Chinese steamed custard bun is one of the dim sum items. It also called nai wong bao (奶皇包). This custard bun recipe is soft and has a lot of sweet yellow creamy custard filling.
Love dim sum? Check out these recipes steamed spareribs, lo mai gai, and turnip cake.
What is custard buns (奶皇包)?
Chinese steamed custard bun is a type of baozi, bun or bread custard filling. Custard bun also called nai wong bao (奶皇包) which is yellow milk bun. In addition, it's originated from southern China and very popular Cantonese dim sum item that you can find at most of Chinese dim sum restaurants.
Often, custard buns are eaten for breakfast or as a snack. Also, it is a kind of bread that using steaming method. Therefore, Chinese called them buns. Besides, steamed custard buns are white flour bread with yellow creamy custard filling.
Traditionally, nai wong bao steams in a bamboo basket and serve as dim sum like lo mai gai. And, custard bao is one of my favorite buns that I must order when I have dim sum.
What are the ingredients in nai wong bao (奶皇包) ?
The dough ingredients are flour, milk, yeast, sugar and salt. And, the custard filling ingredients are custard powder, corn starch, milk, butter, sugar and egg.
Cooking tips for how to make Chinese steamed custard buns:
- Put milk, sugar, yeast in a mixer and mix a little bit then wait for 5 minutes. After that, add salt and flour slowly into the mixer. Let the mixer run for 5-10 minutes.
- Take the dough out and cover the dough with a wet cloth. Let it rise around 30-45 minutes at room temperature. My trick to speed up dough rising time is to preheat oven at 200F then turn off. After that, put the dough in the oven and cover with a wet cloth.
- In a saucepan put milk, butter, egg, sugar, custard powder and corn starch into a saucepan and mix it well. Then, turn on fire small to medium and keep stirring until it's thicken. Wait until it cool off then roll like a ball.
- In this steamed custard bun recipe, I doubled the filling because I love more custard filling in the buns. Therefore, it yields around 12 smaller or 10 bigger nai wong bao.
- Cut a small piece of parchment paper and place the buns on it to prevent sticking on the bamboo basket and steam it.
FAQs:
Can I refrigerate or freeze custard buns?
Yes, you can refrigerate or freeze custard buns. Nai wong bao (奶皇包) can be refrigerated for few days. It will last long when you freeze them.
How do you reheat custard buns?
If it straights out from the refrigerator, the fastest way to warm up leftover custard buns is to microwave them for a few seconds.
On the other hand, if buns are frozen, cover them with a wet paper towel. Then, microwave it for a minute or two depends on your microwave's power.
However, personally I still like custard buns fresh and steamed from a bamboo basket. Normally, I will steam the frozen nau wong bao (奶皇包) for 5-8 minutes.
How do you soften buns?
When you microwave nai wong bao (奶皇包), the best is to cover it with a wet paper towel. Or, steam them in a bamboo basket.
Instructions for how to make custard bun dim sum at home:
1. put 1 cup of milk (at room temperature or warm them a little bit in a microwave, not too hot just little warm), 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of yeast into a mixer bowl, mix a little bit and wait for 5 minutes
2. Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of flour slowly into the mixer
3. Let the mixer run for 5-10 minutes
4. Take the dough out and cover the dough with a wet cloth. Let it rise around 30-45 minutes at room temperature.(My trick to speed up dough rising time is to preheat oven at 200F then turn off. After that, put the dough in the oven and cover with a wet cloth.) 
5. Put 1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 tablespoon of butter, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of custard powder and 1/4 cup of corn starch into a saucepan and mix it very well. Then, turn on fire small to medium and keep stirring until it's thicken.
6. Let it cool down a little bit and roll it like a ball
7. Divide the bread dough into 10 pieces
8. Roll the bread dough and flatten it by using a rolling pin.
9. Place the filling in the middle of the flattened bread dough
10. Close it and roll it like a ball
11. Then, cut parchment paper into small square (bigger than the buns)
12. After that, place the buns on the parchment paper and put them into a bamboo steamer. Let it rise another 20-30 minutes before steaming
13. Steam it for 15 minutes
Enjoy this delicious Chinese steamed custard bun recipe! Also, check out these coconut buns, Chinese hot dog and pineapple bun Asian bread recipes.
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Custard Buns
Ingredients
(BREAD DOUGH) BUN:
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 teaspoons Yeast
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
FILING:
- 1 tablespoon Custard powder
- 1/4 cup Corn starch
- 1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons Milk
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ***(Double the filling if you like more filling)
Instructions
- Put 1 cup of milk (at room temperature or warm them a little bit in a microwave, not too hot just little warm), 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of yeast into a mixer bowl, mix a little bit and wait for 5 minutes
- Add salt and flour slowly into the mixer
- Let the mixer run for 5-10 minutes
- Take the dough out and cover the dough with a wet cloth. Let it rise around 30-45 minutes
- Put 1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 tablespoon of butter, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of custard powder and 1/4 cup of corn starch into a saucepan and mix it very well. Then, turn on fire small to medium and keep stirring until it's thicken.
- Let it cool down a little bit and roll it like a ball
- Divide the bread dough into 10 pieces
- Roll the bread dough and flatten it by using a rolling pin
- Place the filling in the middle of the flattened bread dough
- Close it and roll it like a ball
- Then, cut parchment paper into small square (bigger than the buns)
- After that, place the buns on the parchment paper and put them into a bamboo steamer and let it rise another 20-30 minutes before steaming
- Steam it for 15 minutes
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make Chinese steamed custard buns:
- Put milk, sugar, yeast in a mixer and mix a little bit then wait for 5 minutes. After that, add salt and flour slowly into the mixer. Let the mixer run for 5-10 minutes.
- Take the dough out and cover the dough with a wet cloth. Let it rise around 30-45 minutes at room temperature. My trick for speeding up dough rising time is to preheat oven at 200F then turn off. After that, put the dough in the oven and cover with a wet cloth.
- In a saucepan put milk, butter, egg, sugar, custard powder and corn starch into a saucepan and mix it well. Then, turn on fire small to medium and keep stirring until it's thicken. Wait until it cool off then roll like a ball.
- In this steamed custard bun recipe, I doubled the filling because I love more custard filling in the buns. Therefore, it yields around 12 smaller or 10 bigger nai wong bao.
- Cut a small piece of parchment paper and place the buns on it to prevent sticking on the bamboo basket and steam it.