At Grashka, we love creating recipes that celebrate the rich flavors of nature — and nothing says spring quite like wild garlic, vibrant ferments, and hearty mushrooms.
These steamed bao buns are soft, fluffy, and packed with our signature Grashka flavors: a savory oyster mushroom pâté, punchy kimchi, crispy breaded oyster mushrooms, and a wild garlic chimichurri that brings it all together.
Perfect for a weekend project or to impress your friends at the next gathering — just don’t forget plenty of napkins!
Ingredients and Equipment
For this recipe, you’ll need a bamboo steamer — but if you don't have one, you can easily use a strainer or any other tool you normally use for steaming vegetables or dumplings.
Method
1. Prepare the Dough
In a glass, mix 12 g of fresh yeast, 15 g of sugar, and 150 mL of warm water (34 °C). Let it sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Meanwhile, in a larger bowl, weigh out 125 g of buckwheat flour, 125 g of Manitoba 00 wheat flour, and 5 g of baking powder. We also added some spice to the dry ingredients: 5 g of cumin and 5 g of pepper.
Combine the dry ingredients with the yeast mixture and add 5 g of salt. Knead for 5 minutes, then add 15 g of sunflower or olive oil and knead for another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky — we recommend keeping a small bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers and prevent excessive sticking. The final dough should be sticky but smooth and slightly elastic.
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set it aside for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Prepare Spreads, Fillings, and Toppings
While the dough is rising, take the time to prep your fillings. If you’re using Grashka products, this part is quick and easy!
We used:
- Oyster mushroom pâté for the spread,
- Kimchi and
- Grashka’s breaded oyster mushrooms for the filling.
Because no spring recipe is complete without wild garlic, we also made a wild garlic chimichurri:
In a blender, combine:
- 100 g of olive oil
- 100 g of wild garlic
- 50 g of pickled chilies
- 25 g of parsley
- 20 g of apple cider vinegar
- 15 g of lemon juice
- 10 g of salt.
For a refreshing finish, mix soy yogurt (Jogi) and Mayo with borlotti beans in equal parts.
3. Shape the Bao Buns
Once the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface. Lightly dust with flour, flatten to about 1 cm thickness, and cut out smaller circles using a cookie cutter or a glass. You should end up with 9 bao buns.
Transfer them onto a tray lined with baking paper or a floured surface. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil and fold each bun in half. Cover again with a damp cloth and let them rise for another 15 minutes.
4. Steam the Buns
Start heating the water for your steamer. Line the steamer with a damp cloth or a water-permeable material. Place the bao buns inside, leaving space between them, as they will expand 2–3 times during steaming.
Once the water is boiling, place the steamer over the pot and steam for 15 minutes.
5. Prepare the Filling
While steaming, fry the Grashka breaded oyster mushrooms until crispy. Transfer them onto a tray lined with kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil, then cut them into strips.
6. Assemble the Bao Buns
After steaming, carefully remove the steamer (use protective gloves — it’s hot!). Transfer the bao buns onto a plate and let them cool slightly. Then open each bun and start assembling:
- Spread with oyster mushroom pâté,
- Add kimchi and strips of fried oyster mushroom,
- Drizzle with wild garlic chimichurri,
- Top with the Jogi-Mayo sauce.
For an extra visual (and flavorful) finish, spread a bit of Grashka’s Bean Spread with borlotti beans and horseradish onto the plate and place the bao on top.
Enjoy!
We wish you a well-deserved dober tek (bon appétit)!
We recommend not wearing your favorite clothes and keeping plenty of napkins nearby — things might get deliciously messy.
Recipe was prepared by our Matija Razinger, follow him for more here.
