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Recipes

How To Make Steamed Chinese Mantou (Buns)

Catherine Wong
This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UBC chapter.

If you’ve ever gone for Dimsum or have it bucket-listed, you’re bound to come across some steamed Chinese buns. You will find steamed buns shaped into cute animals, limitless filling options that can be savoury or sweet, and the classic plain ones that make a great bread substitute. This recipe is on how to make steamed Chinese Mantou buns, the classic steamed buns that can be filled or dipped. 

Mantou dates back to 771 B.C. in China and is still a common food staple today. With so few ingredients and equipment required, in addition to not needing an oven, they are so easy to make. 

Mantou (Steamed Chinese Buns)
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Mantou (Steamed Chinese Buns)

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time:2 hours Cook time: 15 minutesTotal time:2 hours 15 minutesServings:5 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Combine the yeast with a 1/4 cup of the warm water and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, until a murky, bubbly yeast mixture has formed.

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    When waiting for the yeast to activate, in another large bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar then whisk to combine.

    #SpoonTip: Sift the flour when adding it the bowl.

  3. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Add the activated yeast mixture and the cooking oil. Stir gently.

  4. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Slowly incorporate the rest of the warm water, by alternating between adding small amounts and mixing the dough until it becomes a soft but not too sticky composition.

  5. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    When the dough is of right consistency to knead, you can start kneading the dough to incorporate the ingredients better. Knead for about 10 minutes.

  6. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Shape the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with cling wrap. Leave it for around an hour in a warm place.

    #SpoonTip: Somewhere around 95°F (35°C) is the optimal for the yeast.

  7. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Wait until the ball of dough approximately doubles in size.

  8. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Poke a hole in the middle of the dough and if it does not collapse, you can knead the dough and move onto the next step. If it does, then take it out, reshape it back into a ball, and leave for another 30 minutes in the covered bowl.

  9. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Shape the dough into a long log.

  10. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Flatten it using a rolling pin to around 1/4 of an inch.

  11. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Lightly brush some water onto the surface of the dough.

  12. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Roll the dough into a cylinder.

  13. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Cut the cylinder to around 10 pieces, removing the ends for disposal.

  14. Line the steamer bottom with some parchment paper and place the uncooked Mantou in the steamer, being sure to leave some space for them to expand a bit more in size.

  15. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Close the lid. Add the water but don’t turn it on yet. Leave for around 30 minutes, giving it space and time to expand some more.

  16. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Turn on the steamer and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. If you’re using a stovetop steamer, boil water with high heat and once boiled start the timing. When done, slightly open the steamer and leave for 5 minutes.

  17. Photo by Catherine Wong, edited by Baiyi Chen

    Serve.

Freshly made, I enjoyed the Mantou without any additional fillings and just ate them plain. Unlike eating a normal slice of bread on its own, the Mantou has a bit of both sweetness and savoury within the soft, fluffy bun. This also makes it totally possible to fill it with either a sweet or savoury filling. They are also easily stored as you can either freeze or refrigerate them, and heat them back up with the steamer.