Whole grain steamed buns are not only delicious and nutritious but also do not require too much effort for the dough filling process. You can completely use this dish in your weight loss menu while still ensuring the necessary nutritional intake. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN and check out the following 4 recipes to get started!
1. Whole grain steamed buns without filling

-
Preparation
1 hour 15 minutes
-
Cooking
20 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Whole grain steamed buns without filling Serves 3
Whole wheat flour 200 gr (under 10% protein) Oats 30 gr Instant yeast 3 gr Brown sugar 10 gr Low-fat milk 150 ml
How to Make Whole Wheat Steamed Buns without Filling
-
Mixing the Dough
Base Dough:
Put 50g of whole wheat flour, 1g of yeast, 5g of brown sugar, and 75ml of low-fat milk in a bowl, mix well, and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Bun Dough:
In a new bowl, add 150g of whole wheat flour, 2g of yeast, 5g of brown sugar, and 75ml of low-fat milk, and mix until the ingredients are combined.
-
Kneading the Dough
Add 30g of oats to the bun dough, along with the base dough, and knead the dough with your hands until it becomes a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
Continue to let the dough rise for 1 hour.
-
Shaping the Buns
Flatten the dough, then roll it up and use a knife to cut it into small pieces.
Tip: You can add dark chocolate or any filling you like to the dough, then roll it back up. -
Steaming the buns
Put the buns in the steamer and steam over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Note: Remember to cover the pot lid with a cloth before closing it, this method will help prevent steam from dripping onto the dough.
-
Final product
The steamed buns made from oatmeal have a fragrant smell of milk, with a light sweetness and a nutty taste from the whole grain flour. This bun contains only 80 calories, making it extremely suitable for your diet plan.
2. Whole Wheat Chicken Mushroom Buns

-
Preparation
2 hours
-
Cooking
30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Chicken Mushroom Buns For 9 buns
Whole wheat flour 190 gr Oat flour 60 gr Corn flour 1 tablespoon Baking powder 6 gr (leavening agent) Dry yeast 4 gr Chicken breast 260 gr Dried shiitake mushrooms 8 gr Dried wood ear mushrooms 13 gr Shallots 4 bulbs Garlic 6 cloves Unsweetened fresh milk 180 ml Palm sugar 1/2 tablespoon Coconut oil 2.5 tablespoons Oyster sauce 2 tablespoons Honey 1 tablespoon Soy sauce 1.5 tablespoons Salt a little
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to choose good shiitake mushrooms
- Choose mushrooms that are not broken, bright in color, and show no signs of mold.
- Additionally, you should buy mushrooms from reputable food/dry goods sellers to ensure safety.
How to choose good dried wood ear mushrooms
- Prioritize choosing mushrooms with large ears, thick caps, and few small mushrooms at the base.
- Good wood ear mushrooms will have a dark amber color, slightly glossy, and the underside will be coffee milk color.
- Do not choose mushrooms with black spots as they are less crunchy and easily become mushy when soaked in water.
- Do not select mushrooms showing signs of white mold or leaking water.
Required tools
How to make Whole Grain Chicken Mushroom Steamed Buns
-
Mix the dough
First, add 100ml of warm fresh milk (40 degrees Celsius) and 4g of dry yeast into a bowl, then stir well, cover tightly, and let it sit for 15 minutes for the yeast to rise into a mass like crab bricks.
Tip: To ensure the yeast rises effectively and does not die or operate weakly, make sure the milk is only warm at a temperature of 32 – 40 degrees Celsius!Next, add 190g of whole wheat flour, 60g of oatmeal, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 6g of baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into a bowl and mix well.
Then, add the yeast mixture from above and continue to mix well.
Gradually pour in 80ml of fresh milk into the flour mixture, mixing as you go until the mixture binds together.
-
Knead and proof the dough
Transfer the dough to a table and knead it for about 10 – 15 minutes until it forms a smooth and elastic ball that does not stick to your hands when touched.
Next, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and proof for 1 hour at room temperature.
-
Prepare the filling ingredients
Peel the garlic and onion, then chop them finely.
Soak the wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in water for about 30 minutes, then cut off the stems, rinse, and chop them finely.
Wash the chicken breast, drain, and cut it into small bite-sized pieces.
