Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou)

⏳ Time

3 hours 30 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Another convenience is that these buns can be frozen. Once they cool down, let them sit for about 10 minutes, place them on a board, cover with plastic wrap, and then into the freezer. Later, just take them out of the freezer and steam them for just a couple of minutes.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 17.6 oz
Water - 7 fl oz
Salt - 0.1 oz
Dry yeast - 0.2 oz

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Dissolve the yeast in 100 ml of water until fully dissolved. Then pour this yeast mixture into the flour and mix. Gradually add the remaining water and knead the dough. Knead until all the flour is absorbed. The dough will be very stiff and hard to knead, but do not add more water. Once kneaded, let it rest for 15 minutes in a bowl covered with a lid.

Step 2

Then take the dough out, knead it well again, and let it rise for 2–3 hours, or until it doubles in size.

Step 3

The next step is to remove all the bubbles that formed in the dough. You can use a pasta machine — in the dough rolling mode, pass the dough through the press 5–6 times. If you don't have a pasta machine, you can simply roll the dough thinly with a rolling pin several times, folding the sheet and rolling it out again. The dough will turn white and become smooth. In the end, you should have a ball of dough with almost no bubbles.

Step 4

Next, roll the dough into a long rope and cut it into 16 pieces. Or weigh the buns, as I did — about 44–45 grams each. Shape the buns and let them proof for about 20 minutes on a board (to prevent them from drying out, cover them with plastic wrap or a light, slightly damp towel). I placed the buns directly in the steamer for proofing, lining the bottom with parchment paper.

Step 5

Steam on low for about 15–20 minutes. I use a regular bamboo steamer. I place a pot on the stove. Once the water boils, I reduce the heat. I place the two-tier bamboo steamer with the buns on top of the pot. Cover with a lid. Do not open the lid while cooking. After 15–20 minutes, turn off the heat.

Step 6

Open the lid 3–5 minutes after turning off the heat. This is a must; otherwise, the buns may shrink. Allow to cool completely. When hot, they are slightly sticky, like the crumb of hot fresh bread.