Prove and steam perfect Bao Buns in the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker. The result is steamed bao that are light and fluffy. I am presenting you my 3 top favourite vegetarian and vegan bao bun fillings!
INSTANT POT BAO BUNS
Bao Buns Ingredients
Vegan Bao Buns
How to make the dough for Bao Buns and Prove dough in Instant Pot
Tips on kneading the dough
How to fold Bao Buns without any sticking
How to steam Bao Buns in Instant Pot?
How to steam Bao Buns on a stovetop?
Bao Bun Fillings
Can I make the Bao Bun in advance?
Can I freeze the Bao Buns?
INSTANT POT BAO BUNS 3 WAYS
Equipment
- Electric stand mixer
- Instant pot
- Bambo steamer
- Parchment paper or white large cupcake cases or wrappers
- Long toothpick or bamboo skewers
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cup plain flour
- 1 tbsp. caster sugar
- ½ tsp. fast-action dried yeast
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 25 ml milk
- 1.5 tsp. sunflower oil + 2 tbsp. more
- 1.5 tsp. rice vinegar
- 100 ml warm water
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl add flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, milk, oil and water.
- Using a dough hook, mix everything on medium speed (you may need more warm water to bring everything together and make a sticky dough)
- Continue on medium speed until the dough turns glossy, soft, smooth to touch. This step may take 10-12 minutes.
- Knead the dough in your hand or on a worktop for a minute or so.
- Arrange the inner pot of Instant pot by placing a parchment paper in it.
- Place the dough in the pot and cover it with the glass lid.
- Turn the Yogurt mode on and PROVE the dough for 1 hour.
- The dough should be doubled in size.
- Remove the risen dough from the pot, punch it down to remove air bubbles and knead for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out the dough into a long sausage, then cut into 8-9 pieces.
- Roll out each piece into the round ball.
- With using a rolling pin roll out each ball into an oval shape, about 5-6mm hight.
- Apply some oil on the rolled dough, and place a toothpick or bamboo skewers in the centre of each oval.
- Fold the dough into half, do not press.
- Cut out 8-9 squares of baking parchment or use white cupcake cases or wrappers and place the bun on each paper.
- Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise again for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
- Now prepare the instant pot to steam the buns. Pour 1 cup water in the inner pot and place a trivet.
- On the trivet place a stainless steel ring or a round cake tin without the base so steamer stays high.
- Arrange the buns in a bamboo steamer and place it in the pot (you need to steam these in batches)
- Close the lid and MAKE SURE THE PRESSURE VALVE SET ON VENTING position.
- Choose STEAM mode for 5 minutes (remember to set another timer as Instant pot timer doesn’t work in venting mode)
- Once you start hearing the pressure set timer then.
- Once done, open the lid and you’ll have soft, fluffy and cooked all the way through bao buns ready to fill the stuffing.
- Remove the skewer before you fill the stuffing.
- Enjoy warm bao buns.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
INSTANT POT BAO BUNS 3 WAYS
Equipment
- Electric stand mixer
- Instant pot
- Bambo steamer
- Parchment paper or white large cupcake cases or wrappers
- Long toothpick or bamboo skewers
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cup plain flour
- 1 tbsp. caster sugar
- ½ tsp. fast-action dried yeast
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 25 ml milk
- 1.5 tsp. sunflower oil + 2 tbsp. more
- 1.5 tsp. rice vinegar
- 100 ml warm water
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl add flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, milk, oil and water.
- Using a dough hook, mix everything on medium speed (you may need more warm water to bring everything together and make a sticky dough)
- Continue on medium speed until the dough turns glossy, soft, smooth to touch. This step may take 10-12 minutes.
- Knead the dough in your hand or on a worktop for a minute or so.
- Arrange the inner pot of Instant pot by placing a parchment paper in it.
- Place the dough in the pot and cover it with the glass lid.
- Turn the Yogurt mode on and PROVE the dough for 1 hour.
- The dough should be doubled in size.
- Remove the risen dough from the pot, punch it down to remove air bubbles and knead for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out the dough into a long sausage, then cut into 8-9 pieces.
- Roll out each piece into the round ball.
- With using a rolling pin roll out each ball into an oval shape, about 5-6mm hight.
- Apply some oil on the rolled dough, and place a toothpick or bamboo skewers in the centre of each oval.
- Fold the dough into half, do not press.
- Cut out 8-9 squares of baking parchment or use white cupcake cases or wrappers and place the bun on each paper.
- Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise again for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
- Now prepare the instant pot to steam the buns. Pour 1 cup water in the inner pot and place a trivet.
- On the trivet place a stainless steel ring or a round cake tin without the base so steamer stays high.