-
Sauté the filling
Place a pan on the stove, add 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil and heat it up. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion to sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms, then season with 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 60ml of water, and 1/2 tablespoon of palm sugar. Stir well over medium heat until the ingredients are cooked evenly.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 25ml of water, then pour this mixture into the filling pan. Continue to stir until the liquid thickens.
Then, cover the pan tightly for about 3 minutes, then adjust the seasoning to taste and turn off the heat.
-
Shaping the dough
Knead the dough for about 3 minutes, divide it into 9 equal parts, and roll them into balls.
Next, use a rolling pin to flatten each piece of dough, place the filling in the center, and pinch the edges of the dough closed. Place the buns on a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Tip: To prevent the dough from drying out, remember to cover the unshaped dough tightly! -
Steaming the buns
Arrange the buns in a steamer, then place the steamer over a pot of boiling water, cover the pot with a cloth, put the lid on tightly, and steam for 15 minutes over medium heat.
-
Final Product
Whole grain chicken mushroom buns have a soft, buttery crust, lightly fragrant with milk, combined with a filling of chicken breast and various rich, nutty mushrooms, extremely delicious and nutritious.
3. Whole grain char siu chicken buns

-
Preparation
1 hour 30 minutes
-
Cooking
30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Whole grain char siu chicken buns For 3 buns
Whole grain flour 100 gr Five-spice powder 1/4 teaspoon Cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder 1/2 teaspoon (leavening powder) Chicken breast 70 gr (finely chopped) Onion 25 gr (finely chopped) Sesame oil 1 tablespoon Almond milk 50 ml Instant yeast 1 teaspoon Honey 1.5 tablespoons Lemon juice a bit Soy sauce 1 teaspoon Minced garlic 1 teaspoon Ground pepper 1 teaspoon Egg white 1/3 egg Cooking oil a bit Salt a bit
How to make Whole Grain Chicken Char Siu Buns
-
Mix the dough
Warm up 50ml of almond milk, then stir in 1 tablespoon of honey.
Next, add 1 teaspoon of instant yeast and continue stirring. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast activates and looks like crab bricks.
Tip:- When using instant yeast, you do not need to warm the milk. However, if you want to check if the yeast is still active, you should do it.
- To prevent the yeast from dying or becoming weak, the temperature of the milk/water when activating the yeast should be between 32 – 40 degrees Celsius.
In a new bowl, add 100g of finely sifted whole grain flour, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, then mix well.
Next, add the yeast mixture, 1/3 of the egg white, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and a little lemon juice to the bowl. Use a spatula to mix and press the dough down to the bottom of the bowl for about 5 minutes until the ingredients stick together.
-
Knead and proof the dough
Place the dough from Step 1 into a plastic bag, use your hands to knead continuously until the dough is smooth and elastic, and does not stick to your hands.
Then, put the dough in a bowl, cover tightly, and let it proof for 1 hour at room temperature until it doubles in size.
Tip: You can lightly coat the inside of the bag with a thin layer of cooking oil to prevent sticking! -
Marinate the chicken
Add 70g minced chicken breast, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder, and 1 teaspoon honey into a bowl and mix well. Marinate for 15 minutes for the chicken to absorb the seasoning.
-
Steaming the buns
Arrange the buns in the steamer, place the steamer over a pot of boiling water, cover the top with a cloth, put the lid on, and steam the buns for about 15 minutes.
Tip: To prevent the buns from collapsing, after steaming, turn off the heat and slightly open the lid for about 15 minutes before taking the buns out! -
Final product
The whole grain steamed buns with char siu chicken have a soft, fragrant texture, with a light sweetness and a rich taste from the filling; just taste a piece and you’ll love it immediately!
4. Whole grain steamed buns with pork

-
Preparation
1 hour 30 minutes
-
Cooking
40 minutes
-
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Pork Buns For 8 buns
Whole wheat flour 200 gr Pork belly 200 gr (minced) Dry yeast 2.5 gr Oyster sauce 1/2 tablespoon Sesame oil 1/2 tablespoon Cooking oil 1/2 tablespoon Rice wine 1 tablespoon Ground ginger 1/3 teaspoon Green onions 2 tablespoons (chopped) Unsweetened fresh milk 100 ml Common seasoning a little (salt/ sugar/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh, delicious, and safe pork belly
- Delicious pork belly has a balanced ratio of fat and meat, so you won’t feel greasy from too much fat or dry from too much lean meat.
