Baozi with Mushroom and Bok Choy – Vegetable Buns

Pillow soft baozi with a vegetable-based filling – mushroom and bok choy. It has a savory base with a great combination of mushrooms and bok choy.

Compared with pork or other meat buns, I am a big fan of vegetable baozi. Like this one, it has a strong aroma of shiitake mushrooms and a lovely Bok Choy freshness.

What is baozi

Baozi has a long history in China, over 1000 years. It is the stuffed version of steamed buns, different from the Mantou.

It is a national food, either as a snack or breakfast. My favorite way is to eat it with rice porridge or soy milk.

We have published many baozi recipes on this site, from the basic Mantou to Steamed or pan-fried ones.

There are two types of baozi: savory, like BBQ pork buns, and sweet, including red bean buns, custard buns, and sugar buns.

Let’s learn how to make a vegetarian Baozi with mushrooms and bok choy. It doesn’t taste greasy and is very refreshing. It has the rich flavor of mushrooms and the sharp, crisp taste of bok choy, with a bit of carrot for extra flavor.

About the wrapper

I use the same dough with mantou to make this vegetable baozi. This basic dough can make most Chinese steamed buns. However, I add a small baking powder pinch to increase the success rate.

Dough ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. yeasts
• 1/2 cup warm water

Ingredients for the filling

• fresh mushrooms, diced
• bok choy
• carrot, diced
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pinch of white pepper
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce

How to make Bok Choy Baozi

Cook bok choy

First, heat water to boiling, and then add 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil and a very small pinch of salt. Blanch the bok choy for 7-8 seconds. Transfer to soak in cold water, drain, and set aside.

Dice and stir-fry the ingredients

• Dice the mushrooms and carrots. Chop the cooled bok choy and squeeze the water.
• Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan, add the diced mushrooms and carrots, and fry them until cooked. After cooling, add the chopped bok choy.
• Now we can season the filling. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. white pepper, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 tbsp. light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix them well.

Knead the dough

Add sugar, baking powder, yeast, and warm water to the flour, stirring with chopsticks until it forms a dough. Knead it for a few minutes until smooth. You can also use a stand mixer and knead slowly for 8 or 10 minutes.

Then, transfer the dough to the operating board and shape it into a round ball. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes so the gluten can be relaxed well.

Cook’s Tip

We use a one-time proofing method, so there is no need to raise the dough until it doubles in size. Resting is only to soften the gluten.

Make wrappers

When the dough is ready, cut it in half, roll one half into a strip about 20 cm long, and then cut it into 5-6 pieces of small dough. With this amount, we can make 12 bok choy baozi.

Flatten each small dough first with the palm of your hand, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a thin crust. Then add a spoonful of fried filling and then fold the crust over to wrap the filling perfectly. A baozi is done. Please use the same method for the other half of the dough to make it into a crust and then add the filling.

Check out our How to Fold Baozi.

Steam baozi

Line a steamer basket with saran wrap or paper, and place the assembled baozi in it. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Do not place the baozi too close together to prevent them from sticking together.

Then, start the fire and steam for about 10 minutes.

When the steaming is finished, let it stand for around 5 minutes before opening the lid.

Enjoy the buns when it is still warm.

Tips

• The fermentation time depends on the room temperature. At around 25 degrees C, we need to rest the assembled buns for around 30 minutes (covered). On cold days, when the room temperature drops under 10 degrees C, you can place them in an oven with hot, boiling water to speed up the process.
• You need the dough before rolling out the wrappers for a smooth and shining wrapper. I suggest rereading the smaller dough for a few minutes to guarantee the best result.
• We add minimal sugar to the dough to help ferment, but you can seldom taste the sweetness in the wrapper.