Homemade Black Sesame Buns

Homemade black sesame buns are a delightful treat that combines the rich, nutty flavor of black sesame with soft, fluffy steamed buns. The dough is incredibly soft, and the sesame filling is rich, fragrant, and perfectly balanced—not too sweet and not greasy. Once you try these homemade buns, you’ll never want to buy them again.

Why I Love Black Sesame Buns

Black sesame buns, also known as “hei zhi ma bao” (黑芝麻包) in Chinese, are a type of steamed bun filled with a rich, fragrant black sesame paste. These buns are popular in many Asian cuisines and are loved for their unique nutty flavor and soft, fluffy texture.

Perfect as a snack, breakfast, or dessert, black sesame buns are both delicious and satisfying. Making them at home allows you to control the sweetness and ensures a fresher, more flavorful bun than what you might find in stores.

I like to make a batch of buns and freeze them for later use. This way, whenever I need a quick and delicious snack or meal, I can just take some buns out of the freezer and put them directly into the steamer.

Serving the buns with porridge makes for a perfect breakfast that my whole family enjoys.

Black Sesame Seeds

I make two types of dough for the black sesame buns: one with black sesame seeds and one without. The black sesame seeds I use are cooked, meaning they have been toasted to bring out their rich, nutty flavor.

Toasting the seeds enhances their aroma and makes them more flavorful. If you are using raw black sesame seeds, it’s important to toast them properly to achieve the best results. Here’s how you can do it:

• Heat a dry skillet or pan over medium heat: Make sure the skillet or pan is completely dry before you start.
• Add the black sesame seeds: Spread them evenly across the surface of the skillet or pan.
• Toast them, stirring frequently: Keep stirring the seeds to ensure they toast evenly and don’t burn. You’ll notice the seeds becoming fragrant and slightly golden brown. This process typically takes a few minutes.
• Be careful not to burn them: Black sesame seeds can quickly go from toasted to burnt, which makes them bitter. Keep a close eye on them as they toast.
• Remove from heat and let cool completely: Once toasted, transfer the seeds to a plate or tray to cool. This stops the cooking process and prevents them from burning further in the hot skillet.

Flour

When it comes to making buns, many people are curious about what type of flour to use. I suggest using all-purpose flour to make the dough base.

Ingredients

Fillings

Black Sesame Paste:

• Toasted Black sesame seeds: 180g
• Toasted peanuts: 50g
• Sugar: 70g
• Water: 45ml
• Lard: 70g

The Black Dough:

• Plain flour: 300g
• Black sesame powder: 30g
• White granulated sugar: 5g
• Yeast: 3g
• Warm water: 180ml

The White Dough:

• Plain flour: 300g
• White granulated sugar: 5g
• Yeast: 3g
• Warm water: 160ml
• Lard: 1 tsp

Instructions

1. Prepare the Black Sesame Paste

1. Blend 180g of cooked black sesame seeds into a fine powder, then blend 50g of cooked peanuts into a fine powder as well. Lastly, blend 70g of white granulated sugar into a fine powder. Mix the sesame powder with the powdered peanuts and sugar until well combined.
2. Add 45ml of water and 70g of lard to the mixture, adjusting the lard to achieve your desired texture.
3. Mix everything well until you get a smooth paste.
4. Freeze the paste for about 30 minutes.
5. Once firm, roll the black sesame paste into balls of approximately 15g each.

2. Make the Dough (While Freezing the Black Sesame Paste)

Black Dough:

1. In a large bowl, combine 300g of plain flour, 30g of black sesame powder (ground from black sesame seeds), 5g of granulated sugar, and 3g of yeast.
2. Add 180ml of warm water and 1 tsp of lard to the mixture.
3. Knead the ingredients together until you have a smooth dough.
4. Cover the dough with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, which takes about 45 minutes.
5. After the dough has risen, knead it again to release any trapped air and make it smooth. Divide the risen dough into 12 equal portions.
6. Roll each portion into a disc with the center slightly thicker than the edges.

White Dough: Follow the same method as the black dough.

