Print

Vegan Bolo Bao (Chinese Pineapple Buns)

vegan pineapple bun on plate styled over banana leaf
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 15 reviews

These soft, fluffy, sweet Bolo Bao buns are encased in a crispy shortbread-like dough. Also called Chinese Pineapple Buns.

Ingredients

Scale

Roux

  • 3 tbsps flour (22g)
  • 1/2 cup water

Dough

  • 3 cups organic all-purpose flour ((386g), plus more for dusting *See Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1 packet active dry yeast ((2 ½ tsp) *See Note 2)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, plant-based milk (soy, oat, nut, hemp, etc.,warmed)
  • 2 tbsps water
  • 2 tbsps unsalted vegan butter (melted)
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil
  • a pinch of salt

Topping

  • 1 cup flour ((113g))
  • 1 tbsp coconut milk powder
  • 3 tbsps organic cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted vegan butter (melted)
  • 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

  1. Make sure to listen to Helen on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Food in the Real Life Coming-of-Age Story of Helen Au while you make her Vegan Bolo Bao recipe!

Make The Roux (Tangzhong)

  1. Combine the flour and water in a small pot over medium heat. Stir until it thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Make The Dough

  1. Add the sugar, yeast, and milk to a bowl. Mix and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast foams. Then, add in the water and melted vegan butter and stir to combine.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt together. Slowly add in the wet ingredients and the roux. Knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Once ready, add the coconut oil and knead the dough one more time. Cover and allow it to for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Make The Crunchy Topping

  1. Add turmeric and melted vegan butter to a bowl. Mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, add the remaining ingredients for the topping and mix until well-combined. Add in the butter mixture and mix until a dough forms. Form into a log and wrap with plastic wrap or cover in a bowl, place in the fridge.

Assemble The Buns

  1. Once the dough doubled in size, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll into a ball and place onto a lined baking sheet pan. Cover and allow it to rise again for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 176.6℃.
  3. Pull out the topping dough from the fridge and slice into 8 pieces. Roll each piece with a rolling pin into a thin disc that is the size of the buns.

Score The Tops

  1. Once the buns are ready, place the topping on the dough balls. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the crackling in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake The Buns

  1. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool before eating. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Note 1: Substitute: Regular all-purpose flour. Don't use bread flour because bread flour contains a higher level of gluten which would make the buns more chewy and dense.
  • Note 2: You need to activate the yeast with the milk and sugar, so avoid using instant yeast, which is designed for immediate use and faster rising. Instead, use active dry yeast, as it’s better suited due to the longer rise times for the bread dough.
  • Make sure to listen to Helen on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Food in the Real Life Coming-of-Age Story of Helen Au while you make her Vegan Bolo Bao recipe!*

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thestoriedrecipe.com/vegan-bolo-bao-recipe/