Vegan Char Siu Bao

Light and Fluffy Steamed Buns Filled w/ Chinese BBQ Flavored Jackfruit

Watch the Full Recipe Video:

https://youtu.be/RXi-kFYwJGQ

Ingredients

Bao dough:

4 Cups All purpose flour

1 Cup Water

2 ¼ Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

2 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

Vegan Food Coloring (Optional 3 Tsp Suncore Foods PurpleSweet Potato Powder)

Jackfruit

20 oz Canned Young Jackfruit (2 cans)

2 Clove Garlic, Finely Minced

4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoon Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce (Lee Kum Kee)

2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Vegetarian Hoisin Sauce

2 Tablespoon Shaoxing Wine (Optional)

1 Teaspoon Chinese Five Spice

2 Tablespoon Honey (Can Substitute with Agave)

2 Teaspoon Water

1 Teaspoon Red Food Coloring (Optional Suncore Foods Velvet Red Beet Powder)

1 Tablespoon Honey Extra to Glaze (Can Substitute with Agave)

Char Siu Sauce

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce

½ Teaspoon Vegan Hoisin Sauce

2 Tablespoon Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce (Lee Kum Kee)

3 Tablespoon Sugar

½ Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil

⅓ cup Water

1 Tablespoon Scallion oil**

Notes

** To make the scallion oil; heat ½ cup of neutral oil (like canola or vegetable oil) in a small pot. Bring the oil to medium heat. Add ½ and onion roughly chopped and about ¼ cup scallions or green onion roughly chopped to the oil. Let cook until the onions start to turn golden (be careful not to burn the onions). Strain the onions and scallions out and save the oil.

Slurry for Char Siu sauce

¼ Cup Water

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1 Teaspoon Red Food Coloring (Optional Suncore Foods Velvet Red Beet Powder)

Procedures

Jackfruit Filling

In a medium sized bowl, mix together 2 Clove Garlic, 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoon Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce, 2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Vegetarian Hoisin Sauce, 2 Tablespoon Shaoxing Wine (Optional), 1 Teaspoon Chinese Five Spice, 2 Tablespoon Honey (or Agave), 2 Teaspoon Water, 1 Teaspoon Red Food Coloring (Optional) and set to the side until needed. Drain and rinse the jackfruit well under cool water. Drain the jackfruit and let it dry in a colander. Then, toss the jackfruit in the marinade. Place the jackfruit and the marinade into a container and cover. For best flavor, let the jackfruit marinate overnight or for about 8 hours in the fridge.

Once the jackfruit is finished marinating, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the jackfruit from the fridges and place the jackfruit on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Keep the excess marinade to brush the jackfruit with.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the jackfruit for 15 minutes. Remove the jackfruit and brush the excess marinade over the jackfruit. Place back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the jackfruit from the oven and brush with the rest of the marinate and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove the jackfruit from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450.

Brush the jackfruit with the extra 1 tablespoon of honey and place back into the oven for 3 minutes or until browned and some pieces slightly charred. Once the jackfruit is browned and charred slightly, remove it from the oven and place it on a rack to cool. Once cooled, roughly chop the jackfruit into small chunks. Place in the fridge to cool until needed later.

Bao Dough

In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and baking powder. If you plan to use Suncore Foods powdered food coloring to your dough, add it to the flour now. Whisk until all the ingredients are well combined. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the water in until the dough is just hydrated slightly crumbly. Only add enough water to barely hydrate the flour. Once the water is added, turn the mixer to medium for 5 minutes. The flour should start to come together and form a dough. Once the dough is smooth and springy to the touch it is finished being kneaded.

Form the dough into a ball, coat it in some neutral oil, and place into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

Char Siu Filling

Start by making the slurry. In a small bowl combine ¼ cup water, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon Suncore Foods Velvet Red Beet Powder for color (Optional). Set the slurry aside until needed later.

In a medium saucepan, add the 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, 1 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce, ½ Teaspoon Vegan Hoisin Sauce, 2 Tablespoon Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce, 3 Tablespoon Sugar, ½ Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil, ⅓ cup Water, and 1 Tablespoon Scallion oil. On the stove top, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and whisk constantly.

Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is gently simmering, add the slurry and mix continuously. Once the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat.

Pour the sauce into a bowl and let cool at room temperature or in the fridge. Once the sauce is completely cooled, toss the jackfruit in just enough of the Char Siu Sauce so it is well coated. Save the excess Char Siu Sauce for dipping later, and set the Char Siu filling to the side until needed.

Forming the Char Sui Bao

Cut 16 pieces of 2x2 inch squares out of parchment paper and set them aside.

One the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release the major air bubbles. Place the dough on a well floured surface and dusk the top of the dough with more flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a thin and even sheet.

Starting at one end, start to roll the dough up to create a long log. Cut the log into 16 even pieces and shape the pieces into even dough balls.

One dough ball at a time, roll it out with a rolling pin to create a flat disk leaving the center of the dough ball a little bit thicker than the edges. Once all the dough balls are flattened into disks, it's time to fill them.

Take about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the Jackfruit Char Siu Filling and place it in the center of one of the dough disks. Starting at one edge of the dough start to pleat the dough enclosing the filling completely. Once the bao is formed, place it on a 2x2 inch parchment paper square.

Repeat this with all the dough disks until all are filled, pleated, and placed on a piece of parchment paper. Place the baos on their parchment paper squares into a bamboo steaming basket or in a metal steamer. Place the steamer over a large pot filled with about 2 inches of water. Make sure the water is not touching the steamer or the baos. Let the baos proof for another 30 minutes.

After the baos have proofed, bring the water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low. Then steam the baos for 15 to 18 minutes or until the dough has fully cooked and risen. Try not to lift the cover of the steamer until the baos are completely cooked through. Opening the steamer prematurely will cause the dough to collapse and not rise properly.

Once the bao are fully cooked, remove them from the steamer and enjoy hot or at room temperature with the extra char siu sauce. Store them in the fridge to preserve and they can be microwaved or re-steamed the next day for consumption.