Name: Vegan Bola-Bola Siopao (Filipino Steamed “Pork”/"Meat"ball Buns)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp instant yeast; 2/3 cup warm soy milk or oat milk ((or regular milk)); 2 tsp oil; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/4 tsp fine salt; 1/2 lb plant-based ground pork or mince (I used Omnipork Mince); 4 shiitake mushrooms (finely minced (feel free to use fresh or rehydrated or other mushrooms of your choice)); 1/2 small thumb ginger (finely grated); 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 tsp sugar; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/4 tsp 5 spice powder (optional, substitute with some white pepper and a pinch of cinnamon); 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce; 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or more (to taste); 3/4 cup chopped spring onions or scallions; 1/2 tbsp corn starch

Vegan Bola-Bola Siopao (Filipino Steamed “Pork” Buns)

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Bola-Bola Siopao – Filipino Style Steamed “Pork” Buns with a tasty “meat”ball filling made with plant-based ground meat for the hearty bite.

These really hit the spot and I love having siopao for a hearty merienda (afternoon snack). These are also super handy to have since you can just reheat some when you’re craving some!

Vegan Siopao Bola Bola or Filipino Steamed Pork Buns in a bamboo steamer

WHAT IS SIOPAO?

Siopao is the Filipino version of Chinese buns or bao zi, 包子. Here we have Asado Siopao, which is a Filipino version of Char Siu Baos. Asado is the term we use for char siu, the barbecue meat used as filling.

This Bola-Bola Siopao is literally meatball bun since ‘bola-bola’ is the Filipino term for meatball.

I have a Vegan Filipino Bola-Bola (Meatball) recipe that uses a mix of tofu and plant-based ground “meat” or mince but for this recipe I highly recommend to use plant-based ground like Omnipork, Lightlife, Beyond Meat, for an even meatier texture.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THESE SIOPAO

Wet Yeast Mixture

instant yeast
warm soy milk or oat milk (or regular milk)
oil

Dry Mixture

The full detailed recipe is below!

The “Meat”/Bola-Bola Filling

plant-based ground pork or mince I used Omnipork Mince
hiitake mushrooms finely minced (feel free to use fresh or rehydrated or other mushrooms of your choice)
ginger, finely grated
garlic, minced
sugar
sesame oil
5 spice powder (optional), substitute with some white pepper and a pinch of cinnamon
Shaoxing wine
vegetarian oyster sauce
soy sauce
chopped spring onions or scallions
corn starch

PREPARE THE DOUGH

Yeast Mixture

Mix the yeast and the warm milk together. Leave for 10 minutes or until it foams up.
Afterwards, mix in the oil.

Dry Mixture and Kneading the Dough

Meanwhile, mix together all the dry ingredients. While mixing, add in the yeast-milk mixture. You can use a stand mixture for this and combine until you have a dough. You can also use your hands to knead the dough. Feel free to add 1-2 tbsp water to the mixture if it’s dry and doesn’t come together very well. Continue to need until the dough no longer sticks to your hands and you have a ball of dough.
Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a towel and leave to double in size at room temperature or in a warm place, for around 1 hour.

SEASON THE SIOPAO FILLING

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. If preparing this mixture in advance, make sure to cover and seal it well to prevent from drying.

PREPARE THE WRAPPERS

Flour your work surface as well as your rolling pin.
Place the ball of dough on the surface, then punch a hole in the middle with your finger. Pull apart the dough until you have a large ring.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Each piece will be around 40 grams. Shape each piece into a small ball.
Place the dough balls back into the ball and cover these to prevent from drying.

SHAPING AND PLEATING THE BUNS OR SIOPAO

You can also check the video to see a complete step-by-step on how I made these!
Get 1 piece of dough, place it on a floured surface flatted with your palm, and then roll out with your rolling pin until you have a round shape. While rolling, rotate clockwise to an angle and only roll over 1” of the edges, to create thinner margins with a thicker base. This will make it easier to plate the buns later on.
Add 1-1.5 tbsp of the filling on the centre of your wrapper. Make sure you do not add too much filling to keep the edges clean so that your bun will seal well. Pleat the buns, twist, and seal well.

PROOFING THE BUNS OR SIOPAO

Proof the buns: place the buns in a bamboo steamer or your steamer and cover these. Leave to proof for 20-30 more minutes.

STEAM THE SIOPAO AND ENJOY!

Afterwards, steam the buns for 12-15 minutes. After turning off the heat, do not immediately open your steamer and allow to slightly cool for 5 minutes. This will help keep the buns fluffy since any immediate temperature change can deflate the buns.
Enjoy while hot!

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Vegan Bola-Bola Siopao (Filipino Steamed “Pork”/”Meat”ball Buns)

5 from 1 vote

These Vegan Bola-Bola Siopao or Filipino Style Steamed “Pork” Buns are filled with a tasty “meat”ball filling. These are delicious as an afternoon snack (merienda) for a really hearty bite.

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Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Appetizer, Finger Food, Main Course, Snack, Snacks, Starters

Cuisine Chinese, East Asian, Filipino, Southeast Asian

Servings small buns

Calories 131 kcal

Equipment

Rolling Pin
Bamboo Steamer or steamer with lid (see notes)