an hour, cutting your prep time in half.
- Easy to prep ahead. The buns freeze PERFECTLY. I’ll often make a big batch, then freeze them to pull out for easy meals. Freeze them after you’ve steamed them, and then you can steam them straight from frozen.
- Perfect party or game day food. I made these (stuffed with Korean fried chicken) for a garden party for 40 people(!), and they went down a storm. Use the freezer trick to help you get ahead, then fill them and serve when you’re ready.
- Great way to use up leftovers. While you can make your filling from scratch, you can get creative and use whatever you have on hand. Leftover herby roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken would be lovely, and you could even stuff them with a hearty salad, like this butternut squash salad, for a vegetarian option.
“Surprisingly easy and absolutely delicious! I steamed them in my regular steamer and they turned out perfect. We had them stuffed with Korean fried chicken and slaw…and my husband commented that there’s really no point going out to restaurants 😂”
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose (plain) flour. You can use bleached bao flour if you can find it in an Asian grocery store – this will give your bao that classic bright white look. All-purpose flour is much easier to find, so it’s what I use. You could also use self-raising flour (flour that already has baking powder added) and skip the baking powder.
- Baking powder. This recipe uses baking powder to help the buns rise quickly, meaning you can skip the first rise of the dough and shape the bao right after mixing and kneading.
- Instant yeast. I’m using the kind of yeast you can add directly to your dry ingredients, but if you can only find active yeast (the granules are normally bigger), you’ll need to dissolve the yeast in a little water first. Don’t skip this step, or your bao won’t rise, and you’ll have little grainy pieces of yeast throughout.
- Salt. It’s not traditional, but I can’t make anything bread-related without a little salt for flavor.
How to Make Your Bao Buns
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the buns – the full, detailed recipe with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.
- You can use a stand mixer or mix by hand, but I’ll walk you through the hand method here. Add all your ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until a rough dough forms.
- Then get your hands in there and bring the dough together. I like to give it a quick knead right in the bowl to pick up any rogue leftover flour.
- Continue kneading for about five minutes. Don’t stress too much about technique! A simple way is to push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it back over itself, give it a quarter turn, and repeat. As long as you’re pressing and stretching the dough, you’re doing it right.
- You’ll notice the dough’s texture change from dry and rough to soft, smooth, and elastic. When it feels supple and bouncy, you’re ready to shape the buns. If you need more help with kneading, I recommend reading my detailed how to knead dough guide.
- Divide the kneaded dough into 12 equal pieces (using a kitchen scale will help you get identical buns). Keep the pieces you’re not working with covered to prevent them from drying out.
- Take one piece, roll it into a ball, then flatten it lightly with your hand into an oval shape. Use a rolling pin to roll it about three inches long. Brush one side with a little oil.
- Fold the oiled oval piece of dough over itself to form your bun.
- Arrange the folded buns in your steamer and leave them to rest for about 30 minutes until they puff up slightly. I like to prep my filling while they rest. It’s KEY to line your steamer with parchment paper or cabbage leaves to keep the buns from sticking.
- Steam the buns until pillowy and fluffy. I use a bamboo steamer set on a large pot, but a regular steamer works just as well.
- Once steamed, stuff the buns with your prepared fillings, and dig in.
Kate’s Tip For Knowing When Your Bao Buns Are Cooked
You’ll know your bao buns are ready when they look lovely and puffy, smooth, glossy, and shiny, and are nice and soft when you gently press into them.
If they look a little matte, or similar to how they looked when you placed them on top of the pot, steam them for a further three minutes.
Steamed Bao Buns FAQs
Yes! Bao buns freeze really well. I do this all the time. Steam them first, let them cool completely, then freeze on a lined tray until solid. Transfer them to ziplock bags to store. You can then steam them straight from frozen for about 10 minutes.
Truly, the options are endless! This recipe includes quick Korean grilled chicken and crunchy slaw, but you can fill them with whatever you like. Here are some options to get you started:
Classic filling ideas: Korean fried chicken, sticky pulled pork, hot honey chicken tenders.
Quick weeknight-friendly options: Miso grilled chicken, sticky gochujang chicken, juicy lamb koftas, crispy sweet and sour chicken, juicy dumpling inspired meatballs.
Vegetarian options: Sweet chili glazed halloumi, crispy shredded tofu, miso-roasted sweet potatoes.
