Get ready for the fall season and serve the most adorable snacks with sweet pumpkin red bean paste buns. Are you also preparing for Halloween? Add this Chinese treat selection to your Halloween festivities too! It is the perfect choice for a soft, sweet, and nutty snack that is easy to make with only a few ingredients.
All About Pumpkin Red Bean Paste Buns
Traditional dou sha bao, also known as “red bean buns” or “steamed red bean paste buns,” are typically made without pumpkin.
Pumpkin red bean paste bun is just like any other Chinese bun with a filling. It is made with a soft bun with a creamy and nutty filling in the center. What makes this bun unique is its pumpkin shape, which is actually made from steamed sliced pumpkins!
In this recipe, you will need pumpkin puree, yeast, sugar, flour, and lard to make the dough. You can make the dough plant-based by swapping lard with vegetable shortening or plant-based butter. The recipe calls for kneading the dough until smooth and turning it into flat circular dough wrappers.
Creativity is also put into play for this recipe as you need to shape the buns into a pumpkin-like appearance. But don’t worry! It’s quite easy, as simple as making curved lines around the bun.
What Is Red Bean Paste And Where To Get It?
The special feature of this bun is its red bean paste filling. Red bean paste is a popular sweet paste used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean treats like mooncakes and glutinous rice balls. It is also known as adzuki bean paste, red bean jam, or hong dou sha (红豆沙).
This filling is made from red beans or adzuki beans and is often mixed with sugar and oil of choice. However, some red bean paste filling recipes do not incorporate sugar and oil anymore for a healthier alternative. The process of making this filling involves soaking the red beans before boiling and blending.
It is blended until smooth and cooked on low heat in a pan with sugar and oil. Eventually, the filling should thicken and become paste-like. Follow my red bean paste recipe to learn more about how to make your own for this bun.
If you do not have time to make your own red bean paste, you can find store-bought alternatives in several Chinese or local Asian grocery stores. White bean paste is another close alternative to red bean paste if it is not available. You can also try looking for this paste in online stores like Amazon.
Ingredients To Make The Pumpkin Bun Dough
To wrap the filling, you will need to make the dough wrappers. In this recipe, the dough is a mix of steamed pumpkin slices, yeast, sugar, flour, and lard. There are a few things to keep in mind about each ingredient. So, I took the liberty to share them below to make the perfect bun for you.
- Pumpkin puree: Traditionally, the dough of a Chinese bun is mixed with warm water. However, we use pumpkin puree instead of water to create a yellow pumpkin color for a pumpkin-like appearance. The color of your buns may depend on the type of pumpkin used, as some may produce light or darker colors. You can use fresh pumpkin slices or canned pumpkin puree.
- Flour: The base of the dough is made with flour. You can use all-purpose flour for a soft and fluffy bun. Avoid flour like whole wheat flour, rice flour, and glutinous rice flour since they will produce a different texture not suitable for a Chinese bun.
- Yeast: Yeast is an important ingredient in making the buns rise and airy. You can use instant or active dry yeast, but just make sure to check if the type of yeast you use requires diluting with water first before adding it to the rest of the dry ingredients. One thing to note with yeast is that it can be killed in hot temperatures between 120°F and 140°F. If the yeast is killed, it will not activate the rising process, resulting in a flat bun.
- Sugar: An optional ingredient that can speed up the activation process of the yeast is sugar. If you don’t know yet, the yeast actually feeds on sugar and then converts it into carbon dioxide and ethanol. These two elements are important in making the buns rise and airy. Additionally, sugar also adds a bit of sweetness to the bun and counters the yeast and flour taste.
- Lard: Lard is also an optional ingredient but helps make the buns soft and moist. You can learn how to make lard from my recipe. This type of semi-solid fat is made from 100% pork fat. If you prefer animal-free fat, you can use vegetable shortening, plant-based butter, or vegetable oil.
Make The Best Pumpkin Bun With These Tips
The right ingredients are important, but kneading and proofing the dough is also crucial. You may not get the desired results if you do not knead or proof the dough correctly.
I have provided a few helpful tips and tricks below to help you create the perfect soft and fluffy buns regardless of whether you are making them for the first time or not.
- The dough should be smooth and soft like clay.
- If the dough is too stiff, add more puree. If the dough is too watery, add more flour. Keep adjusting the ingredients until you get the right consistency. Remember, add the ingredients in small amounts as you do not want to overdo it.
- It helps if you have a kitchen scale and thermometer to get the measurements right. A kitchen scale helps give you the accurate weight needed for each ingredient, whereas a kitchen thermometer can give you peace of mind that the pumpkin puree is not too hot for the yeast.
- Achieve a smooth dough by kneading it with your hands by repeatedly pressing and folding. Doing this step removes air pockets and clumps. If there is air left, the bun will surely break during the steaming process.
- The proofing time should not be too long or too short.
- The buns usually proof for 30 minutes to an hour until they are 1.5 to 2 times their original size.
- Over-proofing and under-proofing are both undesirable in bun making. A dough that is over-proofed will crumble and taste sour. On the other hand, an under-proofed dough will result in a flat bun because the activation process of the yeast is not completed.
- The proofing time is affected by the environment‘s temperature.
