Steamed Maize buns ( mantou)

I like to bake with polenta / cornmeal / maize, it  gives a beautiful fragrance and brings a bright yellow colour to the buns.  Following Dan Lepard's approach in bread making, I have learnt that soaking cornmeal with boiling water certainly helped to soften the texture, I believe it would also bring out the flavour better.   So, I went ahead like this way.  Another way I altered was, I only added the maize into the flour after the first proof, thinking it might be more easier to mix in.  I am glad it turned out great.




     Inspiration: Octopos Gourmet  and this recipe
   Ingredients

   Maize flour  100g ( get soaked in 120g hot boiling water)
   Plain flour   200g
   Instant dry yeast   2g
   Warm milk  120g ( you may need a little extra as you go)
   2 tablespoons sugar
   1 tablespoon oil

Add in the maize and knead

until well combined and smooth like this

steaming is done

the aroma from the maize is...really good.

   Method

   1. Prepare the sponge.  Warm milk, sugar and yeast well dissolved in a jug.  Let it sit for 5 minutes until it become frothy.

   2. In a bowl with maize flour, pour in hot water, stir, let it get soaked and softened.  Let cool and set aside.

  3. In a large bowl of plain flour, gradually pour in the yeast mixture at the same time keep stirring to bring everything together.  Cover and leave for 10 minutes.  With oiled hands and oiled working surface, light knead and fold for 10 seconds and return to the bowl for 10 minutes rest.  Do that twice more for the interval of 10 minutes.  Cover dough and leave for an hour, or until the size is doubled.

  4. Add in cooled maize, gently knead to bring all flours together.  Once it's smooth and all mixed, let it rise until size is doubled again.

  5. Dust a bit of flour on working surface, divide them.

  6. Place each on an oiled paper, leave for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, set up steamer.

  7. Using high heat, rapidly on boiling water, steam for 10 minutes and it's done.