Yes, definitely. You can use a regular steamer pan, or you can make a temporary steamer with a large pan, a plate, and a little aluminium foil. Just make sure you’re lining whatever you use with parchment paper, or cabbage le
For the temporary steamer: Half-fill your pan with water, then put 3 roughly golf ball-sized balls of foil on the bottom of your pan, and pop a heatproof plate on top. Line the plate with parchment paper, then put your bao on there, cover the pan with a lid or a large plate, and steam.
Your bao buns should be lovely, light, and fluffy, so if they’re not, these are the common issues that could be causing it:
Your baking powder or yeast (or both) was dead or old. In my opinion, this is the most common reason. Both these ingredients help the buns rise, so if either one is expired or inactive, your dough won’t puff up as it should. It’s tricky to know how old the ingredients in your pantry are (I never know!), but you can at least check your yeast. Mix a little in warm water with a pinch of sugar – if it’s alive and active, it’ll become foamy within a few minutes.
Your dough was rolled too thick (or too thin). The bao dough should be rolled fairly thin – roughly ¼ inch thick. If it’s too thick, the buns won’t be able to puff up properly and can be dense in the middle. And if they’re too thin, they can wrinkle up and collapse when they’re cooked.
The bao weren’t rested long enough. While this bao dough doesn’t need a long time to rise, it does need to rest a little bit to help the baking powder and yeast start working, and for the dough to relax.
Watch How to Make Bao Buns
Like this recipe? Here are more better-than-takeout ideas for you
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Quick, Fluffy Bao Buns – in Under an Hour
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Mix the dough.In a large bowl, combine 350g (2 ⅓ cups) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of neutral oil, and 180g (¾ cup) lukewarm water. With a large spoon, stir to combine until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to bring it together into a ball. Give it a couple of quick kneads in the bowl to scrape up any leftover bits of flour, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead the dough.With the heel of your hand, push the dough away from you, then fold the part you just pushed away back on itself, give the dough a quarter turn, and repeat this motion. Continue like this for about five minutes. You’ll start to feel the texture of the dough changing – what was a little rough will become smooth and supple. At this point, you’re ready to shape your bao.
- Prepare your steamer.Cut out 12 small squares of parchment paper, about 5cm squared.Alternatively, you can line the entire steamer basket. To do that, cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle that will fit inside your steamer. Fold it in half, then in half again, then make 5 small cuts along the folded edge. When you unfold it, you’ll have created a perfect liner with holes for steam to get through. Pop it inside the steamer.
- Divide the dough. Roll the dough into a log, about 12 inches long. Divide the log into 12 equal pieces – if you want to get exact, you can use a scale (each piece should weigh roughly 1.75 oz or 50g). Working with one at a time, and covering the other pieces of dough with a clean kitchen towel (this is to stop them drying out), shape each piece into a small ball.
- Shape the bao buns.Gently flatten a ball into a small oval and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an oval shape, about 3 inches or 8cm long and ¼ inch thick. Brush the exposed side with sesame oil, then fold it onto itself.Place on a little square of parchment paper (or into the lined steamer straight away), then put into the steamer, leaving about an inch between each bun so they don't stick together. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Let the bao rest. At this point, the dough needs to rest for about 30 minutes to puff up and rise a little. I like to take a photo on my phone of the bao as I place them in the steamer, so it’s easy to compare and see how they’re going.
- Steam the bao.After 30 minutes, they should look a little more puffy. Now it’s time to cook them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (I boil the kettle and pour that into a pot for ease). Place the steamer on top of the pot and let it steam for 12 minutes, until the buns puff up beautifully and look lovely and glossy. They’re now ready to fill.
- Marinate the chicken. Heat your oven to 450°F (250°C) fan and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, add 1lb of diced chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, and toss to coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Cook the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the lined baking sheet and spread it into a single layer. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes, until lovely and charred around the edges.
- Make the slaw. While the chicken cooks, add the sliced cabbage, scallions, cucumber, and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds to a bowl. Pour over 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, ½ tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine well.
- Fill the bao. Spread a little aioli onto the base of each bao bun and top with a generous spoonful of the slaw. Arrange a couple of pieces of the charred gochujang chicken on top, then drizzle with the remaining chili jam. Finish with another scattering of sesame seeds and cilantro.