- The hotter the environment, the faster the proofing time is. On the other hand, the colder the environment, the slower the proofing time. So if it is a hot summer day, keep watch on the buns as you don’t want to overproof them.
- For cold winter days, you can speed up the proofing time by placing the buns in the microwave, oven, or steamer with a cup of boiled water inside. In this way, it creates a warmer environment for the buns.
- Dough that has been proofed properly shows the following signs:
- Size: After proofing, the buns should be 1.5 or 2 times larger.
- Scent: You can smell the wheat and yeast aroma. It shouldn’t be unpleasant.
- Texture: When lightly pressed, the dough should return to its original shape.
Ingredients And Kitchen Tools To Prepare
The only special equipment needed is a steamer. If you don’t have a steamer, it’s okay! You can still steam buns without a steamer in several ways.
As for the other tools needed, they are optional and can easily be replaced by other appropriate kitchenware. Here’s what you need to get started with the recipe.
Kitchen Tools
- Steamer
- Potato masher or fork for mashing
- Mixing bowl
- Chopping board or flat surface for kneading
- Dough cutter or knife
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 190g pumpkin (peeled and steamed)
- 3g yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 300g flour
- 1 tsp lard
- 12 pieces of 20g red bean paste
Instructions To Make Pumpkin Red Bean Paste Buns
Before doing the recipe steps below, I recommend watching my Instagram or TikTok tutorial guide on how to make pumpkin red bean paste buns. Have you finished creating this bun? Tag @kitchenmisadventures and let me know what you think!
Steam the sliced pumpkins in a steamer until they become soft enough to mash. While the pumpkin is still hot, mash it into a smooth puree using a potato masher.
Set aside and let cool down for later use.
In the meantime, prepare 12 pieces of red bean paste, each weighing about 20 grams. You can add more flavors by using other paste fillings such as taro paste, yam paste, and black sesame filling.
Use a kitchen thermometer if you have one to check if the pumpkin puree is warm and not hot. As mentioned, a temperature of 120°F to 140°F can kill the yeast. So, make sure the pumpkin puree is below these temperatures.
When the pumpkin puree is cool enough for the yeast, add the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix them well.
Then, add flour until the mixture forms clumps. Next, add a teaspoon of lard.
Knead the mixture into a dough ball.
Place the dough on a chopping board or flat surface and continue kneading until smooth.
Roll the dough into a long tube and divide it into 12 equal parts.
Take a piece of the dough and flatten it into a small circular dough wrapper.
Place a piece of red bean paste in the center and wrap the dough around it, shaping it into a bun.
Gently roll the bun to make it rounder and smoother. You can dust a bit of flour during this step to make it easier to handle.
Create a pumpkin-like appearance by marking lines around the buns. Use a spatula, knife, or dough cutter for this step.
After creating the pumpkin lines, pinch the top center of the bun to make a pointed stem to complete the pumpkin shape.
Put the pumpkin buns on a steamer basket lined with parchment paper and let them rest for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, bring the water to a boil and steam the buns for 12 minutes.
Let the buns sit for an additional 3 minutes before serving.
Loved this recipe? Try my other bun recipes for a sweet or savory snack, such as beef bao bun, char siu bao, sugar bun, and purple sweet potato bun, to name a few.
Soft And Sweet Pumpkin Red Bean Paste Buns
Equipment
- Steamer
- Potato masher or fork for mashing
- Mixing bowl
- Chopping board or flat surface for kneading
- Dough cutter or knife
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 190 g pumpkin peeled and steamed
- 3 g yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 300 g flour
- 1 tsp lard
- 12 pieces of 20g red bean paste
Instructions
- Steam the sliced pumpkins in a steamer until they become soft enough to mash.
- While the pumpkin is still hot, mash it into a smooth puree using a potato masher.
- Set aside and let cool down for later use.
- In the meantime, prepare 12 pieces of red bean paste, each weighing about 20 grams. You can add more flavors by using other paste fillings such as taro paste, yam paste, and black sesame filling.
- Use a kitchen thermometer if you have one to check if the pumpkin puree is warm and not hot. As mentioned, a temperature of 120°F to 140°F can kill the yeast. So, make sure the pumpkin puree is below these temperatures.
- When the pumpkin puree is cool enough for the yeast, add the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix them well.
- Then, add flour until the mixture forms clumps.
- Next, add a teaspoon of lard.
- Knead the mixture into a dough ball.
- Place the dough on a chopping board or flat surface and continue kneading until smooth.
- Roll the dough into a long tube and divide it into 12 equal parts.
- Take a piece of the dough and flatten it into a small circular dough wrapper.
- Place a piece of red bean paste in the center and wrap the dough around it, shaping it into a bun.
- Gently roll the bun to make it rounder and smoother. You can dust a bit of flour during this step to make it easier to handle.
- Create a pumpkin-like appearance by marking lines around the buns. Use a spatula, knife, or dough cutter for this step.
- After creating the pumpkin lines, pinch the top center of the bun to make a pointed stem to complete the pumpkin shape.
- Put the pumpkin buns on a steamer basket lined with parchment paper and let them rest for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, bring the water to a boil and steam the buns for 12 minutes.
- Let the buns sit for an additional 3 minutes before serving.
