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Homemade Red Bean Buns (Dou Sha Bao)

March 5, 2018 53 Comments

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Pillow soft steamed red bean buns(豆沙包) is one of the most popular Chinese dessert. Those lovely and soft steamed buns are so great for breakfast. In order to make those sweet red bean buns, I made sweet red bean paste firstly. For the recipe about how to make your own  red bean paste (either easily smashed version and super smooth version), check it here. If you do not want to brother so much, sweet red bean paste for buns is available in many Asian stores.

Homemade red bean buns|Dou Shao Bao

Mix all the ingredients for the dough using low speed for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and set aside in warm place for 1 hour or until double in size (the time needed is very much depending on your room temperature).

homemade red bean buns | chinasichuanfood.com

Add around 2 tablespoon of flour in the dough and continue kneading the dough for 2 minutes at low speed in a stand mixer. Then transfer out and divide the dough into 6 or 8 portions. Shape each portion to a round ball. Then press it to a wrapper with thin edges and thicker center. Place around 1.5 tablespoon of red bean fillings in center.

homemade red bean buns | chinasichuanfood.com

Seal completely.

homemade red bean buns | chinasichuanfood.com

Turn the bun over and shape it into a dome. Repeat to finish the remaining buns.

homemade red bean buns | chinasichuanfood.com

I make 6 this time. Line your steamer and place the buns one by one, with space among each other. If you prefer smaller ones, you can make 8 buns with those ingredients.

homemade red bean buns | chinasichuanfood.com

Set up steamer, cover and rest for 15 minutes. Start fire and heat until boiling. Continue steam 18 too 20 minutes. Stand 5 minutes before lifting the lid.

Homemade red bean buns|Dou Shao Bao

Homemade red bean buns|Dou Shao Bao

5 from 3 votes
Print
Homemade Red Beans Buns
Prep Time
1 hr 20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
 
Homemade Chinese Red Bean Buns with soft and slightly sweet surface. Have one bite, you will see the smooth sweet red bean paste inside. It is a good idea to serve this homemade red bean buns with some milk or soy milk.
Course: staple
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: buns, red bean
Servings: 6
Calories: 324 kcal
Author: Elaine
Ingredients
  • 200 g red bean paste filling
  • 300 g all purpose flour
  • 40 g sugar
  • 1.5 tsp. sugar tolerant instant yeast
  • 150 ml warm water ,or 180ml to 185ml warm milk, the best temperature for liquid is around 35 degree C.
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil ,corn oil
  • a tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. In a stand mixer, place all of the dough ingredients in and then knead for 6-8 minutes at slow speed.
  2. Shape the dough into a ball and set aside in warm place for 1 hour or until double in size (the time needed is very much depending on your room temperature).
  3. Add around 2 tablespoon of flour in the dough and continue kneading the dough for 2 minutes at low speed in a stand mixer.
  4. Then transfer out and divide the dough into 6 or 8 portions. Shape each portion to a round ball. Press it to a wrapper with thin edges and thicker center. Place around 1.5 tablespoon of red bean fillings in center. Seal completely and turn over and shape it into a dome.
  5. Place the buns on baking papers and then place in steamer. Cover the lid and rest for another 15 to 20 minutes at a room temperature around 28 degree C to 30 degree C. In cold water days, heat water in a pot for several minutes until warm but not boiling and then place the steamer on the warm water, rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Start the fire and steam the buns for another 20 minutes, turn off fire and stand for 5 minutes before enjoying.
  7. Re-steam the buns if they are cooled. No changes for the taste.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Red Beans Buns
Amount Per Serving
Calories 324 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Potassium 65mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 66g 22%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 23g
Protein 7g 14%
Calcium 1.4%
Iron 15.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Homemade red bean buns| chinasichuanfood.com

You can use fine and smooth red bean paste to make red bean buns too.

dou shao bao | chinasichuanfood.com

Filed Under: Breakfast, staple food, Vegan, Vegetarian

« Red Bean Paste
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Comments

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  1. Elyse @myveganp says

    February 14, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    I’m so excited to have found this recipe! I love red bean anything. <3

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      February 14, 2014 at 8:35 pm

      Hi Elyse,

      I am so glad that you like it. I love those lovely and yummy red beans too.

      Reply
  2. Lisa says

    June 7, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Is there anyway to make these without special steamer? Like I have a metal veggie steamer but I don’t know if that will work? I really want to make these!

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      June 7, 2014 at 7:39 pm

      Hi Lisa,
      You can make it with metal steamer.Just make sure that the steamer can be covered completely. Besides you need to place a oil pepper or some leaves firstly on the steamer.

      Reply
    • anasha says

      February 11, 2016 at 9:32 pm

      do you have to use a steamer???