Nutrition
Notes
- Your baking powder or yeast (or both) was dead or old. In my opinion, this is the most common reason. Both these ingredients help the buns rise, so if either one is expired or inactive, your dough won’t puff up as it should. It’s tricky to know how old the ingredients in your pantry are (I never know!), but you can at least check your yeast. Mix a little in warm water with a pinch of sugar – if it’s alive and active, it’ll become foamy within a few minutes.
- Your dough was rolled too thick (or too thin). The bao dough should be rolled fairly thin – roughly ¼ inch thick. If it’s too thick, the buns won’t be able to puff up properly and can be dense in the middle. And if they’re too thin, they can wrinkle up and collapse when they’re cooked.
- The bao weren’t rested long enough. While this bao dough doesn’t need a long time to rise, it does need to rest a little bit to help the baking powder and yeast start working, and for the dough to relax.
Surprisingly easy and absolutely delicious! I steamed them in my regular steamer and they turned out perfect. We had them stuffed with Korean fried chicken and slaw both from the fakeaway menu and my husband commented that there’s really no point going out to restaurants 😂 (I suppose that’s the only downside of tackling these popular take aways at home haha)
Woohoooooooooooo! This makes me so happy, so pleased you guys loved them 🙂 (And loooooool agree re: not going out!)
Hello, how would you reheat these after freezing?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Carol! You can just re-steam them straight from frozen xx
The bao came out perfect! In a pinch, you can line your steamer with cabbage leaves. I have a metal steamer and it worked perfectly! I’m a vegetarian and used leftover jackfruit ‘birria’ and it was SO good with the slaw. Will be making this again VERY soon.
Love the idea of using cabbage leaves! So happy you loved them Anna – that jackfruit birria sounds AMAZING too x
I found this post after getting a real hankering for Bao buns but knew I couldn’t be bothered waiting for the proving time.
These are PERFECT, wow, just made a batch stuffed with mushrooms and pak choi, I am honestly staggered at how good these buns are considering the major shortcut. I want to make them for friends, family or literally anyone because these are honestly making this Tuesday night the most glorious I’ve had in ages.
Thank you so much Kate, you are a STAR and I will be poking around the rest of your recipes (also finding recipes not in US cups as default is a blessing, you’re a triple threat…!)
Just a small comment – I find the buns a smidge on the salty side. This is my preference and doesn’t detract from how much I love these, just good to know for future (and if anyone else reading this is wondering about flavour of the buns. They’ve a small tang that lets you know it’s got a little extra boost in it but otherwise fluffly, shiny on the outside and a wonderful delicious pillow)
Another bang on recipe! We love it and defo will be back to make it again! Amazingly fulffy buns and sooo tasty!
I made this last night! It was amazing! Only changes I made was I used chicken breast instead of thigh and I let it marinate a little longer!
Hi Kate! Can’t wait to try these- how would you store the buns (can I make them in the morning and re heat for dinner?) thanks!!
Hi Stef! You can – let them cool, then pop them into the fridge and when you’re ready, you can either resteam them (this is best) or pop them into the microwave to warm them up. Steaming them again will give you the best result so I’d recommend that – three or so minutes should be enough time 😊 x Kate
Can you add sugar to this recipe for a bit of sweetness in the bread?
Hi Will, you can add sugar if you like 🙂 1 teaspoon here will work well xx Kate
You say the recipe only makes two buns. Are those large size? I’m looking to make eight as appetizers.
Hi Tracy, the recipe makes 12! So would be perfect for your needs. I think you might be mixing up the serving section and the yield xx Kate
Hi Kate ,
As newbie to bao buns , your great and easy recipe looks just the job for me 😊
Is the flour used plain flour , or bread flour ? I always get confused between the two as most recipes say all purpose flour . I’m in England so I think all purpose is the same as plain . But which do I use please ? Thanks so much for the help . . And recipe , I am really going to impress my son-in-law with these 😄
Hi Alison! I’m so pleased to hear you like the sound of the recipe 😊 Regular plain flour works perfectly here (you’re right – that’s the same as all purpose). But bread flour also works (I’ve used both!) so if that’s what you have, that will be fine too. I’d love to hear how you get on with impressing your son-in-law xx Kate
Oh my goodness this is a brilliant recipe. So delicious and easy to follow.
Still cannot believe how perfect they turned out… The only change I made from your recipe is used a scant 2 cups of flour. Dough came together perfectly.
Many bouquets of thanks to you👏