Gochujang + Sweet Potato Custard Steamed Buns and Korean BBQ Mushroom Steamed Buns

Steamed Buns. Two ways.

AKA quarantine project number one.

While this self-isolation period we're all going through is tough, one positive thing that has come out of being forced home from college early and trapped inside my house is that I have all of the time in the world to cook.

I haven't been able to test many recipes over the past year, so I've just had

hundreds

 of ideas piling up in my notes over time... and now I finally get to try them out.

While this situation is horrible and far from normal, I've decided to look on the bright side and appreciate the new projects/hobbies I get to explore-- ones that I might never have gotten the chance to without going through this.

The first one being: steamed bao buns.

So... story time. Probably like three or four years ago I ordered a bamboo steamer off of Amazon with all of these plans in mind to make homemade dim sum. And not that I'm surprised by this, but I have not used it once. I tend to get excited by the ideas of new gadgets and equipment and never actually use them...oops.

 My problem with baked goods, breads, or just dough of any kind is that I have absolutely zero patience. I always over or under-knead the dough or don't roll it out right, and, most of all, I despise waiting on dough to rise. I've never been good at working with yeast, but it's something I want to get better at. And what better time to get better at something than now??

So, with that being said, I made two types steamed buns, and while they definitely don't look the way they're supposed to -- apparently pleating the dough takes a lot of patience *surprise, surprise* -- they  taste spot on. Besides, the best part of the bun is the filling, so who cares what it looks like on the outside.

I wanted to make a sweet version and a savory version, but being in quarantine has caused a lack of availability to certain ingredients, like miso paste, red bean paste, and coconut milk. This can be another lesson we take away from this quarantine: take advantage of what you have on hand! We've had a bottle of pre-made Korean BBQ sauce and some Gochujang paste in the fridge forever, and they finally got put to good use.

For the sweet filling, I made a sweet potato and Gochujang custard (so, so bomb) and the leftover custard can be turned into ice cream or creme brûlée, too! Gochujang is a sweet and spicy chili paste, and it works so well with the sweetness of the sweet potato. It adds the perfect little kick to the custard while still being a sweet treat.

For the savory filling, I made a Korean BBQ mushroom filling (kinda to mimic the traditional pork filling for steamed buns).

This might have been a time-consuming project, but it was a fun and fairly easy one for sure! You can also leave the buns empty, fold them in half, and steam them to make Banh Mi sandwiches- or fill with whatever your heart desires :)

Steamed Bun Dough

16 buns

• 2 cups cake flour

• 1 packet (2 tsp.) active dry yeast

• 1/2 cup luke-warm water (make sure it's just barely luke-warm or it will kill the yeast!)

• 5 tbs. granulated sugar

• 2 tsp. vegetable shortening

• 1 tsp. fine salt

• 2 tsp. baking powder

Mix the sugar and yeast into the warm water and stir. Let it sit to active the yeast for about 5 minutes (foam should rise to the top once activated). Meanwhile, mix your baking powder, salt, and flour together in a large mixing bowl. Once the yeast is activated, pour the water into the flour and fold with a spatula until the dough has started to form. Attach the dough paddle to the electric mixer and knead the dough on levels 4 or 6 for about 10 minutes, or until a really smooth dough has formed. Scrape down the sides, add the shortening, and knead again for about 5 minutes. The dough should slide off the paddle and not stick to the mixer- if it does- add more flour 1 tbs at a time.

You can knead by hand but it might take longer!

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for two hours so it can double in size.

To kill time, you can start on your fillings:

Korean BBQ Mushroom Filling

• 1 package (about 2 cups) of sliced mushrooms (you can use any kind- I used sliced shiitakes)

• 1/4 cup Korean BBQ sauce*

• 1/2 large white onion- chopped

• 2 cloves garlic- minced

• 1 inch knob of ginger- grated (or 1/2 tsp. dried ginger)

• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

• 1 tsp. salt + pinch of black pepper

• 2 tbs. rice wine vinegar

• 2 tsp. sesame oil

• 1 tbs. minced lemon grass (optional - I had some on hand and wanted to use it! Definitely recommend if you can find it!)

• 1/4 cup cooking oil

Heat the cooking oil over high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions, garlic, lemon grass, and ginger to the oil and stir until golden brown and caramelized. Add the spices and white wine vinegar. Lower to medium heat and add mushrooms. Stir every once in a while and let cook until the mushrooms start to get color. Add the Korean BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup water. Turn the heat to simmer, cover, and let cook for 3 more minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and let simmer until the majority of the sauce has condensed. Let cool until ready to use. 

* If you don't have Korean BBQ sauce on hand, make a little mixture of equal parts siracha/chili paste, brown sugar and soy sauce. 

Gochujang + Sweet Potato Custard Filling

• 1 large sweet potato - peeled, chopped, and boiled until soft

• 1 cup whole milk

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tbs. Gochujang paste

• 1/2 tsp. fine salt

• 1 tbs. all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup white chocolate - melted

In a pot, bring the milk to a low simmer and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Separate the egg yolks into a bowl and temper them by adding 3 tablespoons of the warm milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking quickly so the egg doesn't scramble. Add this mixture back into the pot and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk in quickly. Continue to cook the custard over a low simmer, stirring frequently, until the custard is thick and silky. It's OKAY if the mixture isn't completely smooth because it will be blended in the end.

In a blender, add the custard, boiled sweet potato chunks (strained from the boiling water), vanilla, and the Gochujang paste. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into a separate bowl and fold in the melted white chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

TO MAKE THE BUNS:

After the dough has risen, punch the air out of it, and on a lightly greased surface cut the dough into 16 pieces (each piece should weigh around 28 grams).

Cut 16 pieces of parchment paper in about 3 inch squares. 

Take each piece of dough and roll it out into a circle, with the middle being the thickest part and the outside being the thinnest (I used my hands, but you can also use a rolling pin). Add one tablespoon of either filling and fold each of the opposite sides in until you get a ball, then twist the top to secure. Just keep in mind this is not the professional way to do this, just an easy way I did it! If you want to make them like the real deal, look up a video on how to pleat and twist them!

I topped a few of mine with toasted sesame seeds. You will have to steam them in batches because they grow so much when cooking. 

Bring enough water to cover the bottom of a wok or a very large, deep pan to a boil. Put the bamboo basket in the wok/pan. Place your buns (I did 4 at a time) in the bamboo basket, each on a parchment paper piece. Cover and let steam for 7-10 minutes. Check them at 7 minutes and see if they are cooked (the outside should look gummy, but they should be firm to the touch). If not, cook for a few more minutes. 

Keep covered until ready to eat, they are best when eaten immediately after being cooked!

Eat up & stay safe :)