Steamed Tofu Buns
Since there isn't a very good vegetarian/vegan friendly dim sum place nearby, my fiance and I decided to make our own steamed buns. We used this recipe for the most part but instead of using seitan we used tofu.
Dough:
1/3 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp margarine, melted
1/2 c soy milk
3/4 c water
16 pieces of wax paper, cut into squares
Filling:
1 container of tofu, frozen, thawed, drained and pressed
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3-4 tbsp soy sauce
3-4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
Prepare the dough:
In a 1 cup measuring cup, blend the warm water, yeast and sugar and let stand in a warm place until it foams up to the 1 cup mark, about 20 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until well mixed. Add the melted margarine, yeast, mixture, soy milk and water and knead until it became a soft, pliable dough. Place this in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for 3 hours in a warm spot that is free of drafts.
Prepare the filling:
Night before marinade the tofu in garlic, soy sauce and hoisin sauce in an container. Flip once. Slice into small strips.
Put oil in skillet at medium heat. Put in tofu and cook until golden on all sides. With spatula, cut the strips into smaller bits until the size of a dime. Add soy sauce, agave nectar and hoisin sauce (I just used the leftovers from the marinade). In a small cup, mix the water and cornstarch together until free of lumps. Add to the tofu mixture and cook until thicken. Take off heat and let cool.
Bun Assembly:
After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and knead it three or four times. Break it up into 8 equally sized pieces. Working quickly, flatten each piece of dough out until it is about a handspan in diameter. Scoop a generous tbsp of the filling into the center, then bring the edges of the dough circle up over it and pinch it tightly closed. Place the bun on one square of parchment and arrange on a cookie sheet or other large platter. Repeat these steps until all 8 buns are filled. Cover the buns with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm spat for about 20 minutes, then steam in a vegetable steamer or bamboo for 20 minutes.
At this point the buns can be eaten or colled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for later reheating (just until hot).
Just FYI- these buns were HUGE! You can make them smaller and get about 16 vs the 8 mega buns.
This one opened up a bit while steaming. Just use your imagination.
Dough:
1/3 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp margarine, melted
1/2 c soy milk
3/4 c water
16 pieces of wax paper, cut into squares
Filling:
1 container of tofu, frozen, thawed, drained and pressed
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3-4 tbsp soy sauce
3-4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
Prepare the dough:
In a 1 cup measuring cup, blend the warm water, yeast and sugar and let stand in a warm place until it foams up to the 1 cup mark, about 20 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until well mixed. Add the melted margarine, yeast, mixture, soy milk and water and knead until it became a soft, pliable dough. Place this in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for 3 hours in a warm spot that is free of drafts.
Prepare the filling:
Night before marinade the tofu in garlic, soy sauce and hoisin sauce in an container. Flip once. Slice into small strips.
Put oil in skillet at medium heat. Put in tofu and cook until golden on all sides. With spatula, cut the strips into smaller bits until the size of a dime. Add soy sauce, agave nectar and hoisin sauce (I just used the leftovers from the marinade). In a small cup, mix the water and cornstarch together until free of lumps. Add to the tofu mixture and cook until thicken. Take off heat and let cool.
Bun Assembly:
After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and knead it three or four times. Break it up into 8 equally sized pieces. Working quickly, flatten each piece of dough out until it is about a handspan in diameter. Scoop a generous tbsp of the filling into the center, then bring the edges of the dough circle up over it and pinch it tightly closed. Place the bun on one square of parchment and arrange on a cookie sheet or other large platter. Repeat these steps until all 8 buns are filled. Cover the buns with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm spat for about 20 minutes, then steam in a vegetable steamer or bamboo for 20 minutes.
At this point the buns can be eaten or colled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for later reheating (just until hot).
Just FYI- these buns were HUGE! You can make them smaller and get about 16 vs the 8 mega buns.
This one opened up a bit while steaming. Just use your imagination.