Let’s make Steamed Longevity Peach Buns! Also known as Shou Tao Bao (寿桃包) or Chinese Birthday Buns, these soft and fluffy Chinese steamed buns are shaped to resemble peaches and sprayed with a thin layer of bright pink colouring. It’s actually quite easy to make these impressive looking traditional steamed chinese buns. So let’s start cooking!
Watch How To Make Steamed Longevity Peach Buns (Shou Tao Bao 寿桃包) – Recipe Video
What are Longevity Peach Buns (Shou Tao Bao)?
Longevity Peach Buns (Shou Tao Bao 寿桃包) are traditional Chinese steamed buns, shaped to resemble a peach with a sweet paste filling and coloured a bright festive pink. Peaches have represented longevity for centuries in Chinese culture and longevity peach buns are a popular type of festive food to be given as a gift to someone dear.
Why are Longevity Peach Buns (Shou Tao Bao) also known as Birthday Buns?
Traditionally, these longevity buns are eaten during birthday celebrations for the elderly where these buns are piled high up on the serving tray. Hence, they are also known as birthday buns. Symbolising longevity, these buns are a classic dish to have at the end of a birthday banquet or a birthday meal.
So, if any of your loved ones is having their birthdays soon, this may be the perfect time to make these longevity buns. Other than their symbolism, these pretty looking longevity peach buns are also popular because of their eye catching appeal and unique shape.
What Are Longevity Peach Buns Made Of?
These are soft and fluffy basic steamed buns shaped to resemble a peach and sprayed with a thin bright pink colouring on the lower or top part of the buns. It is usually filled with a sweet filling like lotus seed paste or red bean paste and in the Chinese culture to represent longevity.
What Are The Ingredients Needed To Make Longevity Peach Buns?
- Pau Flour
- Sugar
- Water
- Instant Yeast
- Baking Powder
- Shortening
- Lotus Seed Paste (Filling), store bought or homemade
- Red Food Colouring
How to Make Longevity Peach Buns
Prepare Bun Dough:
- Mix together all dry ingredients with water and shortening in a stand mixer and knead till a soft, smooth and elastic dough is formed.
- Divide the dough into 30g each, flatten and wrap with 20g lotus seed paste filling and form into a ball.
- Next, shape the bun dough to resemble a peach. Using a dough cutter, press to get a vertical line in the centre of the bun. Place on cut parchment paper and leave to rise for 30 minutes, till the bun has risen to half its original size.
Steam Buns:
- Prepare steamer and steam the buns over high heat for 15 minutes.
- Leave to cool a bit in steaming tray. Then spray red food colouring on the lower or top of the cooked buns.
- Remove from steaming tray and leave to cool completely on wire rack.
Important Tips On How To Make Longevity Peach Buns:
- Lotus paste or bean paste filling can be purchased in any shops selling cake ingredients.
- It’s best to refrigerate the lotus paste filling first as it makes rolling into balls so much easier. Measure out the lotus paste filling ahead of time to make the wrapping process of the buns faster.
- Pre-cut some parchment square or grease proof paper to place each bun on each square paper. This can prevent the buns from sticking to the steaming tray.
- After steaming, if the centre line (crease) is not clear, you may press over it again using the dough cutter, toothpick or a chopstick while the buns are still hot.
How To Store Longevity Peach Buns?
These steamed longevity buns can be kept frozen for longer storage time. Hence these steamed buns are great to make in advance. Let the buns cool to room temperature after steaming. Then individually put each longevity bun in a plastic bag. Carefully arrange in a freezer bag and they can be kept for up to 3 months frozen.
How To Reheat Longevity Peach Buns?
It is highly recommended to steam (reheat) the buns using the steamer (moist heat) so the buns will turn out soft and fluffy. Steam the frozen buns over high heat for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Alternatively, to reheat with microwave, place the buns on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on high for about 1 high or until heated through.
What Are The Different Variations Of Longevity Peach Buns?
Longevity Peach Buns are usually filled with sweet fillings like lotus paste, red bean paste or custard. They can also be made with no fillings in them, hence resembling mantou which is a plain Chinese steamed bun.
Here Are Some Other Steamed Buns Recipes You May Like:
- Purple Sweet Potato Steamed Flower Bun (Mantou) 紫薯开花馒头包子
- Steamed Pumpkin Turnip Buns 蒸金瓜沙葛包子
- Wholemeal Vegetable Steamed Buns 全麦菜包子
- Purple Sweet Potato Steamed Cake (Huat Kueh) 紫薯蒸发糕
- Steamed Pumpkin Flower Rolls 蒸金瓜花卷
Or Try These Delicious Steamed Snacks / Dim Sum Recipes:
- Loh Mai Kai – Steamed Glutinous Rice With Chicken 糯米鸡
- Steamed Pumpkin Sweet Cake 蒸金瓜甜糕
- Steamed Purple Rice Cake 紫薯蒸糖糕
- Loh Bak Gou – Steamed Radish Cake 蒸萝卜糕
- Bak Tong Gou – Steamed White Sugar Cake (Bak Tong Gou) 蒸白糖糕
Longevity Peach Buns (Steamed Shoutao Buns) 寿桃包子
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Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 500 grams pau flour
- 150 grams sugar
- 250 grams water
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp shortening
- 300 grams lotus paste, or bean paste, homemade or store bought
- red food colouring, 1 drop of food colouring + 1 tbsp water
First place Pau flour into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Then add in sugar, baking powder and instant yeast.
Using the hook attachment, stir to mix everything together.
Then add water just enough to get a soft dough. Knead on medium speed about 5 minutes, just to mix the water and flour together. Then add in the white shortening and continue kneading for another 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, elastic and does not stick to the sides of the mixing bowl or to your fingers.
Remove dough from mixing bowl onto a floured surface and briefly knead again till all is evenly distributed. And you have the basic dough for making pau (buns).
Divide the smooth dough in half. Roll into long cylindrical shapes and divide the dough into 30g each and roll into balls.
Roll each dough into a flat circle with a small rolling pin. Shape lotus paste filling (20g) into a ball and place in the centre of the dough. Gather the sides to enclose the bun and pinch to seal.
Shape the bun into a peach shape. Use a plastic dough cutter to make a vertical indentation in the centre of the bun to resemble a peach. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough and fillings.
Place the buns on grease proof paper and leave to proof in a warm place for 30 minutes or till the buns have puff up about half their original size. And we are ready to steam the buns.
To steam the buns, add some water into a steamer and bring to a rolling boil. Place the risen buns into the steamer and close the lid. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
Leave the buns to cool a little in the steaming tray. Then spray with a little red colouring (dilute a drop or two of red colouring in 1 tbsp water). Transfer the buns to cool on wire rack to prevent the bottom of buns from becoming wet or soggy. And we are done!
Let the buns cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Great to serve these soft and fluffy longevity buns with hot chinese tea and Enjoy!
Instructions
Preparing the dough:
Making longevity peach buns:
Steaming Buns:
Serving Longevity Peach Buns:
Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Lotus paste can be purchased in any shops that sell cake or bakery ingredients.
- After steaming the buns and if the centre line of the peach shaped buns is not clear, you can always press over it with a dough cutter or toothpick while the buns are still hot.
