Chinese Steamed Buns

I have never really been a fan of steamed buns. The ones that I have tried in the past have always been quite stodgy and uninteresting, so I generally avoided purchasing them at restaurants or in the frozen food section at the supermarket. 

All that has changed however since we started making them from scratch. Now I can’t resist eating two or three (or maybe even four) of these dumplings as an accompaniment to a meal. And I am not just talking about eating them with Chinese food but with anything really. Tonight we had them with spare ribs.

This recipe turns out a light and fluffy steamed bun with not a bit of stodginess. Mind you, you have to ensure that the air is warm enough for these to rise properly as I made them once in the middle of winter and I pretty much could have used these as paper weights.

Steamed Buns
(Source: Fresh Chinese)

1/2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
175 ml (6 fl oz) warm water
275g (9oz) plain flour
1 tbs olive oil

1. Combine the yeast and sugar in a bowl and stir in the warm water. Leave in a warm place until the yeast becomes frothy.

2. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture and oil. Stir to combine.

3. Using your hands, work the mixture into a dough. Use extra flour if required.

4. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.

5. Return the dough to a bowl, cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Lightly knock back the dough for a few seconds and divide into 20 pieces.

7. Roll them into round balls and place each piece on a square of greaseproof paper. Allow to rise again for about 15 minutes.

8. Steam for approximately 10-12 minutes.

9. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Note: These can be frozen and then reheated in the steamer at a later date.

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