Sweet Steamed Buns With Whole Spelt Flour

Ever since I discovered my steamer, I haven't stopped steaming.

Vegetables, tofu cubes—and now buns.

Listen, I'm telling you: this is a game changer.

The steam cooks the dough without forming the firm crust you get from baking or frying.

The result is a bun that's incredibly soft, airy, and delicious.

I usually avoid that overused phrase you see on every food blog, but this recipe leaves me no choice:

Soft as a cloud. Seriously.

Now picture this: pillowy buns with a little pocket of sweet, melted white chocolate inside and a dusting of confectioners' sugar on top.

And to keep us from completely drowning in dessert guilt, they're made with whole spelt flour. Yes, even with whole-grain flour, they're still wonderfully light and soft.

Wholesome and a treat. (Just like me.)

A Few Notes on These Sweet Steamed Buns

I made these buns with whole spelt flour. Traditional recipes use white flour alone or a combination that includes white rice flour. If you'd like to use only white flour, reduce the yeast to 1 tablespoon.

The fat in this recipe is coconut oil, softened to a spreadable consistency. You can substitute the same amount of margarine. (But why would you?)

I used brown sugar, but you can use another granulated sugar you like. Don't substitute silan (date syrup) or maple syrup, since they'll add too much liquid.

I found a great vegan white chocolate at the supermarket made with cocoa butter and rice milk. You can fill these buns with whatever you like: dark chocolate, halva, or raspberries. My tip: go easy on the filling, and seal the dough well when you shape the buns.

If you don't want to steam them, these buns also turn out beautifully in the oven – 10-12 minutes of baking should do it.

By the way, steamers are easy to find at Asian grocery stores, and they're inexpensive.

Steamed Bun Nutrition

One 40 g (1.4 oz) steamed bun filled with one square of white chocolate contains:

• 160 calories
• 4 g protein
• 28 g carbohydrates
• 2 g fat

Want another steamed bun recipe? How about a cocoa version?

Steamed Buns

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Yield 15 buns

Ingredients

• Steamer
• 2.5 cups whole spelt flour 380 g (13.4 oz)
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water 250 ml (about 1 US cup)
• 3 tablespoons fresh yeast or 3/4 of a fresh yeast cube
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, softened 30 g (1.1 oz)
• 15 squares vegan white chocolate 63 g (2.2 oz)
• A little confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Stir and set aside for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

2. Add 1 cup of the flour, the remaining sugar, coconut oil, and yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for about 1 minute.

3. Add another cup of flour and knead for about 1 more minute.

4. Add the remaining flour and knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough is uniform.

5. Let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until slightly puffed. Because this dough has relatively little liquid, it won't double in size.

6. On your work surface, divide the dough into 15 balls. Flatten each one with your hands.

7. Place a square of white chocolate in the center of each flattened piece of dough. Or two—I'm not taking responsibility for those extra calories.

8. Fold the dough around the filling, seal it well, and roll it into a ball with your hands.

9. Let rise again for about 15 minutes.

10. Place parchment paper in the center of the steamer to keep the dough from sticking. Add the buns and steam for 15-20 minutes.

11. Dust with confectioners' sugar and dig in while they're warm.

Recipe Video