      Reply
      • anasha says

        February 11, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        plsss tel me

        Reply
      • Alexis says

        July 17, 2019 at 11:14 pm

        They really need to be steamed. This is what I did the first time I made these as I didn’t have a steamer. Buy two disposable pie tins(the metal kind) poke holes in the bottom of both of them. Place one upside down inside a large pot and put some water in it(not enough to go over the top of the pie tin) in the other pie tin, line the bottom with parchment paper and load with buns as normal. Place this pie tin right side up on top of the one in side the pot. And steam as normal. To try and describe it better, the empty tin on the bottom will have the time against the pot(so that it is upside down) and the other one will be the normal way pie tins are used. To be able to use more space, I flattened the top tin so that I could fit more buns on it but if your pot is not wide enough don’t worry about trying to flatten it.

        Reply
  3. Kathy says

    December 31, 2014 at 1:46 am

    Just made these! For anyone wondering, I used about 2-1/2 cups flour (used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached), and about 2/3 cup warm water (and a few more tablespoons, just to get a dough). The dough is chewy and would be great for breakfast!

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      January 1, 2015 at 7:21 am

      Hi Kathy,
      Thanks for the feedback. The water needed for a dough sometimes is differ from the flour.

      Reply
  4. alex says

    November 1, 2015 at 11:07 pm

    If I wanted to could I use a different dough recipe and still steam them or is this dough specifically for this and for steaming ?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      November 2, 2015 at 3:35 am

      Hi Alex,
      This is a really general dough Chinese steamed buns. So you can change the filling to make pork bun,chicken bun or custard bun etc. Go ahead to https://chinasichuanfood.com/?s=steamed+buns. I hope it can be inspirational.

      Reply
  5. Ainaa Ibrahim says

    January 7, 2016 at 12:11 pm

    I tried your recipe but the bun didn’t rise to the fullest after steamed. Can you tell me any possible reasons to this? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 8, 2016 at 9:12 am

      Hi Ainaa,
      If the bun did not rise, the most possible reason is the proofing process. The process may fail especially in winter when the room temperature is quite low. You will need to increase yeast amount, lengthen the proofing process or place the dough in a warmer place (around 30 degree C).

      Reply
      • Anasha says

        February 23, 2016 at 3:15 am

        Do we have to use a steamer plss tel meeeeeeeeeeeeee ☺?

        Reply
        • Anasha says

          February 23, 2016 at 3:19 am

          I dont have a steamer thats why

          Reply
        • Kaitlyn says

          March 2, 2016 at 12:05 am

          You could try putting a pot of water in your oven and letting that steam, and then adding the buns

          Reply
          • Elaine says

            March 3, 2016 at 10:22 pm

            That’s a great idea, Kaitlyn. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Ana says

    January 9, 2016 at 1:28 am

    Love this recipe! However can I use canned beans instead of the bean paste? It would be easier to make 🙂

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 12, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      Hi Ana,
      Yes canned sweet beans can be used here as a filling. That’s a nice shortcut!

      Reply
  7. Deborah says

    January 31, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    In my local bakery, they sell a red bean loaf that’s not made with paste, but just with the beans sprinkled through it. If I want to make this bread, do I need to cook the beans beforehand?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      February 4, 2016 at 9:42 pm

      Yes, the beans should be pre-cooked with water, sugar(or honey) until quite soft. We call that sugared red beans.

      Reply
  8. Mikaela says

    March 23, 2016 at 1:14 am

    Going to try and make this today~ I have been drooling over the thought all day at work – Thank you so much for this recipe 😀

    Reply
  9. SDR says

    June 26, 2016 at 5:02 am

    Do I need a steamer basket like the one pictured, or will a metal steamer pan work? Would I need to coat it with oil or anything like that?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      June 26, 2016 at 8:59 pm

      Hi,
      Both bamboo steamer and metal steamer can work and there is no need to coat it with anything. That’s how we steam traditional Chinese buns.

      Reply
      • SDR says

        June 27, 2016 at 5:26 am

        I just finished a batch. They came out excellently. The flavor is REALLY nice.

        I made mine by pureeing the cooked beans (skin on) for the paste in the food processor, and just adding the sugar and butter to the food processor as it pureed.

        I think next time I make a batch, I’ll double the recipe, and once I get to the point where I’m ready to steam them, I’ll freeze half of the buns. That way I can just pull them out of the freezer, let them thaw, and have ready to steam buns.

        Reply
  10. atrizia says

    October 15, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    From Italg..tx!

    Reply
  11. Ashley says

    November 23, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    Thank you for the recipe! Just wondering if I could use this recipe to make some extra designs (exp: panda, hello kitty etc)? Was afraid that the designs won’t hold up as some bao recipe rises too much and the designs will go funny after steaming.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      November 23, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      Your ideas are absolutely practical. To obtain the designs, do not over-proof the buns. It worked perfectly for me.

      Reply
      • Ryan says

        December 23, 2016 at 7:11 am

        https://snapguide.com/guides/bake-japanese-red-bean-buns/ this version is baked.