- Arrange the buns in a bamboo steamer and place it in the pot (you need to steam these in batches)
- Close the lid and MAKE SURE THE PRESSURE VALVE SET ON VENTING position.
- Choose STEAM mode for 5 minutes (remember to set another timer as Instant pot timer doesn’t work in venting mode)
- Once you start hearing the pressure set timer then.
- Once done, open the lid and you’ll have soft, fluffy and cooked all the way through bao buns ready to fill the stuffing.
- Remove the skewer before you fill the stuffing.
- Enjoy warm bao buns.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
If you need some biscuit or cookie inspiration. look no further than these Saffron and Pistachio Shortbreads. The crumbliest and melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbreads are flavoured with saffron and powdered pistachio, reflecting the popular Indian Kesar Pista combination.
I love desserts with saffron and pistachio. They are quintessentially Indian and the flavours can be used in a variety of sweet recipes.
Kesar Pista Ice Cream in the summertime is one of my personal favourites!
Kesar Pista Coconut Ladoo is great for special occasions.
You can also add badam or almond to the flavours like we have done with Kesar, Badam Pista Barfi
I had in mind to make saffron and pistachio biscuits of some sort during Diwali but the recipe got delayed. I then gave these a go with shortbread and couldn’t be happier with the results.
Why these are the best buttery shortbread cookies ever!
I am a huge fan of shortbread – I remember first trying proper Scottish Shortbread during a trip to Edinburgh for Hogmanay. I instantly fell in love!
The shortbread were light and buttery. The texture is so different to supermarket shortbread. Supermarket shortbread tends to be harder but these shortbreads, shaped in petticoat tails, were extremely melt-in-the-mouth.
This recipe also achieves similar textures with a pop of flavour.
Perfect at Diwali
This shortbread, with their addition of traditional saffron and pistachio, would go wonderfully as an addition to Diwali sweets. They would also be perfect during Ramadan and Eid.
Check out our 19 Best Barfi Peda recipes for more Diwali inspiration.
Perfect over Christmas
Bake these over Christmas with the family and revel in the wonderful warm aroma of the aromatic expensive spice Saffron.
Ingredients
● Plain flour – we have used white plain flour also known as All-Purpose flour. You may use whole wheat flour (chapati atta) but the results won’t be the same as plain flour. Shortbread made with whole wheat flour turns out dense and not as flaky.
● Sugar – golden caster sugar, which is more finely ground than regular granulated sugar. It dissolves quicker than normal sugar in creamed mixtures, whips and more.
● Unsalted butter works best for shortbreads. For an authentic recipe do not replace butter with oil.
● Pistachio – we have ground the pistachio finely and added to the recipe. Do not use salted pistachios as they will not work in a sweet recipe.
● Saffron – use saffron threads. For a cheaper alternative, you can use safflower
We have used dried rose petals for photographic purpose only.
How to make Shortbread
Making the dough ahead of time
You can make the dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge.
I would say around a day before is fine.
Shortbread Shapes
I also underwent much deliberation with shapes for the shortbread and in the end settled with this design using a cookie cutter, but you can use any shape.
Ways to decorate this shortbread
I was undecided as how to decorate this shortbread and flitted between keeping them plain or adding some icing. In the end, I decided to sprinkle some with pistachio powder.
Don’t want to use nuts? Decorate using chocolate. Just dip a half side of completely cooled shortbread in melted chocolate. It can be white, milk, dark or ruby.
Tips
Storage
I have found that this shortbread softens very quickly so do not make a large batch and store away but eaten within a day or so.
Keep stored in a biscuit tin.
Serving
These moreish shortbreads are best served with a cup of Masala Chai or Karak Chai in the mid-morning but they are equally good with homemade billionaire’s latte in the afternoon too.
I sometimes love to have a couple with our Kesar badam milk 😄
Other egg-free cookies
Nankhatai
Linzer cookies
Coconut and cardamom whole wheat cookies
SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD
Equipment
- Bowl
- Cookie-cutter
- Baking tray
- Parchment or baking paper
- oven
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour 1 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.
- 200 g unsalted butter 3/4 cup + 2tbsp.
- 100 g caster sugar 1/2 cup.
- Big pinch saffron threads
- 2-3 tbsp. finely ground pistachio
Instructions
- Place butter, sugar, saffron and flour in a big bowl.
- Run everything together using your fingertips.
- Then bring it together using your hands to make a dough.
- Wrap it in the cling film and chill 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Roll out the dough into 1/2 cm thickness on the lightly floured surface.
- Cut into the desired shape and place them on the lined baking tray.
- Chill for 10-15 minutes in the fridge again.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to gas mark 4.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Remove and sprinkle pistachio and let it cool completely.
- Serve right away or store.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