- Choose pork with a thick outer skin, a fat layer of 1.5cm – 2cm, and the lean meat tightly attached to the fat. However, for the best taste, avoid buying pork with an excessively thick outer skin as it indicates the pig has been raised for too long, which won’t taste good.
- Pay attention to the color of the pork; good pork belly has a dry outer skin, and is bright red or pink. The meat should be a beautiful light pink after being cut, with white-pink, soft skin. The fat interspersed with the meat should be bright white and firm.
- The elasticity of the pork belly is very good; if you press the meat with your hand and the indentation returns quickly to its original state, that is good pork.
- Fresh and delicious meat will have a distinctive smell; when buying pork, you should be cautious. If the meat has an unusual smell, it’s best to avoid buying it.
Tools needed
How to make Whole Grain Pork Steamed Buns
-
Mix the dough
Add 15ml of warm water (40 degrees C) and 2.5gr of dry yeast into a bowl, stir well, and let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast expands like crab bricks.
Next, add 200gr of whole grain flour, 20gr of sugar, the yeast mixture, 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 100ml of unsweetened fresh milk into a bowl and mix well.
-
Knead and proof the dough
Use your hands to knead the dough until it forms a uniform, smooth, and elastic mass that does not stick to your hands.
Next, cover the bowl of dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it proof for 45 – 60 minutes.
-
Marinate the pork
Add 200g of minced pork belly into a bowl, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, a little ground pepper, 1/3 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of water. Mix the ingredients thoroughly for 1 minute.
After 1 minute, add 1 tablespoon of water and continue to mix until the meat turns a light pink color. Marinate for 15 minutes to allow the meat to absorb the seasoning.
Finally, add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions and mix well.
-
Shaping the dough
Briefly knead the dough, divide it into 8 equal parts, and roll them into balls. Next, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough, place the filling in the center, and gather the edges of the dough together.
Place a cloth in the steamer, arrange the dough balls inside, then cover them with the cloth and let them proof for an additional 30 minutes.
-
Steaming the buns
After 30 minutes, place the steamer over boiling water, cover the dough with a cloth, put the lid on, and steam for 15 – 20 minutes over medium heat.
-
Final product
The small and lovely whole grain pork buns have soft and fragrant dough combined with rich and creamy filling, making them super delicious. This dish is extremely ideal for you to enjoy in the morning.
What is whole wheat flour?
- Whole wheat flour, also known as pure wheat flour, is called Whole Wheat Flour in English. This type of flour is processed by grinding or crushing the entire wheat grain, including: the bran (the outer layer), the germ, and the endosperm.
- Therefore, whole grain flour retains most of the nutrients and the characteristic flavor of wheat.
How to choose fresh and delicious chicken breast
- Choose chicken breast pieces that are light pink, bright, with a shiny surface, and slightly firm. Avoid buying pieces that are dark in color as that indicates the meat is no longer fresh.
- Choose chicken breast pieces that feel elastic when pressed, the meat should be moist, firm, whole without being dry, leaking water, or falling apart.
- Absolutely do not buy chicken breasts that are pure white or have white spots, as this indicates the meat has been affected by chemicals or growth hormones.
- If buying pre-packaged chicken breasts, it will be difficult to observe closely, so you should pay attention to the quality of the packaging. Additionally, you should buy chicken breast pieces that are produced on the same day to avoid buying pieces that are no longer fresh.
How to store whole grain buns
- Uncooked buns: Wrap the buns tightly with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge refrigerator. This method can keep the buns for about a week.
- Cooked buns: Wrap the buns tightly with plastic wrap and placing them in the fridge will keep them for a week. If placed in the freezer, they can be stored for 2 weeks; when eating, just thaw them using a microwave and steam the buns again with a steamer to enjoy.
The flavorful and delicious steamed buns will be an ideal suggestion for your weight loss menu. With the shared recipe above, I hope you will successfully make these 4 delicious and nutritious whole wheat steamed buns!