Discover the art of making authentic Chinese buns and pastries in this hands-on workshop designed for both complete beginners and home cooks looking to expand their skills. During the workshop you will learn to make four classic Chinese favourites like Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi)-soft, fluffy yeast buns filled with savoury pork; Pan-Fried Pork Buns (Shengjian Bao)-juicy pork buns with a crispy golden base; Sweet Red Bean Buns-pillowy steamed buns filled with smooth red bean paste; Chinese Chive Pockets (Jiucai Hezi)-crispy pan-fried pastries filled with chives, egg and glass noodles. Starting from scratch, you'll learn how to prepare a soft yeast dough and understand the fundamentals of dough fermentation. You'll then make three different fillings: a savoury pork filling, a sweet red bean paste filling, and a fragrant vegetarian filling of Chinese chives, egg and glass noodles. Throughout the workshop, you'll practise traditional shaping and folding techniques, including wrapping buns, creating pleats, sealing edges and forming attractive finished products. You'll also learn two essential cooking methods-steaming and pan-frying-and gain practical tips on controlling heat, timing and texture to achieve consistently delicious results. By the end of the class, you'll have the confidence to recreate these recipes at home, adapt the fillings to suit your own tastes and impress family and friends with your homemade Chinese specialties.

Your Tutor is Julia Lian

Julia has been teaching at WEA since 2025.

Julia has taught and worked in cultural exchange across China, South Korea and Australia, bringing extensive international experience to her teaching. Over the past decade, she has designed and delivered a variety of interactive cooking workshops for international students and adult learners, combining hands-on culinary skills with engaging cultural insights.

Julia is passionate about interactive, practical learning. In her classes, participants not only master traditional cooking techniques but also discover the fascinating history, customs and cultural significance behind each dish. Her teaching style is warm, engaging and accessible, encouraging confidence in the kitchen while fostering a deeper appreciation of Chinese food culture.

From Dough to Delicious – Chinese Buns

Course Description

Learn the secrets behind some of China's most popular buns and pastries in this hands-on cooking workshop. 

Perfect for complete beginners and home cooks alike, this class will guide you through the process of making authentic dough, delicious fillings and beautifully shaped buns from scratch. 

With step-by-step instruction and plenty of practical experience, you'll discover the techniques behind soft steamed buns, crispy pan-fried buns and traditional Chinese pastries that you can confidently recreate at home.

During the workshop, you'll prepare four classic Chinese favourites: Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi), Pan-Fried Pork Buns (Shengjian Bao), Sweet Red Bean Buns and Chinese Chive Pockets (Jiucai Hezi). 

Along the way, you'll learn the fundamentals of yeast dough preparation and fermentation, create three different savoury and sweet fillings, master traditional folding and shaping techniques, and explore both steaming and pan-frying methods. 

By the end of the class, you'll leave with new skills, delicious recipes and the confidence to impress family and friends with your homemade Chinese specialties.

Course Structure

This practical workshop combines tutor demonstrations with plenty of hands-on cooking, tasting and discussion. 

Students will begin by preparing a soft yeast dough while learning the fundamentals of mixing, kneading and fermentation. 

They will then create three traditional fillings before practising classic Chinese shaping and pleating techniques to produce a variety of steamed buns and pan-fried pastries. 

Throughout the workshop, students will learn how to control cooking times, temperature and texture using both steaming and pan-frying methods. 

Practical tips for adapting fillings, troubleshooting common problems and recreating the recipes at home are included throughout the class.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Prepare and knead a traditional Chinese yeast dough
• Understand the basics of dough fermentation
• Make savoury and sweet fillings for a variety of Chinese buns and pastries
• Shape and fold Chinese buns using traditional techniques
• Cook buns and pastries using steaming and pan-frying methods
• Prepare Steamed Pork Buns (Baozi), Pan-Fried Pork Buns (Shengjian Bao), Sweet Red Bean Buns and Chinese Chive Pockets (Jiucai Hezi)
• Adapt fillings and recipes to suit their own tastes
• Recreate authentic Chinese buns and pastries with confidence at home.