        Reply
        • Elaine says

          December 24, 2016 at 9:13 am

          Hi Ryan,
          The baked version has a different dough. I mean this dough is only for steamed buns. You can make red bean paste as a filling in milk buns: https://chinasichuanfood.com/milk-bread/

          Reply
  12. anders horn says

    February 10, 2017 at 7:17 am

    I lost the recipe my sister used to use so I made these and they turned out exactly as they should.

    Reply
  13. Karli says

    March 20, 2017 at 10:25 am

    I loved this recipe! Do you have any tips on preventing wrinkling/dimples on the surface of the buns? There must be something I’m doing wrong 🙁

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      March 21, 2017 at 10:30 am

      The second kneading is not enough. You need to lengthen the time until there is no bubbles inside.

      Reply
  14. Kate says

    May 26, 2017 at 5:02 am

    Hi I am so excited to find this recipe and cant wait to try it! Two questions: Can I use milk instead of water? Second, can I freeze some of the buns for later? If I freeze it, do I freeze the dough or I should steam the buns first and then freeze the cooked buns? Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      May 26, 2017 at 9:31 pm

      Steam first and then freeze, otherwise the yeast will be killed.

      Reply
  15. J says

    May 31, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    Would it be possible to make these gluten free?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:24 pm

      I am sorry, J. But without gluten, we cannot make a fluffy steamed bun.

      Reply
  16. Snoop says

    July 21, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    I made this with the bread machine to knead it. Everything seem alright till steaming. It rose a lot during steaming, then shrunk and caused all the wrinkles.
    Any tips? Thanks

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      July 22, 2018 at 7:43 am

      Hi Snoop,
      The buns are over fermented. Is the room temperature very hot?

      Reply
  17. Jason Sprague says

    August 9, 2018 at 1:59 am

    I used packaged red been paste and they came out really well. The to pressing and shaping of the wrappers were kinda difficult at first.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      August 10, 2018 at 8:19 pm

      Jason,
      Thanks for the feedback. Making bun wrappers need some practices.

      Reply
  18. Jennifer says

    August 21, 2018 at 3:34 am


    Im so happy i stumbled onto your page! Love your recipes, can’t wait to try them!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      August 21, 2018 at 7:33 am

      Happy cooking!

      Reply
  19. Rachel says

    February 13, 2019 at 3:28 am


    This dough was so soft to work with! Thank you for the recipe!! My Chinese friend gave me some of her homemade red bean paste and it was just enough to fill these buns. I am sitting down to eat my first one now and love it so much, I had to leave you a comment. Thank you!

    For those without a steamer, I tried two different steaming methods. First (and best!), I used a metal vegetable steamer in a tall stock pot. I placed paper towels at the bottom of the pan and a canning jar on top of that, to elevate the metal steamer and keep the bottoms of my bao from getting wet. I used flattened cupcake wrappers underneath the dumplings to keep them from sticking, and placed 4 dumplings in the steamer basket. I also tilted the lid on my pot so that steam could escape while cooking. Worked like a charm!

    While that was cooking, I tried steaming the other 4 in my instant pot pressure cooker. I used the steamer trivet that came with the pot, added about 1 cup of water, and steamed for 7 minutes. These were done quicker than the stovetop bao, but the dough turned out chewy and not as fluffy. The bottoms of the bao were too close to the water and got wet, and I think because there was no way for the steam to escape, the dough got too soggy. They still taste fine, but the stovetop was better!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      February 14, 2019 at 10:26 am

      Rachel,
      Thanks so much for such a wonderful comment. I believe you enjoyed the sweet pillow soft buns when reading your comments.

      Reply
  20. Esmay says

    April 8, 2019 at 12:22 pm


    Hi Elaine,
    Thank you for this easy recipe! I made it two nights ago with organic canned black beans and honey. It only took me 40 minutes to boil it soft. I didn’t need to add any butter. To make the smooth paste I just mixed the boiled water in it. That one can was the perfect amount to make your red bean buns. P.S-The strainer technique does wonders! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      April 8, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      Esmay,
      Thanks so much for your lovely feedback. Yes the strainer makes it perfect. Happy cooking!

      Reply
  21. A_Boleyn says

    August 13, 2019 at 8:20 am

    Delicious looking recipe but I’m curious about the number of servings the recipe makes. You write that it makes 16 servings but in the instructions it says to divide the dough into 6 or 8 portions. Could you clarify?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      August 14, 2019 at 9:10 am

      Thanks for the correctness. 300g dough can make around 6-8 buns, but quite large. Serving 16 might be confusing so I have already updated it to 6.

      Reply
  22. hannah says

    September 15, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    can you freeze these after making them? and how long can you freeze them? The mantou too

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      September 15, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      For homemade buns and mantou, I suggest eating them within 1 week after frozen.

      Reply
  23. Alex says

    November 9, 2019 at 7:17 am

    Hi! May I know if I can make this recipe without a stand mixer ?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      November 9, 2019 at 8:20 am

      Sure, Alex. You can knead the dough by hand.

      Reply

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Please not be limited by site name, as Elaine shares Chinese recipes beyond Sichuan dishes. Know me more from About Page

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