Longevity Buns (Birthday Bao) 寿桃豆沙包
Symbolizing longevity/immortality, these peach shaped Baozi are a classic to have at the end of a birthday banquet, and a great chance to show you how to make some homemade bean paste.
So we wanted to teach you how to make a Baozi that look like a peach. Why make a Baozi that looks like peach, you might ask? Well, it's this old school thing to make for people's birthdays.. and a practice we think should maybe make a bit of a comeback.
You might already know, peaches in China've long been this symbol of longevity and immortality. You can see it throughout history in art, literature, folklore… the most famous story probably coming from journey to the west, when the Monkey King stole some peaches of immortality and caused a whole hubbub.
Besides the symbolism, they are a tasty and impressive looking Baozi that're honestly not all that much work, and great to surprise your friends or family at a birthday party.
Rinsed Red Bean Paste (洗沙):
Red Adzuki Beans (红豆), 250g.
For boiling:
Cool water, 1 liter.
Sodium carbonate (碱面), ¼ tsp or Kan Sui (枧水), ½ tsp.
For frying:
Neutral oil, 100g.
Granulated Sugar, 50g.*
Brown Sugar, 100g.
*Note: Taste your bean paste! If at the end of the cooking process it's not quite sweet enough, add more granulated sugar to taste. We like our bean paste a little less sweet - if you like yours sweeter, I'd guess you might want to add another 25-50g of sugar.
Process:
Soak 250g thoroughly rinsed red adzuki beans in water (1 inch over beans) overnight.
Next day, cook beans in a pot with 1L cool water and ¼ tsp sodium carbonate, bring to boil first, then simmer over medium-low for 1 hour, stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
Transfer cooked beans to a bowl and begin rinsing process for xisha (rinsed bean paste).
You want to use a strainer and fine mesh cloth bag setup, place the bean in the strainer, ladle water over beans, pressing with a spoon.
The bean paste will be in the cloth bag, leaving the hulls in strainer. Continue rinsing until the strainer contains only hulls.
Remove the hulls and squeeze the liquid out from the cloth bag (don't worry about getting it all).
To fry the paste, take what you have in the bag, put it in a pot first and mix in 100g neutral oil. Then add in 50g granulated sugar and 100g brown sugar.
Turn the heat to medium-low, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes.
What you’re looking for is the paste thickened into a smooth paste that resists when pulled with spatula, and it will stand in place without sliding back (see picture below).
Then set aside and reserve. Unused portion can be frozen for long-term storage.
The Peach Bao:
All purpose flour (普通面粉/中筋面粉), 200g.
Water, 110g.
Sugar, 10g.
Lard (猪油) or shortening, 4g.
Active dry yeast (酵母), 2g (¾ tsp).
Baking powder (泡打粉), 2g (½ tsp).
Additional ingredients:
Green food coloring, just a touch.
Red food coloring, 1 drop mixed in with 3 tbsp water.
Red bean paste, 120g (20g per Baozi).
Process:
To make the main dough, first split 110g water between two bowls. Dissolve 10g sugar in one, 2g yeast in the other.
Mix 200g flour and 2g (½ tsp) baking powder in a large bowl, add in the sugar water and yeast water, mix until shaggy. Knead for about 8 minutes until smooth, then add in 4g lard, knead for 2 more minutes.
Now let’s prepare some peach leaves. Set aside 12g dough and add a tiny drop of green food coloring. Mix the color in evenly, roll into a small stick and cut into 6 even pieces.
Each piece will make two leaves. So take one piece, split in half, roll them into cigar shape, press flat with a bench scraper, then use the bench scraper to cut out the veins of a leaf. Repeat and make 12 leaves, store them under plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
For the main bao dough, pass the dough through pasta maker on thickest setting 7 times, fold it in half between passes. (Split the dough in half and work on it seperately if work surface is small.)
Roll the smooth sheet up into a log, then cut it into six 50g-sections (one section for one bao).
Before final wrapping, prepare the coloring and the filling. Mix 1 drop red food coloring with 3 tbsp water. Portion 20g bean paste for each bun.
To make the peach bao, first flatten each dough section by pressing it with your palm, pinch it close and roll the seamed side on the work surface to shape it into ball.
Then flatten the ball into a saucer shape (thinner on the outside and thicker on the inside). Place 20g bean paste ball in center, wrap it up and seal (no need for pleats).
With a rough ball-shaped ball in hand, place it seamed side down, pinch the smooth top into a pointed tip, then create the “peach seam” with a bench scraper.
To finish the peach look, take a toothbrush, dip some red food coloring, brush it on a strainer over the bun to create a pink mist. Then take a leave, slightly moisten the flat side, and stick it on one side of the bao, repeat with the other side of the leaf.
Then, place the baos on cut out parchment paper, proof in a steamer over 35C water until the bao slowly bounces back when pressed. (Proofing time will likely be very short in a hot and humid condition, e.g. ~5 minutes in 30C/80% humidity. (Over proofing will result in wrinkly peach skin.)
Then steam over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, turn off heat and let it sit for 2 more minutes.
Then the peach bao is ready.
You can freeze them once completely cool down. To reheat, no need to thaw, steam directly over boiling water on high for 10 minutes. Stays well in air tight bag in the freezer for 3 months.