Steamed Gua Bao

With Roasted Tempeh & Pickled Vegetables

Bao Buns:

3/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp. Warm Unsweetened Milk or Water

1 Tbsp. Active Dry Yeast

2 Tbsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Oil

2 1/2 Cups AP Flour

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

You will need a steamer basket, parchment paper and a pan or wok to set the steamer basket over.

12 Buns

In the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm water and sugar. Wait a few minutes for the yeast to activate and start to bubble.

Add oil into the bowl. Next, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add them to your yeast mixture and knead with a dough hook until smooth (can be done by hand, about 5 minutes). Cover your bowl and let rest for 2 hours.

Cut some 4x4 squares of parchment for the dough to rest on. Roll out the dough to 1/4" thick. You may lightly flour the surface if needed and use a large biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Alternatively, you may weigh the dough and divide by 12. Work one ball at a time and keep everything covered to prevent them from drying out. Spray the rounds or brush with oil and fold them in half to form a taco shape. The oil will prevent them from sticking so they can be opened after steaming. Give the buns a light roll with a pin to create a slight U shape. Cover the buns and let them rest another 30 minutes before steaming. I like to start prepping the rest of the dish at this time.

Tie a tea towel or napkin around your steamer lid to prevent condensation build up from dripping back down onto the buns. Steam for 10 Minutes. Serve hot.

Tempeh "Ribs":

1.5 Pkg. Tempeh, cut as shown (12 pcs.)

3/4 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 Cup Plum Sauce

Mix the BBQ sauce and plum sauce together. You can make more for serving on the side, if you like.

Steam tempeh for 10 minutes. Marinate the tempeh for an hour in 1 Cup Sauce. Line a sheet try with parchment paper, add the tempeh and coat with any remaining sauce left in your bowl. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Garnish:

Jalapeno Slices

Cucumber Slices

Cilantro Leaves

Ground Peanuts

Sambal or Sriracha

Pickled Vegetables (see below)

To assemble, I drizzle a little extra sauce, grab a piece of tempeh, add some cucumbers, jalapenos, pickled veg, cilantro, peanuts, splash on some hot sauce and enjoy. :)

Pickled Vegetables:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 Cup Daikon Radish, julienne

1/2 Cup Carrots, julienne

Boil the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to dissolve. Pour the liquid over the carrots and daikon. Let rest for 1 hr. Refrigerate or serve.