Is there anything you love more than cute and creative food decorations? In this fun recipe, you get to make steamed piggy buns with a delicious eggy custard filling. It is an adorable way to have Chinese steamed buns with the kids using just 5 simple ingredients. Serve this for birthdays, celebrations, or holiday events!
What To Love About Steamed Piggy Buns
Bao or Chinese steamed buns like Cha Siu Bao and Nai Wong Bao are classic dim sum items, but it’s worth noting that not all steamed buns fall under the dim sum category. Today’s piggy bun, with its fluffy texture and adorable appearance, is sure to secure a spot on the dim sum menu.
From savory beef bao bun to sweet sugar bun, you can choose your desired filling whether you want it for a light meal or a sweet snack. In this recipe, you are going to learn all about steamed piggy buns with custard filling.
Making this bun is just like any other bun using the typical dough ingredients, such as flour, white sugar, yeast, and warm water. I use the same ingredients to make the ears and nose but with a mix of pink food coloring to make it look like a typical pink pig. The process of making the dough includes the usual steps, such as kneading, shaping, letting it rise, and steaming.
The egg custard filling I use is actually from my recipe, Cantonese Steamed Egg Custard Buns (Nai Wong Bao). However, it is up to you whether you want to make it sweet or savory by choosing your favorite filling or from my suggestions below.
If you love cute-looking buns or pastries, why not pair these piggy buns with these recipes as well?
- Pumpkin-Shaped Red Bean Paste Buns
- Spotted Black Sesame Steamed Buns
- Peach Buns (Steamed Shoutao Bao)
- Yummy Chinese Pumpkin Cake
- Pineapple Cake
- Flower Mung Bean Cake (No-Bake)
The Basics Of Making Steamed Piggy Buns
Making steamed buns for the first time? Don’t skip this section if you want to learn more about the ingredients and recipe techniques. I listed below some ingredient alternatives, as well as do’s and don’ts in the recipe steps in order to achieve desirable results on your first try.
The Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: The base of the bun is made with all-purpose flour, which makes it white, soft, and fluffy. Generally, low-gluten or medium to low-gluten flour is usable for a bun, but there will be differences in texture. For instance, using low-gluten flour like cake flour will make it fluffy but not as chewy as all-purpose flour. Remember to avoid other special flours like glutinous rice flour since this is not intended for buns and will make it sticky and chewy.
- Yeast: This is the key ingredient in making the buns rise. It allows the buns to rise during resting and after steaming. If you want to mix the yeast directly with the rest of the dough ingredients, I suggest using instant yeast, quick rise, or fast rising yeast. Other types of yeast require mixing with warm water first before adding to the flour.
- Sugar: Not only does sugar counter the flavors of flour and yeast, but it also helps in speeding up the fermentation process of the yeast. Yeast feeds on sugar and converts it into carbon dioxide and ethanol, the two components that make the buns rise and airy. You can use white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, cane sugar, or muscovado.
- Warm water: I emphasize using “warm” water to help activate the yeast. The temperature of the water should be between 100°F and 110°F to start the fermentation process. If the temperature is 120°F or more, it will start to kill the yeast. Once the temperature is 140°F or higher, the yeast is completely killed. A killed yeast will not start the activation process, which will cause the buns to remain flat and unrisen. So whether you are using milk or water, make sure the temperature is warm and not too hot. Don’t risk wasting a batch of dough by using a kitchen thermometer to ensure you are within the correct temperature.
- Pink dough: To make the pink ears and nose, I get a portion of the kneaded dough and mix it with pink food dye powder. If you have access to natural food coloring, that’s better! You can color it naturally with pink beetroot, strawberry, or raspberry juice. If you want to go crazy with a variety of colors, use green matcha powder, purple potato flour, or green spinach powder.
- Filling: Choose any filling you like! The filling should be paste-like in texture and not runny. If it is too watery, it will burst out of the buns when opened and leak out. In this recipe, I use egg custard for a sweet, creamy, and mild eggy flavor. Make this in advance to allow it to firm up and cut your cooking time short for the buns.
- To make the filling, follow my detailed guide here – Cantonese Steamed Egg Custard Buns. Here’s a summary of the steps:
- Whisk the egg yolks, white sugar, milk, milk powder, flour, cornstarch, and butter in a mixing bowl and strain it with a strainer.
- Cook on low heat and stir continuously until thick and pasty to form round balls.
- For a variety of flavors, you can also use the following fillings:
Frequently Asked Questions In Making Buns
Here are some common questions worth reading about making the bun’s dough. I share my tips and techniques when it comes to kneading, resting, and adjusting the consistency of the dough. You will learn the importance of these steps in creating the ideal steamed bun texture.
- Can I skip the resting step? Resting is done after kneading the dough and before steaming it. This step is essential in letting the gluten relax, eventually making the dough hold its shape better. After allowing the dough to rest, you can easily mold the dough according to your desired shape without being too sticky or soft. So, make sure to do this step.
- What is proofing? Proofing is the last step before steaming it. During the proofing step, the buns should rise and increase in size about 1.5 to 2 times bigger. This happens thanks to the fermentation process of the yeast, which allows the buns to become airy. You will do this step for about 30 minutes after forming the piggy buns with ears and nose.
- What is the recommended proofing time? It should rest until it increases in size. Do not leave it to rest for too long or too short. A dough that has been over-proofed will crumble because of too much air, while a dough that has been under-proofed won’t be able to finish the fermentation process and will result in unrisened bread.
- How can temperature affect the proofing process? The proofing process is sped up by a warmer environment, so keep an eye on the dough to avoid over-proofing it. In contrast, proofing takes longer in colder weather. On cold days, you can speed up the proofing process by putting the dough in the oven or steamer with a cup of boiled water next to it.
