These soft, fluffy steamed rolls filled with sweet red bean paste make a delightful treat, perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. The tender dough is rolled and scored for a beautiful appearance and delicious bite.
Red Bean Paste Rolls
These red bean rolls are a delightful variation of Red Bean Paste Buns. While they may appear complex, they are actually quite easy to make and are guaranteed to succeed if you follow my steps.
If you’re interested in Chinese buns, I highly recommend trying this recipe. It’s simple and perfect for beginners!
A perfect bun should have a soft and fluffy skin, complemented by the ideal filling.
I’ve shared several bun recipes and Chinese leavened dough recipes, including:
You can use any of these recipes to create the dough. For this particular roll, I prefer using the dough from the Red Bean Paste Buns, as it yields a wonderfully light and tender result.
Red bean paste fillings
Red bean paste is a sweet filling made from adzuki beans, often used in Chinese desserts, including tang sui (sweet soups) like red bean soup with sago. It has a rich, earthy flavor and can be smooth or chunky in texture.
It’s often used in tang yuan (glutinous rice balls), such as Red Bean Paste Tang Yuan, as well as in mochi varieties like Pumpkin Mochi.
Additionally, red bean paste is featured in various pastries, including Bean Sticky Rice Cake and Chinese Pumpkin Cake. This versatility makes it a beloved ingredient in many traditional sweets.
If you have the time, I highly recommend making your own red bean paste at home. This way, you can control the sweetness and customize the ingredients.
I sometimes use store-bought paste since it’s easy to find in China—you can buy it tonight and have it by tomorrow morning.
For alternative fillings, you might try purple sweet potato paste, taro paste, black sesame paste, or winter melon paste.
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 3g instant yeast (about 1 teaspoon)
- 5g sugar (about 1 teaspoon)
- 160g warm water (around 40°C/104°F)
- 10g corn oil (about 2 teaspoons)
Filling:
- 120g red bean paste (15g per roll, 8 rolls total)
Instructions:
Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine 300g of all-purpose flour, 3g of instant yeast, and 5g of sugar. Gradually add 160g of warm water while stirring until the mixture forms a shaggy dough.
Add Oil and Knead: Add 10g of corn oil to the dough. Knead the dough in the bowl or transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough feels sticky, dust lightly with flour, but keep it minimal to maintain a soft texture.
Divide the Dough: Shape the dough into a log and divide it into 8 equal portions, each weighing about 60g. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
Fill with Red Bean Paste: Take one portion of dough and flatten it into a circle using your hands or a rolling pin. Place 15g of red bean paste in the center, fold the edges over the filling, and pinch to seal tightly. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Shape the Rolls: Place each filled dough ball seam-side down and roll each filled dough ball into an elongated oval shape. Use a knife to score the surface, creating even, parallel lines without cutting too deeply. This step adds texture and a decorative look to the rolls.
Roll and Seal: Roll the dough tightly into a log shape and pinch the ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Rise: Place each shaped roll on a piece of parchment paper and arrange them in the steamer, ensuring there’s enough space between each roll for expansion during steaming. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Steam the Rolls: Fill a steamer with water and bring it to a boil. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
Finish and Serve: After steaming, turn off the heat and let the rolls sit in the steamer for 3 minutes to prevent shrinkage. Carefully remove them and let them cool slightly before serving.
Tips:
- Use warm (not hot) water for the dough to activate the yeast properly without killing it.
- Ensure the rolls are well-sealed to prevent the filling from leaking during steaming.
Steamed Red Bean Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g instant yeast about 1 teaspoon
- 5 g sugar about 1 teaspoon
- 160 g warm water around 40°C/104°F
- 10 g corn oil about 2 teaspoons
Filling:
- 120 g red bean paste 15g per roll, 8 rolls total
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine 300g of all-purpose flour, 3g of instant yeast, and 5g of sugar. Gradually add 160g of warm water while stirring until the mixture forms a shaggy dough.
- Add Oil and Knead: Add 10g of corn oil to the dough. Knead the dough in the bowl or transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough feels sticky, dust lightly with flour, but keep it minimal to maintain a soft texture.
- Divide the Dough: Shape the dough into a log and divide it into 8 equal portions, each weighing about 60g. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
- Fill with Red Bean Paste: Take one portion of dough and flatten it into a circle using your hands or a rolling pin. Place 15g of red bean paste in the center, fold the edges over the filling, and pinch to seal tightly. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Shape the Rolls: Place each filled dough ball seam-side down and roll each filled dough ball into an elongated oval shape. Use a knife to score the surface, creating even, parallel lines without cutting too deeply. This step adds texture and a decorative look to the rolls.
- Roll and Seal: Roll the dough tightly into a log shape and pinch the ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Rise and Steam: Place each shaped roll on a piece of parchment paper and arrange them in the steamer, ensuring there's enough space between each roll for expansion during steaming. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Steam the Rolls: Fill a steamer with water and bring it to a boil. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
- Finish and Serve: After steaming, turn off the heat and let the rolls sit in the steamer for 3 minutes to prevent shrinkage. Carefully remove them and let them cool slightly before serving.
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