Steamed Taro Buns

This recipe for Steamed Taro Buns features a reliably soft and fluffy dough with a mashed homemade taro paste filling in the middle. The taro paste is slightly sweet with a nutty undertone.

What is taro?

Taro is a starchy root vegetable that often gets confused with ube or even purple sweet potato.

It's beige in colour, with purple flecks on the inside.

The exterior of the taro root is rough and brown in colour.

Why you'll love this recipe

If you're looking for a new way to enjoy Chinese-style steamed buns, these Taro Buns will fit the bill.

It contains a homemade mashed taro paste which is subtly sweet, nutty and delicious.

The buns contain only a few ingredients and are easy to make.

Ingredients you'll need

For the filling:

• taro paste: I made my own taro paste, but if you have access to a pre-made paste, you can use that too

For the buns:

• bao flour: is a special type of flour which lends a soft and light texture to the buns; if you can't find it, you can still use all-purpose flour 
• water
• active dry yeast: acts as a leavener for the buns
• granulated sugar: adds a little sweetness; you can use any sweetener you like
• baking powder: adds additional lift and fluffiness to the buns

How to make the buns

Make the Taro Paste first.

I recommend doing this the day before so the filling has a chance to chill in the fridge.

The dough is based on my Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns.

In a mixing bowl, combine together the flour and baking powder. Give it a quick whisk.

In a small bowl, add the warm water, sugar and yeast. Give it a stir and let the yeast activate and become bubbly.

Pour in the activated yeast mixture into the flour and knead until the dough forms. 

Add in oil and continue to knead until smooth and elastic.

Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a disc, slightly thinner around the edges and thicker in the middle (see Step 1 below).

Add a scoop of taro paste to the centre of the dough and pleat the dough to seal the filling (Step 2).

Tip: Use an ice cream scoop to transfer the paste to the buns to keep your hands clean. 

Place the bun seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper (Step 3).

Repeat with the remainder.

Cover the buns and and let them rise in a warm location, until slightly puffy.

Place the buns into a steamer and steam over high heat for 12-15 minutes (Step 4). (Don't overcrowd the steamer. You may need to steam in batches).

Turn off the heat and let the buns remain in the steamer for 5 minutes. Do not open the lid at this time, or the buns may collapse.

Remove the steamer from the heat and crack the lid ajar to let the steam escape.

Once the steam has dissipated, open the lid and enjoy the buns immediately.

Substitutions & variations

If you don't have taro paste, you can substitute with mashed sweet potato, red bean paste, or lotus seed paste.

FAQs & troubleshooting

My buns collapsed!

There are a couple issues that could have happened:

1. It is possible that the buns may have overproofed by the time they got to the steamer.

Poke the dough and observe if it bounces back slowly -- that's a sign that the buns are ready to be steamed.

If the buns leave an indent, they're overproofed. Conversely, if the dough bounces back quickly, then it's not ready yet.

2. Also, once the buns have done steaming, be sure not to remove the lid right away.

Turn off the heat and let the buns rest.

3. Be careful while cracking the lid ajar, any steam/water that drips on the buns can cause the buns to collapse or have unsightly "dents."

4. Your filling could have too much moisture, which could cause the buns to collapse. 

My buns appear yellow

If your buns are yellow, it may be the flour that you're using. Yellow buns will not affect taste, but you can try using a bleached bao flour if you're after white buns. 

I don't have a bamboo steamer

For these buns, a bamboo steamer will yield the best results. 

You can use a metal steamer, but line the lid with a cloth of some sort to help absorb condensation.

How to serve & store

Enjoy the buns fresh and hot from the steamer.

You can keep cooled buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Store the buns to the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can freeze the buns in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

How to reheat

To reheat the buns and retain their soft, fluffy texture, steam them over boiling water for 10-15 minutes.

I don't recommend microwaving the buns, unless you're in a pinch.

Other recipes you may like

You may also like these recipes:

Homemade Taro Paste

Real Taro Milk Bubble Tea

Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns

Homemade Adzuki Red Bean Paste

Steamed Custard Buns (Lai Wong Bao)

If you try out this recipe, let me know! I love seeing your creations! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

Print Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Steamed Taro Buns

Soft and fluffy steamed buns with a delicious homemade taro paste.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Resting Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dim Sum

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Servings: 10

Calories: 108kcal

Author: Michelle

Equipment

• bamboo steamer

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

• 250 g bao flour or all-purpose flour
• 5 g baking powder
• 135 ml warm water
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 6 g active dry yeast
• 10 ml avocado oil or light vegetable oil
• 1 batch Homemade Taro Paste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, combine together the flour and baking powder. Give it a quick whisk.
• In a small bowl, add in the warm water, sugar and yeast. Give it a stir and let the yeast activate and become bubbly.
• Pour in the activated yeast mixture into the flour and knead until the dough forms.
• Add in oil and continue to knead until smooth and elastic.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a disc, slightly thinner around the edges and thicker in the middle.
• Add a scoop of taro paste to the centre of the dough and pleat the dough to seal the filling.
• Place the bun seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper.
• Repeat with the remainder.
• Cover the buns and and let them rise in a warm location, until slightly puffy.
• Place the buns into a steamer with boiling water (don't overcrowd) and steam over high heat for 12-15 minutes. Steam in batches if you need to.
• Turn off the heat and let the buns remain in the steamer for 5 minutes. Do not open the lid at this time, or the buns may collapse.
• Remove the steamer from the heat and crack the lid ajar to let the steam escape.
• Once the steam has dissipated, open the lid and enjoy the buns immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

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