Chinese Steamed Buns 白饅頭

Made with bleached all purpose flour

Made with unbleached all purpose flour

Ingredients

Makes 8 buns

• 260g lukewarm water
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 500g all purpose flour
• 20g sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water in a large bowl.
2. Mix all ingredients with yeast mixture until all is blended, and then knead the dough until it's smooth, around 5 minutes. 
3. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a lid.
4. Roll out the dough to a  28" x 6" rectangle. Fold like a three fold brochure.
5. Roll it out again to a 18" x 10" rectangle.  By rolling the 2nd time eliminates the bubbles in the dough. Or using a toothpick to get rid of the bubbles.
6. Brush the surface with water.
7. Roll out the dough tightly from the longer edge to form a log. 
8. Slice the log into 8 pieces. 
9. Lay the buns on the square baking papers. (Cut the parchment paper in squares slightly bigger than the buns.)
10. Spread the buns on the steamer and pour some warm water in the bottom of the steamer. Cover the steamer, and let the buns rise for 20 minutes. 
11. After the final rise, turn on the steamer and steam the buns for 15 minutes until it's cooked. 
12. Serve immediately. 

Mix all dry ingredients with yeast mixture

Let the dough rest at room temperature for 5 minutes

Roll out the dough into a 28" x 6" rectangle

Slice the log into equal pieces

Or roll each piece into the traditional bun shape

There are many ways to enjoy this healthy steamed buns. Their texture is fluffy,  soft yet firm. I make Spam ham and egg sandwiches for breakfast. They are good with roast beef, BBQ pork, or sauteed vegetables too! But I like the simple taste of the bun itself the most! Steamed buns reheat well in a microwave by wrapping the buns with a damp paper towel to be resteamed. They make a satisfying alternative to rice.


Recipe variations
Substitute the lukewarm water for 2% lukewarm milk which will give the buns a puffy and chewy textures. If you are using an unbleached all purpose flour for this recipe, milk will enhance the color of your buns too.