Steamed buns are traditional pasta of the Han nationality. They are made by mixing flour with water, sugar, etc., fermenting and steaming. In the Jiangnan area, these types of pasta with fillings such as meat, vegetables, bean paste, etc. are generally called steamed buns, while steamed buns without fillings are called white steamed buns. Delicious, soft and nutritious, it is one of the indispensable staple foods on the table. It is not easy to make a small steamed bun. Lets learn how to make steamed buns with the craft editor. The very detailed illustrations and text instructions will definitely let you learn how to make beautiful and delicious steamed buns.
Kneading dough
To make successful steamed buns or steamed buns, dough making (kneading) and fermentation are two very important steps. The process of kneading the dough will form gluten, and the function of gluten is to wrap the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast during fermentation, causing the dough to form countless small pores, making it soft and increasing in volume. Therefore, the amount of gluten determines whether the texture of the steamed bun is delicate enough. If there is less gluten, the tissue will be rough and the pores will be large; if there is too much gluten, the tissue will be fine and the pores will be small. It’s also pumpkin steamed buns. The first picture below is a picture of the finished product when I first started making steamed buns two years ago, and the second picture is a picture of the finished product later. You can compare the differences in the internal structure of the two steamed buns after they are torn apart. When I first learned to make steamed buns, in addition to kneading the dough, I also had to throw and throw it, making the kitchen ping-pang. As I gained more experience in kneading dough, and learned from other peoples experiences, I slowly formed my current dough kneading technique: using wrist strength to repeat two actions: pushing forward (picture 1 below) and folding the dough (picture 2 below) ). It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to knead the dough until it is smooth.
After each folding and pushing action, turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat these two actions. (The following 6 pictures are continuous action pictures)
Picture 1: Fold the dough in half, Picture 2: Push the dough forward, Picture 3: Turn the dough 90 degrees.
Picture 4: Fold the dough in half, Picture 5: Push the dough forward, Picture6: Turn the dough 90 degrees.
The following pictures show the process from mixing flour into floc and kneading until smooth. Picture 1) Use chopsticks to mix all the ingredients into a fluffy consistency. (You need to scrape off the powder on the edge of the basin as well)
Picture 2) Gather the dough into a ball with your hands (if the dough is too dry and there is a lot of dry flour in the basin, you can add water as appropriate at this time).
Picture 3) Gather all the noodles in the basin into a ball. (There is no excess dry powder in the basin)
Picture 4) How the dough looks after kneading for 5 minutes. (Close the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes)
Picture 5) What the dough looks like after resting for 5 minutes and then kneading for another minute. (Because the dough felt a little dry, I added a little water.)
Picture 6) What the dough looks like after adding water and continuing to knead for 3 minutes. (Depending on the condition of the dough, I usually knead for about 5-10 minutes more.)
Food:
The surface of the dough after normal fermentation is smooth, usuallyIt will grow to 1.5-2 times the size. Use flour with your fingers to rub a hole in the risen dough. It will not rebound, the dough will not collapse, and the hole will not wrinkle. The inside of the dough is honeycomb-shaped. As shown below
Dough not rising properly?
1: The amount of yeast is not enough.
My daily habits are: 250 grams (500ml) of powder, 135ml of water, and about 1/2 bottle cap of yeast (ordinary mineral water bottle cap).
The amount of water in this ratio is too small, and the resulting dough will be hard. The amount of water can be increased according to the situation. Each brand of yeast is slightly different and can be adjusted according to the situation.
2: Fermentation temperature and time
If the fermentation temperature is between 20-30 degrees, the dough will basically ferment in one hour.
If the temperature is below 10 degrees, it usually takes several hours to complete fermentation. In this case, you can place the dough container in a pot filled with warm water; or place it in a foam box with a bowl of hot water next to it.
In winter, using warm sugar water to melt the yeast instead of directly kneading the dough with cold water can also promote fermentation.
Dough fermented too much?
1: There is too much yeast. The risen dough has a strong sour smell and the surface is bumpy. As shown below.
2: The fermentation time is too long and there are bubbles on the surface (Figure 1 below). Sticky powder on fingersWhen kneading the dough, the dough will collapse and the holes will wrinkle (Picture 2 below).
