Thursday 8 March 2012

Flower Rolls Mantou/ Plain Chinese Steamed Bun Recipe (step by step photos)


According to Wikipedia Mantou or Chinese Steamed Bun/Bread is a kind of stemmed bun originating in China. They are typically eaten as a staple in northern parts of China where wheat, rather than rice is grown. They are made with milled wheat flour, water and leavening agents. A popular story in China relates that the name mantou actually originated from the identically written and pitched, but more heavily pronounced word mántóu meaning "barbarian's head". The name mantou is cognate to manty and mantı; these are filled dumplings in Turkish, Persian, Central Asian, and Pakistani cuisines. In Japan, manjū usually indicates filled buns, which traditionally contain bean paste or minced meat-vegetable mixture. Filled mantou are called siopao in Tagalog. In Korea, mandu can refer to both baozi and jiaozi. In Mongolia, mantuu are basically the same as the Chinese mantou. Today, I will make mantou using my favourite recipe that I adapted from http://hungerhunger.blogspot.com


Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 350 grams pau flour/low protein flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 30 grams white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon shortening
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • *200 to 250 milliliters morning glory juice/water


*If using 250 milliliters water and kneading by hand, add in 200 milliliters first, kneading well than slowly add in the remainder 10 to 15 milliliters each time. This is to make sure that the dough is not too sticky to handle.



Directions 

1. In a small bowl, mix together yeast and warm water. Stir well. 

    Allow to proof until yeast resembles creamy foam. 




2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
    Add in shortening and combine well. Mix in yeast mixture and 
    sugar. Knead until dough surface is smooth and elastic. Roll
    over in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise
    until double in bulk, about 30 minutes depending on room 
    temperature. 





3. For Flower Rolls. Punch dough down. Knead for a few 
    minutes, and divide the dough into 50 grams equal pieces.(If 
    the dough is too sticky dust your hand and work surface lightly
    with some flour). Shape each part into a ball. Flatten each ball
    and roll into a small rectangle using your hand, about 4cm
    wide. 





4. Use a metal pastry cutter and cut the dough into strips. Brush 
    vegetable oil all over the surface of the strips. Take the ends 
    of the dough, one in each hand, and twist into a pretty roll.
    Place the roll on a wax paper squares, about 6 cm square. Let
    stand covered until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes. 





5. Bring water to a boil in a steamer using high heat. Transfer as 
    many mantou on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto 
    steamer and leave 1 to 2 inches between each mantou. 
    Cover steamer with lid. Steam mantou over boiling water for 
    5 minutes.


 



6.  REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will 
     drop back onto mantou surface and produce yellowish 
     “blisters” on it surfaces. Continue steaming batches of 
      mantou until all are cooked.





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