Sweet Red Bean Baozi

豆沙包

Sweet Red Bean Baozi — DessertBeijing home cooking.

Ingredients

• adzuki beans
• granulated sugar
• neutral oil (e.g., grapeseed or canola)
• all-purpose flour
• active dry yeast

Instructions

1. Soak beans: Rinse adzuki beans, cover with 600 ml cold water. Soak 8 hours or overnight. (Beans plump to nearly double size and feel soft when pressed)
2. Cook beans: Drain, then simmer in fresh water (1:3 ratio) with 10 g sugar for 2 hours until very soft. Skim foam; add more hot water if needed to keep covered. (Beans collapse into thick slurry; liquid reduces by half)
3. Strain and mash: Press cooked beans through fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into bowl. Discard skins. Mash smooth with wooden spoon. (Paste is uniform, deep burgundy, and free of specks)
4. Cook bean paste: Transfer paste to nonstick pan. Add sugar and oil. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick, glossy, and pulls away from pan—about 15 minutes. (Paste forms ridges in pan and glistens with oil sheen)
5. Cool and portion: Spread paste on parchment-lined tray. Cool completely (1 hour). Portion into 35 g balls. Cover with damp cloth. (Paste feels firm and cool to touch; no residual warmth)
6. Assemble and steam: Use same dough as other baozi. Wrap 35 g bean paste in 75 g dough. Pleat 18 times. Steam 10 minutes on high heat. Rest 3 minutes before serving. (Buns are round, pale ivory, with faint pink blush from bean color)