Start by bringing a pot of water to boil. In the meantime, fill a bowl with ice water for ice-bath purposes. Once you’ve got that rolling boil, briefly blanch the chopped bok choy in batches for about 10 seconds—this keeps them vibrant and fresh. Grab a slotted spoon, transfer the bok choy to the ice bath to cool off, and let it relax.

When the bok choy is chilled, take it out and squeeze out any excess water—not squeezing enough might lead to soggy buns later. This step is super important! Now, finely chop the bok choy and place it in a mixing bowl.

Next, take your shiitake mushrooms and sauté them for about 3 to 4 minutes in a hot wok with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until they’re aromatic. Allow them to cool down. After that, chop the dried bean curd into small pieces and combine them with the bok choy and mushrooms.

To season your filling, pour off any liquid from the vegetable mixture. Add in the mushroom mix, crumbled bean curd, 1 tablespoon of oil, light soy sauce, white sugar, sesame oil, ground white pepper, and salt. Give it a good mix and allow the filling to marinate in the refrigerator for flavor development.

In a bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and sugar until the yeast dissolves. Allow it to sit for approximately 15 minutes until it foams. In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.

Once the yeast is bubbly, stir in the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and combine it with the dry ingredients using a spatula. Knead the dough with your hands for about 6 to 8 minutes until it becomes soft and smooth. Don’t hesitate to add a little more flour (1 tablespoon at a time) if the dough feels sticky or drops in moisture if it feels dry. You want it smooth, but not tacky!

Brush the dough lightly with the reserved teaspoon of oil, then cover it with plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size (about an hour).

After the dough has risen, punch it down to release air. Divide it into 14 even pieces and cover with a kitchen towel so they don’t dry out.

On a lightly floured surface, take a piece of dough, roll it from edge to center while rotating, until you form a roughly 4-inch disc, thicker in the center. Place about 2½ tablespoons of your filling right in the middle of each round. Now, gather the edges of the dough and pinch or twist until everything is sealed inside.

Line each bao with a piece of parchment paper to keep the bottom from sticking, and place on the steaming rack, leaving enough space between each bun.

Before you turn on the heat, let your assembled buns rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your steaming setup—make sure your steaming rack is elevated above boiling water, so your buns don’t get soggy.

After resting, turn the heat on high until the water starts to boil. Once you see steam, reduce the heat to medium and steam for another 10 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the heat but avoid lifting the lid for the next 5 minutes. This way, your buns keep their fluffiness.

Once the time’s up, take a deep breath and then open the lid. Enjoy these steaming hot baozi right away, or engage in some leftovers for later!