Banana Bao

Soft and fluffy mantou dough rolled up into a peelable banana bao, served with condensed milk for a sweet and fun treat!

What are mantou?

Mantou are lightly sweetened Chinese soft steamed buns made from white wheat flour.

These buns originated from northern China and are a staple in so many Chinese families. Whether it be as a quick steamed breakfast or a side during dinner.

Mantou are made in so many different shapes and sizes, ranging from plain round ones to cute shapes. I saw this cute banana bao in the Asian grocery store and I thought I'd recreate it because how cool is it that you can peel your bao like a real banana?!

Ingredients

Bao Dough

• Cake flour: Make sure you use cake flour as it gives the buns a softer texture and a shinier sheen.
• Whole milk: Milk hydrates the dough and gives it a milky flavor and softer texture.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar gives the bun dough sweetness! You can add more or less according to your taste, but if you are serving it with condensed milk you don't need much.

• Instant yeast: Yeast helps the dough rise to that tall fluffy texture! Make sure you use instant yeast. If you use active yeast you will need to activate it in the warm milk before adding it to the dough.
• Vegetable oil: Oil gives the dough a more supple texture.
• Yellow food coloring: Food coloring for the yellow color of the banana skin! I use gel food coloring, but regular food coloring will also work. Just add a little more flour if the dough is too wet.

Details

• Cocoa powder: Any kind of cocoa powder will work for this! If you don't have cocoa powder you can also use brown or black food coloring to brush details onto your banana.
• Water: Water is needed to make the cocoa powder into a paste that is brushed onto your banana.

To Serve

• Condensed milk: There are so many different ways to serve mantou, but I love the combination of fluffy steamed buns and condensed milk!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this last?

These are best eaten when freshly steamed. When they are warm they are the fluffiest and softest texture.

Store any leftover buns in an airtight container in the fridge and just steam them for another 5 minutes when you're ready to eat them.

Can I freeze these?

Yes, you can! Mantou are perfect for freezing. Just wrap them individually and freeze them. When you're ready to eat just steam them for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

Can I make this in different shapes?

Of course! I made these in the shape of bananas because I thought it was fun, but the dough is so versatile. You can make it in pretty much any shape you want.

Why didn't my buns rise?

There are a couple of reasons why your buns didn't rise:

• The yeast was old/not active
• The milk was too hot
• the buns weren't proofed for long enough

Why is the surface of my buns wrinkled and bubbly?

The main reason why the surface of your buns isn't perfect is the kneading of the dough. You need to make sure there are no air bubbles in the dough otherwise they will rise to the surface of the dough and form bubbles.

I like to use a rolling pin to really roll out the air bubbles in the dough before shaping them into their final banana shape.

Another tip for a smooth bun surface is to use cake flour. If you use regular flour the surface won't have the same smooth texture.

How should I serve this?

There are so many different ways to serve this. I decided to go with a classic combination of condensed milk, but a couple of other great options include peanut butter, jam, or even as a dinner roll to be served with your savory dishes!

Let's Get Cooking

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts so I can see and share your desserts.

Follow me on facebook, pinterest, youtube and tiktok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!

📖 Recipe

Banana Bao

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Soft and fluffy mantou dough rolled up into a peelable banana bao, served with condensed milk for a sweet and fun treat!

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 5 Buns 1x
• Category: Bread
• Method: Intermediate
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Bao Dough

• 300g Cake flour (3 cups)
• 180g Whole milk (¾ cup), lukewarm
• 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
• 1 tsp Instant yeast
• 1 tsp Vegetable oil
• Yellow food coloring
• Vegetable oil, for brushing

Cocoa Powder

• 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
• 2 tsp Water

To Serve

• Condensed milk, to taste

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Instructions

Bao dough

1. Cut 5 pieces of baking paper at  8 x 12 cm / 3 x 5 inches
2. Combine the flour, lukewarm milk, sugar, and yeast, in a large bowl and mix until just combined
3. Then knead until a rough ball
4. Divide the dough in half, and color half yellow by kneading in a couple of drops of yellow food coloring until evenly colored and smooth
5. Knead the white dough until smooth
6. Divide each color into 5 balls
7. Cover the portioned balls with cling wrap and let rest for 10 minutes
8. Uncover the balls and flatten a white portion to remove all air
9. Roll it up into a long cylinder approx 11 cm /4.3 inches, and pinch the ends so they are rounded like the inside of a banana
10. Flatten a yellow portion to remove all the air and roll it out into a rectangle large enough to wrap around the white portion
11. Place the shaped white dough on the yellow rectangle and lightly brush the white dough with a layer of vegetable oil (this will help the banana peel later)
12. Then roll the white dough up in the yellow, pinching the steam and ends tightly to seal
13. Slightly curve the dough so it resembles a banana and place it on a prepared sheet of baking paper
14. Mix together the cocoa powder and water and using a small paint brush or finger, paint lines of cocoa powder on the banana skin
15. Repeat with the remaining dough
16. Cover the shaped baos with cling wrap and let them proof for 30-45 minutes, or until puffed up but not yet doubled in size
17. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-high
18. Place the steamer over the pot of water and steam the buns for 9-10 mins
19. Allow the buns to rest in the steamer after cooking for 5 mins
20. Serve with condensed milk for dipping

See Also This Recipe:  Strawberry Mochi

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