Should secondary fermentation be performed?
After the first fermentation is completed, the dough needs to be fermented for the second time (usually 15-20 minutes) after being vented and shaped. If the time for the second fermentation is insufficient, especially in winter, the steamed buns will be easy to digest after turning off the heat. Retract, forming a dead surface at the bottom. (pictured below)
Experiences on making steamed buns softer:
1) Adding a little lard when kneading the dough can make the steamed buns softer.
2) Add some dry starch when making dough.
3) When kneading the dough, be sure to do it right. Knead the dough until it is smooth and non-sticky before fermenting for the first time.
4) After the primary fermentation is completed, add a little dry starch and 1/3 teaspoon of baking powder, and knead the dough again into a smooth dough.
5) It is best to let the cut steamed bun dough rest for about 15 minutes before putting it into the pot.
6) Pour cold water into the pot and steam over medium heat to make the steamed buns ferment more fully in the pot.
7) Do not open the lid immediately after turning off the heat, otherwise it will easily retract. It is best to simmer for 3 minutes before opening the lid.
For comparison, if you press the steamed bun down, it will quickly bounce back to its original height.
FAQQ&A:
1. The steamed buns were dry and hard and did not rise
Usually the amount of yeast is not enough, or the fermentation time is not sufficient. The dough after normal fermentation is as shown below.
Use flour with your fingers to rub a hole in the risen dough. It will not shrink or rebound. The dough will not collapse, the hole will not wrinkle, and the inside of the dough will be honeycomb-shaped.
2. After turning off the heat, the steamed buns appear to collapse, with wrinkled skin and bubbles, and a firm texture
The steamed buns that were white and plump in the pot before turning off the heat slowly shrank back during the simmering process. The skin became wrinkled and foamy, and there were dead dough lumps on the bottom. As shown below. There may be two reasons below.
Reason
1: It may be that the first fermentation is overdone. Because over-fermentation causes the dough tissue to expand and spread, it supports the surface but loses its supporting force, so it collapses after expansion.
2: It may be that the secondary fermentation is insufficient, especially in winter. The steamed buns in the picture below are from the same piece of dough. The shape of the steamed buns remains intact when cut with a knife, while the round steamed buns have not undergone secondary fermentation and will shrink and wrinkle after turning off the heat.
3. The skin of the steamed buns is not smooth enough and has pits and bumps
Reason:
1: It may be that the dough is not evenly mixed or smooth enough.
2: It may be that the fermentation is excessive at one time, and the air bubbles in the dough cannot be squeezed out when deflating.
4. Steamed buns will be flattened
Reason:
1: If you add too much water when kneading the dough, the kneaded dough will be soft, and the prepared steamed bun base will slowly collapse during the proofing and steaming process. The left side of the picture below is a soft dough, and the cut dough is relatively flat and not smooth enough. The one on the right is a harder dough, and the cut and shape of the steamed bun dough are relatively smooth and full.
2: If you want the steamed buns to be taller after being steamed, the dough should be slightly firmer than the dough used to make the buns.
3: If you are making round steamed buns, the dough should be rolled into a short columnar shape instead of a hemispherical shape, so that the steamed buns will be round enough.
4: If you are cutting steamed buns with a knife, chop them quickly when cutting, instead of cutting them like meat. It is best to hold one end of the dough with one hand and chop with the knife in the other hand. After cutting, Then use your hands to push the dough toward the middle.
5. The surface of the steamed buns is sticky or dented
1: A large amount of steam is generated during the steaming process. After turning off the heat and cooling, the steam condenses into water droplets on the pot lid and drips on the steamed buns. As shown below.
2: Open the lid immediately after turning off the heat. If it encounters cold air suddenly and forms a dent, it should be simmered for 3-5 minutes before opening the lid again, but do not simmer for too long. As shown below
6. When the steamed buns are taken out of the pot, the water on the lid often wrinkles the scalp of the steamed buns
This is a common situation when steaming steamed buns in a stainless steel steamer. The lid of a metal steamer usually has slightly more condensation on it than an ordinary wok. It is best not to place the steamed bun base too close to the edge of the pot. After turning off the heat, you can gently turn the pot around to let the water on the lid slide down to the edge of the pot, and then open the lid.