7. In a separate bowl, combine 300g of plain flour, 5g of white granulated sugar, and 3g of yeast.
8. Add 160ml of warm water and 1 tsp of lard to the mixture.
9. Knead the ingredients together until you have a smooth dough.
10. Cover the dough with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, which takes about 45 minutes.
11. After the dough has risen, knead it again to release any trapped air and make it smooth. Divide the risen dough into 12 equal portions.
12. Roll each portion into a disc with the center slightly thicker than the edges.

3. Fill and Shape the Buns

1. Place a 15g ball of black sesame filling in the center of each dough disc.
2. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pinching them together to seal. Make sure the seam is secure to prevent the filling from leaking out during steaming.
3. Press some sesame seeds on top of each bun for decoration.

4. Second Proofing and Steaming

1. Fill a pot with warm water and place the buns in a steamer above the water for faster proofing, about 20 minutes. If it’s hot weather, you can let the buns rise naturally.
2. Steam the buns for 15 minutes after the water comes to a boil.
3. Turn off the heat and allow the buns to rest for 3 minutes before opening the lid to check.

Print Pin

Homemade Black Sesame Buns

Homemade black sesame buns are a delightful treat that combines the rich, nutty flavor of black sesame with soft, fluffy steamed buns. Follow my step by step guide to make these buns.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 503kcal

Ingredients

Black Sesame Paste:

• 180 g Cooked Black sesame seeds
• 50 g Cooked peanuts
• 70 g Sugar
• 45 ml Water
• 70 g Lard

The Black Dough:

• 300 g Plain flour
• 30 g Black sesame powder
• 5 g White granulated sugar
• 3 g Yeast
• 180 ml Warm water

The White Dough:

• 300 g Plain flour
• 5 g White granulated sugar
• 3 g Yeast
• 160 ml Warm water
• 1 tsp Lard

Instructions

Prepare the Black Sesame Paste

• Blend 180g of cooked black sesame seeds into a fine powder, then blend 50g of cooked peanuts into a fine powder as well. Lastly, blend 70g of white granulated sugar into a fine powder. Mix the sesame powder with the powdered peanuts and sugar until well combined.
• Add 45ml of water and 70g of lard to the mixture, adjusting the lard to achieve your desired texture.
• Mix everything well until you get a smooth paste.
• Freeze the paste for about 30 minutes.
• Once firm, roll the black sesame paste into balls of approximately 15g each.

Make the Dough (While Freezing the Black Sesame Paste)

• Black Dough:
• In a large bowl, combine 300g of plain flour, 30g of black sesame powder (ground from black sesame seeds), 5g of granulated sugar, and 3g of yeast.
• Add 180ml of warm water and 1 tsp of lard to the mixture.
• Knead the ingredients together until you have a smooth dough.
• Cover the dough with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, which takes about 45 minutes.
• After the dough has risen, knead it again to release any trapped air and make it smooth. Divide the risen dough into 12 equal portions.
• Roll each portion into a disc with the center slightly thicker than the edges.
• White Dough: Follow the same method as the black dough.
• In a separate bowl, combine 300g of plain flour, 5g of white granulated sugar, and 3g of yeast.
• Add 160ml of warm water and 1 tsp of lard to the mixture.
• Knead the ingredients together until you have a smooth dough.
• Cover the dough with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, which takes about 45 minutes.
• After the dough has risen, knead it again to release any trapped air and make it smooth. Divide the risen dough into 12 equal portions.
• Roll each portion into a disc with the center slightly thicker than the edges.

Fill and Shape the Buns

• Place a 15g ball of black sesame filling in the center of each dough disc.
• Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pinching them together to seal. Make sure the seam is secure to prevent the filling from leaking out during steaming.
• Press some sesame seeds on top of each bun for decoration.

Second Proofing and Steaming

• Fill a pot with warm water and place the buns in a steamer above the water for faster proofing, about 20 minutes. If it's hot weather, you can let the buns rise naturally.
• Steam the buns for 15 minutes after the water comes to a boil.
• Turn off the heat and allow the buns to rest for 3 minutes before opening the lid to check.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 472IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 8mg