Longevity Peach Buns (壽桃包)

This recipe for Longevity Peach Buns are light and fluffy steamed Chinese buns, shaped to resemble peaches, with a red bean paste filling. These buns symbolize long life and prosperity in Chinese tradition.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Dim Sum, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Cantonese, Chinese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 12

Resting Time 20

Total Time 1 2

Servings

Calories 184kcal

Author Michelle

Ingredients

Filling:

120 g red bean paste (紅豆沙) or lotus seed paste (蓮蓉)

Dough:

182 g all-purpose flour (麵粉)
20 g granulated sugar (砂糖)
3 g instant yeast (酵母) or 5g active dry yeast
5 g milk powder (奶粉)
3 g baking powder (發酵粉)
100 ml lukewarm water (水)
½ teaspoon white vinegar (白醋)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (椰子油)

Decorations:

Green leaves:

¼ teaspoon matcha powder (抹茶粉)
touch of pandan extract (班蘭提取物)

Blush:

½ teaspoon red yeast rice powder (紅曲粉) or sub with red food coloring (紅色食用色素)
2 teaspoon warm water (水)

Instructions

For the filling:

Divide the paste into 6 portions about 20g each and form into round balls.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Make the dough:

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, yeast, and lukewarm water. Give it a stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Add all-purpose flour, milk powder, baking powder, vinegar and coconut oil into the yeast mixture.
Knead the mixture for 8-10 minutes until very smooth and an elastic dough is formed.
Cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.
Separate the dough into 2 portions: set aside 20g for the green leaves and leave the remaining for the peach buns.
Divide the peach bun dough into 6 portions, about 50g each.
Roll the dough into balls.
Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.

Make the leaves:

Mix the dough for the green leaves with matcha powder and pandan extract.
Roll the dough into a long rope, about 12" in length.
Cut the rope into 12 small pieces. Roll each piece between your palms into a 1.5" long cone shape.
Set aside and cover with plastic wrap.

Assemble:

Flatten the peach bun dough with the edges being a little thinner.
Place a filling in the center and gather the edges to enclose and seal the filling.
Turn the bun upside down with the smooth surface facing down.
Roll the smooth surface between your palms to create a pointy peak, to shape into a large tear drop.
Take a spoon or silicon dough scraper to indent a line along the arch, from the bottom of the bun to the tip.
Repeat with the remaining buns.

Color the buns:

Dip a clean toothbrush with red yeast rice water and scrape it against the blunt side of a knife. (This will create a spray of red color onto the buns).
Tip: place the bun into a container to prevent it from spraying all over the place. Repeat with the remainder.

Add the leaves:

Take the matcha dough pieces, and flatten into leaves. Use a butter knife to indent some veins onto the leaves.
Dab a little water on the underside of the leaves and stick onto the bun.
Put one pair of leaves on each bun, between the line.

Steam the buns:

Place the buns onto 2" square pieces of parchment paper and onto a steaming rack or bamboo steamer to rest for 15 minutes. (Don't let them rest too long).
Add cold water to the steamer, cover and turn onto high heat.
When you start to see steam escaping from the lid, steam for 12 minutes: 2 minutes at high heat, and reduce to medium-high to steam for the remaining 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow the buns to rest undisturbed for another 5 minutes.
Remove the steamer from the stove and allow to rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Leave the lid slightly ajar to release steam.
Once the steam has dissipated, open the lid and remove the buns.

Nutrition