- What results should I expect after proofing? It should increase in size, about 1.5 to 2 times bigger. Moreover, the texture should be smooth and bouncy, while the smell should be similar to wheat.
- How can I adjust the dough‘s consistency? Even if you use a kitchen weighing scale, the brand and type of flour you use can affect the dough’s consistency. It depends on how well the flour absorbs moisture. You want to knead it until it becomes a smooth dough that is not sticky or watery. If the dough is too soft or watery, add more flour. If the dough is too stiff to work with, add more water. Make sure to adjust gradually in small increments to avoid overdoing it.
Kitchenware & Ingredients For Steamed Piggy Buns
Prepare a steamer lined with parchment paper to steam the piggy buns. If you don’t have a steamer, you can still steam buns without a steamer in 5 DIY methods: pan with steamer rack, microwave, pan with sieve, rice cooker, and instant pot. I used a kneading machine to make kneading a little bit easier, but you can go with the traditional method by using your hands.
To make the ears and nose, I used a mini cookie cutter. Look for a heart-shaped cookie cutter for the ears and an oval or circle for the nose. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use a knife to make the shapes, but cutting will take a while.
Lastly, use black beans for the eyes. You can also use black edible sugar pearls as an alternative or color a small portion of the dough black with black food coloring. Here’s everything you need to prepare:
Kitchenware
- Kneading machine (or simply your hands for manual kneading)
- Dough cutter or knife
- Plastic wrap
- Mini cookie cutter for ears and nose (or knife for shaping)
- Rolling pin
- Skewer or any object to pierce the nose
- Parchment paper
- Steamer with lid
Ingredients
- 200g of flour
- 20g of white sugar
- 2g of yeast
- 110g of warm water
- Pink food dye powder or pink beetroot juice
- Black beans for the eyes (or black edible sugar pearls)
- Egg custard (from Cantonese Steamed Egg Custard Buns)
- 4 egg yolks
- 50g white sugar
- 180g milk
- 30g milk powder
- 40g all-purpose flour
- 40g cornstarch
- 30g butter
How To Make Steamed Piggy Buns
You can cut the recipe short if you have already prepared the filling in advance. Basically, you need to knead the dough, combine it with the filling, and shape the bun into a pig before steaming. Watch the steps on my Instagram or TikTok tutorial videos and remember to tag @kitchenmisadventures to share your cute buns!
- Prepare the egg custard or your desired paste Shape the filling into round balls, smaller than the size of the round dough you are going to make in the next steps.
- In a bowl or kneading machine, add flour, white sugar, yeast, and warm water. Knead until smooth and pliable.
- Roll the dough into a long cylinder and divide it into 48g portions using a dough cutter. Set aside a small portion for the pink food dye powder.
- Shape each portion into round balls, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest as you make the pink dough.
- Make a pink dough with the set-aside portion by kneading it with pink food dye powder.
- Flatten the pink dough with a rolling pin and cut out the nose and ears with a cookie cutter or knife.
- Take your white dough and flatten it into a slightly thick circular wrapper. It should not be too thin to be able to hold the custard filling.
- Place the round custard filling in the center and seal it to form round buns. Seal it by pinching the edges together and rolling it into a smooth ball.
- Attach the ears and nose, pierce through the nose to form nostrils, and use black beans for the eyes.
- Place the piggy buns in the steamer lined with parchment paper and let them rise for about 30 minutes. Make sure it is covered with a lid.
- After letting the buns rise, cook them in cold water first. Once the water boils, steam for 12 minutes.
- Enjoy these bouncy and adorable piggy buns as a snack, sweet dessert, or breakfast meal with coffee or tea. If you decide to store it in the fridge, you can make the buns taste fresh again by re-steaming them.
Steamed Piggy Buns With Custard Filling
Equipment
- Kneading machine (or simply your hands for manual kneading)
- Dough cutter or knife
- Plastic wrap
- Mini cookie cutter for ears and nose (or knife for shaping)
- Rolling Pin
- Skewer or any object to pierce the nose
- Parchment paper
- Steamer with lid
Ingredients
- 200 g of flour
- 20 g of white sugar
- 2 g of yeast
- 110 g of warm water
- Pink food dye powder or pink beetroot juice
- Black beans for the eyes or black edible sugar pearls
Egg custard (from Cantonese Steamed Egg Custard Buns)
- 4 egg yolks
- 50 g white sugar
- 180 g milk
- 30 g milk powder
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g cornstarch
- 30 g butter
Instructions
- Prepare the egg custard or your desired paste Shape the filling into round balls, smaller than the size of the round dough you are going to make in the next steps.
- In a bowl or kneading machine, add flour, white sugar, yeast, and warm water. Knead until smooth and pliable.
- Roll the dough into a long cylinder and divide it into 48g portions using a dough cutter. Set aside a small portion for the pink food dye powder.
- Shape each portion into round balls, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest as you make the pink dough.
- Make a pink dough with the set-aside portion by kneading it with pink food dye powder.
- Flatten the pink dough with a rolling pin and cut out the nose and ears with a cookie cutter or knife.
- Take your white dough and flatten it into a slightly thick circular wrapper. It should not be too thin to be able to hold the custard filling.
- Place the round custard filling in the center and seal it to form round buns. Seal it by pinching the edges together and rolling it into a smooth ball.
- Attach the ears and nose, pierce through the nose to form nostrils, and use black beans for the eyes.
- Place the piggy buns in the steamer lined with parchment paper and let them rise for about 30 minutes. Make sure it is covered with a lid.
- After letting the buns rise, cook them in cold water first. Once the water boils, steam for 12 minutes.
