DOUGH

Steamed Buns

Hot buns, steamed, filled with meat or sweets are delicious for snacking or a light lunch.   The correct and consistency of the dough is the key to have good buns.

Steam Buns with Pork Filling

The Recipe

This recipe works well in my kitchen, I prepared the buns last week, and they were simply delicious.

In my kitchen I create flavours, often I fill them with savoury pork with mustard sauce and serve with sautéed greens.

I love my sweet buns filled with sweet black bean paste or mung bean paste.

Dough for Steam Buns

2 cups heap full plain flour

A cup heap full plain flour

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oil

½ cup flour extra for kneading

2 ½ cups warm water (1/2 cup mix with the yeast-the one cup add into the flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder and extra flour if needed

Method

Mix the yeast with warm water, keep aside until frothy

Place flour, sugar, salt in a large bowl, mix together

Add in the bubbly yeast, oil and a cup of warm water, and mix together.

The dough is very sticky at this stage, add in a little more flour to have a soft dough

Transfer the dough on a floured board, and knead the dough Lightly.  Add flour and rub your fingers with flour, and continue kneading until the dough is smooth but not sticky.

Place the dough back on an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and put it in a warm place for one hour to proof.

Punch the dough down, and knead gently and roll the dough to thin round, add sprinkle with the baking powder.  Fold and knead it lightly, shape it to a sausage shape.

Divide the dough into eight small balls to make eight buns.

The Steamed Buns

Fill these eight small buns with any filling as you like.

For Chinese steamed buns, you can have sweet or savoury fillings, delicious black beans paste, and pork fillings are very popular.

The Preparations

All ingredients mixed together, and the dough is sticky.

The sticky dough is on a floured board ready to knead

More flour for the dough to help the kneading easier

Knead gently

The dough is less sticky.

Kneading the dough to get a smooth and soft texture

The dough is soft and smooth, ready to proof to double in bulk.

The dough has doubled in bulk after one-hour proofing.

Adding baking powder on the dough, knead again quickly.

Fold and knead the dough, shape into a long sausage and cut it into eight,
to make small balls.

Roll each ball into a thin round, place the filling in the middle

Shaping, gather the edges of the dough in, to enclose the filling.  Put
the bun on a circle round baking paper
The muffins are ready to steam within ten minutes.

Cooked Steamed Buns
They need 16-20 minutes steaming/cooking

The buns freeze well.  It is a good idea to make a few batches, freeze them and enjoy at any time you wish to.
Often I serve the buns as a garnish of Meat and Vegetables Stew/Ragu.  Enjoy the hot ragu with a complement of the steamed buns to mop the sauce.  Delicious.

Happy Cooking
Thank you for stopping by
Susy