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5 from 4 votes

Besides kaya pao, Tau Sa Pao (red bean pao) is another kids’ favorite. Homemade red bean paste is used to make this pao. The secret to have a soft and smooth red bean paste is to soak the red bean overnight before cooking and don’t cook the paste until too dry.

Check out other popular pao recipes from us: Pao recipes collection

CHINESE VERSION: 红豆沙包

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
 

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao (Red Bean Chinese Steamed Bun) | MyKitchen101en

Yields: 8 paos

Ingredients for Tau Sa Pao:

For red bean paste: (Yields: about 350 g)

  • 100 g red bean (soak overnight, keep refrigerated)
  • 400 g water
  • ⅛ tsp fine salt
  • 120 g fine sugar
  • 5 g glutinous rice flour + 1 tbsp water
  • 20 g corn oil (or other vegetable oil)

For pao dough:

  • 210 g pao flour
  • 90 g wheat starch
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 65 g fine sugar
  • 135 g plain water (+ 1 to 2 tsps, if needed)
  • 20 g corn oil (or other vegetable oil)

For red bean paste:

1 Drain the soaked red bean. Add in 400 g of water, bring to the boil, reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 2 hours until very soft. (Reminder: It is important to soak the red bean overnight, without soaking it is difficult for it to be cooked until very soft. Add in more water if the water has dried up before the cooking is done.)

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
 

2 Blend the cooked red bean until very fine when it has slightly cooled down. Sift the red bean paste. Add in salt, sugar, slaked glutinous rice flour and oil, mix well.

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

3 Cook over medium heat for 8-9 minutes until the liquid starts to dry up. Reduce to medium-low heat, cook for another 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth paste. Cover the paste with a plate to prevent it from drying, set aside until slightly cooled. (Reminder: For making pao, don’t cook the paste until too dry.)

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
 

4 Divide the red bean paste into 8 portions, each about 40 g.

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

For pao dough:

1 Combine pao flour, wheat starch, sugar and instant yeast, mix well. Add in water gradually, mix into a dough. If the dough is drier, add in more water, ½ tsp at a time, until it reaches the consistency as shown in the video (all flour just comes together to form a dough, it is not sticky). Add in oil, knead until combined.

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

2 Use stand mixer with hook attachment, knead over “speed 2” for 5 minutes, until a smooth dough is formed. (Reminder: Knead for 6-7 minutes if do it manually, lightly coat palm with flour whenever the dough is sticky.)

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

3 Shape dough into a ball, wrap with cling wrap, set aside to rest for 6-7 minutes.

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

4 Roll out the rested dough into thin rectangular shape dough, then roll up into a rod shape. Divide into 8 portions, each about 65 g. Shape into balls (cover with cling wrap to prevent from drying).

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

Making Red Bean Pao:

(Reminder: Divide dough into 2 batches, 4 doughs for each batch, prepare 1 batch at a time.)

1 Coat dough with flour, roll out into round shape with thick centre and thin sides. Turn the flatten dough over, top with 1 portion of red bean paste, then wrap filling with dough, then put onto a piece of paper. (Reminder: You should work fast when making pao to avoid the pao dough from over-proofing. Over-proofed pao will have wrinkle surface when steamed.)

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

2 Bring 500 ml of water to the boil in steamer, off the heat, then add in 1 Litre of plain water.

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

3 Arrange pao on steamer racks, put steamer racks over the warm water, cover and proof for 20 minutes. (Reminder: Using bamboo steamer to steam will prevent condensation water from dripping onto pao.)

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

4 After proofing for 20 minutes, turn to high heat until water is boiling (about 3 minutes), then reduce to medium heat and steam for another 15 minutes.

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao (Red Bean Chinese Steamed Bun)

Homemade red bean paste is used to make this pao. The secret to have a soft and smooth red bean paste is to soak the red bean before cooking and don’t cook the paste until too dry.

Rate

5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 18 minutes
Proofing time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 38 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 8 pieces
Calories 307 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For red bean paste: (Yields: about 350 g)

  • 100 g red bean soak overnight, keep refrigerated
  • 400 g water
  • tsp fine salt
  • 120 g fine sugar
  • 5 g glutinous rice flour +1 tbsp water
  • 20 g corn oil or other vegetable oil

For pao dough:

  • 210 g pao flour
  • 90 g wheat starch
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 65 g fine sugar
  • 135 g plain water + 1 to 2 tsp, if needed
  • 20 g corn oil or other vegetable oil

Instructions
 

For red bean paste:

  • Drain the soaked red bean. Add in 400 g of water, bring to the boil, reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 2 hours until very soft. (Reminder: It is important to soak the red bean overnight, without soaking it is difficult for it to be cooked until very soft. Add in more water if the water has dried up before the cooking is done.)
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Blend the cooked red bean until very fine when it has slightly cooled down. Sift the red bean paste. Add in salt, sugar, slaked glutinous rice flour and oil, mix well.
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Cook over medium heat for 8-9 minutes until the liquid starts to dry up. Reduce to medium-low heat, cook for another 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth paste. Cover the paste with a plate to prevent it from drying, set aside until slightly cooled. (Reminder: For making pao, don’t cook the paste until too dry.)
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Divide the red bean paste into 8 portions, each about 40 g.
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

For pao dough:

  • Combine pao flour, wheat starch, sugar and instant yeast, mix well. Add in water gradually, mix into a dough. If the dough is drier, add in more water, ½ tsp at a time, until it reaches the consistency as shown in the video (all flour just comes together to form a dough, it is not sticky). Add in oil, knead until combined.
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Use stand mixer with hook attachment, knead over “speed 2” for 5 minutes, until a smooth dough is formed. (Reminder: Knead for 6-7 minutes if do it manually, lightly coat palm with flour whenever the dough is sticky.)
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Shape dough into a ball, wrap with cling wrap, set aside to rest for 6-7 minutes.
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Roll out the rested dough into thin rectangular shape dough, then roll up into a rod shape. Divide into 8 portions, each about 65 g. Shape into balls (cover with cling wrap to prevent from drying).
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

Making red bean pao: (Reminder: Divide dough into 2 batches, 4 doughs for each batch, prepare 1 batch at a time.)

  • Coat dough with flour, roll out into round shape with thick centre and thin sides. Turn the flatten dough over, top with 1 portion of red bean paste, then wrap filling with dough, then put onto a piece of paper. (Reminder: You should work fast when making pao to avoid the pao dough from over-proofing. Over-proofed pao will have wrinkle surface when steamed.)
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Bring 500 ml of water to the boil in steamer, off the heat, then add in 1 Litre of plain water.
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • Arrange pao on steamer racks, put steamer racks over the warm water, cover and proof for 20 minutes. (Reminder: Using bamboo steamer to steam will prevent condensation water from dripping onto pao.)
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao
  • After proofing for 20 minutes, turn to high heat until water is boiling (about 3 minutes), then reduce to medium heat and steam for another 15 minutes.
    Tau Sa Pao/Red Bean Pao

Video

Notes

This recipe yields 8 paos. 
The nutritional value for reference is for 1 pao. 

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 41mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 2mg
Keyword red bean bao, red bean buns, red bean pao, red bean steamed buns, tau sa pao
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