Baked Chinese Red Bean Buns

Soft, fluffy and filled with sweet red bean paste, these Baked Chinese Red Bean Buns are a classic Chinese bakery treat. They’re easy to make from scratch and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack alongside a cup of tea.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 1 30

Total Time 2 10

Servings

Calories 198kcal

Author Michelle

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

86 ml whole milk or water
14 g all-purpose flour

For the dough:

all of the tangzhong cooled
5 g active dry yeast
15 g granulated sugar
85 ml whole milk warmed
300 g all-purpose flour
pinch sea salt
1 large egg
40 ml neutral vegetable oil

For the filling:

360 g sweet red bean paste divided into 12 balls (about 30g per ball)

Finishing:

1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
white or black sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Make the tangzhong:

In a small saucepan, combine flour and milk.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens into a paste (about 3-4 minutes).
Let it cool.

Make the dough:

Combine the yeast, sugar and warm milk in a bowl. Give it a stir and leave for a few minutes until the yeast becomes bubbly.
Add the flour, salt, egg and oil into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment.
Pour in the activated yeast mixture, lightly cooled tangzhong mixture, and knead until the dough becomes smooth, shiny and elastic.
The dough will be slightly tacky and you may want to finish kneading the dough with your hands.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise in a warm location, anywhere from 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Once dough has risen, deflate the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (~50g each).
Flatten each piece, add a heaping tablespoon of red bean paste to the center, gather the edges and pinch to seal tightly.
Place seam-side down and roll with a rolling pin to slightly flatten the dough, to about 9cm in diameter.
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut 5 slits, making 5 petals, leaving a gap in the center intact.
Cover and let the buns rise in a warm location until puffy and almost doubled in size.

Bake:

Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
Brush the tops of each bun with milk and sprinkle with white or black sesame seeds if using.
Bake at 350°F/177°C for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Remove buns from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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