Or using a traditional bamboo steamer instead of a metal steamer can also solve this problem well.
7. Cracks appear in the steamed buns
1) If the interface is not closed properly, it will easily crack during steaming. When rolling into a stick shape, the joint should be facing down before cutting into dough. Picture 1 below
2) If lard is added when kneading the dough, cracks may easily occur. Picture 2 below
3) Several holes were opened on the top. In the picture below, this may be because there is too much baking powder.
Can baking powder be used instead of dry yeast to make steamed buns
Although yeast and baking powder can cause holes in the dough tissue, making it puffy and loose. Yeast produces carbon dioxide gas through the continuous reproduction of yeast to make the dough fluffy, and produces a natural flavor during the fermentation process; while baking powder rapidly produces carbon dioxide gas through thermal decomposition to make the dough fluffy, which is a chemical reaction and is usually used to compare ingredients and flavors. Rich pastry, not used solely for making steamed buns, steamed stuffed buns and other dough-based foods using flour as the main ingredient.
If you are not sure about the amount of yeast at the beginning, you can let the dough rest for 1-2 hours to complete the fermentation, mix a little dry starch with a little baking powder and mix it into the previous dough and knead it again until it is smooth, then divide and shape, and add Pot steaming.
Steamed buns tend to stick to the steamer grid or drawer cloth
1: If the drawer cloth is too dry, the steamed buns will easily stick to it after steaming. In addition, after turning off the heat for a few minutes, take away the drawer cloth. If the steamed buns are placed on the drawer cloth and become cold, they will easily stick to the drawer cloth. However, the drawer cloth should not be too wet, otherwise the bottom of the steamed buns will easily become sticky after steaming.
2: If there is no drawer cloth, you can buy gauze at the pharmacy instead.
3: If you have corn leaves at home, you can also replace the drawer cloth. If it is dried corn leaves, soak them first before use.
Steamed buns with pumpkin puree or purple sweet potato puree are not easy to rise
Because pumpkin puree and purple sweet potato puree themselves contain a certain amount of water and have no gluten, if they are increased in size to make the color darker, they will easily shrink after being cooked.
It is best to choose a pumpkin with a darker color, cut it into small pieces and microwave it until cooked, or simmer it when the rice is almost ready. Both methods of heating the pumpkin will contain less water than steaming.
In addition, first mix the pumpkin puree and flour thoroughly, and then slowly add water as appropriate.
Should steamed buns be steamed in cold or boiling water
My personal habit is to steam it in a pot with cold water. Because theoretically speaking, if the steamed bun base suddenly encounters hot steam, the surface will bond, which will easily cause the steamed buns to become stuffed. Use cold water to steam, and the temperature in the pot will gradually heat up, so that the steamed bun base can be heated evenly.
How long does it take to steam the steamed buns?
The firepower of each store and the size of the steamed bun dough are different. Generally, steaming over medium heat for 20-25 minutes is enough. If you count from the time when steam comes out, it usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
What kind of flour is good for steaming steamed buns
When making steamed buns, you can use either high-gluten flour or medium-gluten flour. Steamed buns made with high-gluten flour will be more chewy, while those made with medium-gluten flour will have a softer texture. If you don’t use all-purpose flour but you like a softer texture, you can use high-gluten flour and cornstarch (starch) instead, with a ratio of about 4:1.
How to deal with severely overfermented dough
If the dough is severely over-fermented and smells very sour, do not throw it away. You can store it in the refrigerator and use it as old dough instead of dry yeast to make the steamed buns with a better flavor.
Take a piece of dough each time, thin it with a little water, then add dry flour and a little water and knead it into a ball (no need to add additional dry yeast). You can make steamed buns as usual with yeast.
Old noodles have been stored for too long. When kneading the noodles, you need to add a little edible alkali to neutralize the sour taste of the dough.
Why are homemade steamed buns not as white as the ones outside?
Restaurants usually use special flour, and some flour may have whitening agents added or bleached.
