October 21, 2018

Collard Greens and Maitake Steamed Buns (Hen of the Woods)

White, puffy buns with a smooth, shiny, glossy crust. Break inside to reveal a center filled with savory collard greens and meaty, delicious, maitake (hen of the woods) mushrooms. These maitake steamed buns are everything you might want out of these filled doughy delights- they make a filling snack, and a couple in a lunch box will keep you full until dinner. Dip in soy sauce to complete this symphony of umami delight.

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When I was younger, as a vegetarian, I felt a little left out of the savory roll and pastry party. I’ve always chosen savory over sweet, so seeing ham and cheese croissants, and having to choose chocolate instead always felt a little unfair. After I became vegan, the injustices climbed higher- now there were virtually no pastries, savory or otherwise, available. One of my few options became steamed buns filled with red bean paste, and while I found those sweet little legumes a real treat, I was again taunted by their pork or other meat filled savory counter parts. As fall foraging left me with a fridge stuffed full of hen of the woods mushrooms, I decided it was time to try my hand at making my own savory steamed buns, and took a shot at these collard greens and maitake steamed buns.

Mushroom foragers such as myself have enjoyed a particularly plentiful maitake season. Maitake mushrooms- also known as hen of the woods (not to be confused with chicken of the woods)- are an incredible fall edible. The name “maitake” translates to “dancing mushroom” in Japanese, apparently because finding one would cause the forager to dance for joy. I have done a few maitake celebration dances myself, because finding a hen of the woods is something that is really worth celebrating. Unlike many mushrooms, finding a maitake means you’re finding a meal. Even small maitake typically weight around three pounds, and they can weigh considerably more. Hen of the woods are found clustered at the base of hardwood trees, most commonly oaks. They have a dark, petal-like look with pores, and (when fresh enough to eat) are soft, supple and tear easily. Maitake are fairly easy to ID, but make sure you are positive in your identification before consuming.

(Disclaimer: While I am responsible for the accuracy of the information I share on this site, and for creating delicious recipes such as these maitake steamed buns, I can not be responsible for the mushrooms you pick. Please ID and forage responsibly, and always error on the side of caution!)

Steamed buns are something that I always assumed were hard to make. Their smooth, glossy shells and puffy dough sides look like they’d be complicated to get right, not to mention properly filling and folding them. I was so wrong about these being complicated! Like any dough, there’s a little proving that goes on to make it fluffy, and steaming (which I had mostly kept away from) is actually super, super easy. Now in the spirit of honesty, I probably did not fold them correctly, but I got them shut which seems like the important thing.

To make the dough for these maitake steamed buns, combine the ingredients and kneed well for 5-10 minutes. This was my first time using my mixer to kneed for me, and I was sort of blown away by how much easier it was, but you can also very much stick to the classic version of kneading. Then let the dough rest and rise for about an hour until it’s doubled in size (if your house is very cold, this will take longer). Cook the filling first to remove some of the moisture, and pulse in the food processor- you want it small enough to use as filling, but not a smooth paste. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll into a ball and flatten into a disc. I used the palm of my hand to continue to flatten the dough, pushing from the inside outwards, until it was about 4 inches across. Then I put a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough, and pinched the sides together, going around the circumference, and pinching all the crimped edges closed. Really, as long as you get it nice and closed, you’re good to go!

Collard Greens and Maitake Steamed Buns (Hen of the Woods)

Yield: 8 Buns

Collard Greens and Maitake Steamed Buns (Hen of the Woods)

Ingredients

For the Dough:

300g. all-purpose flour
40g. sugar
1½ tsp. yeast
¾ cup warm (but not hot) vegan milk
Pinch of salt

For the Filling:

Oil, for cooking
½ small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ pound fresh maitake mushrooms, cleaned and torn into pieces
¼ pound collard green (or kale), chopped
1 tsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. nutritional yeast

Instructions

In an electronic mixer with a dough hook, or a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dough and kneed for 5-10 minutes. Place in a bowl in a warm place and cover, for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough rises, you can make the filling. Heat some oil in a large skillet, and start by sautéing the onion and garlic for a minute, before adding the maitake. Cook for around 10 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to release most of their liquid. Add the collard greens and soy sauce, and continue to cook down. Once it is well reduced, put the mixture in a food processor, along with the nutritional yeast and some salt and pepper. Pulse very briefly, 10-15 times, to give yourself a rough chop, but not so much that the filling is pureed. Set aside.
Once the dough has risen, kneed a few times to remove air bubbles, then divide into 8 even pieces. One at a time, shape the buns. Take the dough and roll into a ball, before pushing down into a disc. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the disc, by going along the circumference of the dough and pushing from the inside out, until the circle is about 4 inches across. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center. Close the bun by crimping along the edges, before pinching the crimped edges together and gently rolling smooth once closed. Place on a silicone sheet or wax paper and repeat with the other 7 pieces of dough.
Let the completed buns prove again, for about 10-20 minutes before cooking. Place the buns (you may have to do this in batches- expect that the buns might double in size) in a steamer lined with wax paper or another liner. Bring the water underneath to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes before removing from the heat. Enjoy!

https://veryveganval.com/2018/10/21/collard-greens-and-maitake-steamed-buns-hen-of-the-woods/

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Let’s hear from you…

Have you ever had maitake mushrooms? What were your thoughts?
Besides these maitake steamed buns of course, what other types of savory baked (or I guess steamed also) goods do you like?
Who would win in a fight, hen of the woods or chicken of the woods?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!