Hua Juan Mantou ( Flower steamed buns)

                                                   I finally get to do this experiment :)

    Ingredients ( dough)
    500g plain flour
    6g instant dry yeast
    266g lukewarm milk



   Ingredients ( filling)
   Bacon 2 pieces (finely chopped)
   Salt  1/2 teaspoon ( your choice)
   Oil  1 tablespoon
   Spring onion  20g ( finely chopped)


 


  Method
  1.  Yeast,  1/2 teaspoon sugar and 2 tbsp lukewarm water mixed.  Be sure yeast is well dissolved. You should see mixture become foamy in a short moment.  It is then ready to be used.

  2.  Pour yeast mixture in the centre of the bowl containing flour, together with the remaining lukewarm milk, stir and mix to bring everything to come as a rough dough. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.  Light knead, fold and stretch for 10 seconds. Cover, leave for 10 minutes. Do twice more of this for each 10 minute break.  Cover and leave to let it rise for an hour, or until size is doubled.

  3.  Punch down air bubbles, dust flour on working surface, roll dough into rectangle shape.  Using your hand, spread and even out the salt on the sheet.  Roll it slightly to make sure salt sits well onto the sheet. Again, using your hand, spread oil evenly.  Sprinkle spring onion  and diced bacon evenly.

 4.  Very slowly, roll up the dough gently and tightly, seal the bottom.  Divide into buns ( your preference of sizes).  Lay one on top of another, place a chopstick in the centre top, press it deep down,  hands gripping on two ends make a 180 degree twist, stretch it slightly longer ( but not too much), bring it under, seal ends by pressing it tightly.

 5.  Covered, let it rest for about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, set up steamer.  Rapidly on boiling water, steam for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat, remove buns only after 5 minutes.

salt, oil then bacon and spring onions

roll it up tight, gently

seal it up

divide them

stack one on top of another, using chopstick pressing it deep..all the way down.

hands gripping on two ends, make a 180 degree twist, stretch it slightly longer ( oops, I forgot :))
bring both ends under.

seal up the ends by pressing it tightly

Rest gluten for about 20 minutes

Hua Juan..