Leftover Roast Bao Buns with Hoisin Sauce
These fluffy steamed bao buns are filled with leftover roast lamb tossed in a homemade hoisin and peanut sauce. The Thermomix kneads the pillowy dough, emulsifies the silky sauce and gently steams the buns to perfection. An ingenious Asian main course that transforms Sunday roast leftovers into something truly special for a weeknight dinner.
About this recipe
Leftover Roast Bao Buns with Hoisin Sauce on the Thermomix TM7 turn yesterday's Sunday lamb into pillowy, street-food-style steamed buns that taste anything but like leftovers. If you have been searching for bao bun recipes for your all-in-one kitchen machine, this is the one to try: the TM7 kneads the dough until beautifully elastic, emulsifies a glossy hoisin and peanut butter sauce that never splits, and steams a whole batch in the Varoma while you shred the lamb. The dark sugar and rice vinegar balance the salty soy, while Chinese five spice ties the filling together. Ideal as a fun interactive weeknight dinner or weekend treat where everyone builds their own bun with cucumber, spring onion and extra sauce. Making bao dough by hand is notoriously sticky work, but the precise kneading control of the Thermomix removes all the guesswork, giving you consistently soft, cloud-like buns every single time.
Preparation tips
- Roll each bao disc slightly oval and rest it on a small square of baking paper before steaming; this prevents sticking and makes lifting the fluffy buns out of the Varoma much easier.
- Shred the leftover roast lamb while the dough is proving, then toss it briefly in the warmed hoisin-peanut sauce so every strand is coated just before filling the buns.
- For a nut-free version, replace the smooth peanut butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter; the rice vinegar and dark sugar keep the sauce balanced and glossy either way.
Recipe variations
- Vegetarian version: swap the roast lamb for sticky glazed halloumi or crispy fried tofu tossed in the same hoisin-peanut sauce, and add pickled carrots and radish for extra crunch and freshness.
- Festive variation: use leftover roast turkey or goose at Christmas, add a spoon of cranberry or plum sauce to the hoisin mixture, and garnish with pomegranate seeds for a celebratory twist.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weighing precision - The TM7 built-in scale weighs the flour and dark sugar directly in the bowl, guaranteeing consistently soft bao dough every time.
- Kneading power - The Thermomix kneads the sticky bao dough into a smooth elastic ball without any hand work or mess.
- Emulsifying sauce - Precise TM7 emulsifying blends peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil into a silky hoisin sauce that never separates.
- Gentle steaming - The Varoma of the Thermomix steams the filled buns into cloud-soft pillows while you shred the lamb.
- Fine chopping - Rapid blade action of the Thermomix chops the garlic cloves uniformly in seconds, releasing full flavour into the sauce.
Ingredients
- garlic cloves
- soy sauce
- smooth peanut butter
- dark brown sugar
- brown rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- Chinese five spice powder
- ground black pepper
- ground cayenne pepper
- baking powder