Mantou / Steamed buns with Herman Starter
Up till now I have discussed bread in the baking method, but we know in many Chinese cuisines, steamed bread is also very common. With the soft texture of the bread achieved by using Herman starter, I was inspired to try out making mantou, or steamed buns.
I used my standard recipe for the Herman dough. Here is the recipe:
75g Herman Starter
150g Bread flour
Pinch of salt
80-100ml water
1. Similarly for the Herman starter, feed it with equal portions of flour and milk the day before. When it is active and bubbly it is ready to be used for baking.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, adding the water gradually. No additional sugar is needed because there is already sugar in the Herman starter. If you are using instant yeast instead, you may want to add a little sugar (1-2 teaspoons). Knead for 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and bounces back when you jab it with your finger.
3. Leave the dough to rise in a cold oven overnight (at least 12-14 hours). The dough will double or triple in size.
4. Knead the dough and shape it to the desired shape. Typically what I do is I roll out the dough and then roll them up. Leave to rest for about 30 minutes. Place a piece of baking parchment below each bun to prevent them from sticking to the steaming plate or each other.
5. Fill a pot with water and bring to boil. Make sure the water level is just below the steaming plate.
6. Don't worry if the buns look a bit small. They will puff up during the steaming and cooking process. Steam for about 20-25 minutes.
In my opinion for mantou / steamed buns, it is not required to have a similar "oven spring". Instead, a slightly denser and chewy but fluffy texture is great for such buns.
7. Leave the buns to cool a bit before eating. If you can't finish them in one go, you could keep them in the pot or steam them again before eating to make sure they stay soft.
Electric steamers also work well. Also, such a recipe could be customized with chinese herbs such as wolfberries to make a healthy bun.
I used my standard recipe for the Herman dough. Here is the recipe:
75g Herman Starter
150g Bread flour
Pinch of salt
80-100ml water
1. Similarly for the Herman starter, feed it with equal portions of flour and milk the day before. When it is active and bubbly it is ready to be used for baking.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, adding the water gradually. No additional sugar is needed because there is already sugar in the Herman starter. If you are using instant yeast instead, you may want to add a little sugar (1-2 teaspoons). Knead for 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and bounces back when you jab it with your finger.
3. Leave the dough to rise in a cold oven overnight (at least 12-14 hours). The dough will double or triple in size.
4. Knead the dough and shape it to the desired shape. Typically what I do is I roll out the dough and then roll them up. Leave to rest for about 30 minutes. Place a piece of baking parchment below each bun to prevent them from sticking to the steaming plate or each other.
5. Fill a pot with water and bring to boil. Make sure the water level is just below the steaming plate.
6. Don't worry if the buns look a bit small. They will puff up during the steaming and cooking process. Steam for about 20-25 minutes.
In my opinion for mantou / steamed buns, it is not required to have a similar "oven spring". Instead, a slightly denser and chewy but fluffy texture is great for such buns.
7. Leave the buns to cool a bit before eating. If you can't finish them in one go, you could keep them in the pot or steam them again before eating to make sure they stay soft.
Electric steamers also work well. Also, such a recipe could be customized with chinese herbs such as wolfberries to make a healthy bun.
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