Chinese steamed buns - mantou
By: Ala Lemon
Published: Sunday, November 9, 2014 - 11:21am

Ingredients




300g / 10.5 oz. all-purpose flour
2½ tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
150ml tepid water
Vegetable oil
For the filling:
One medium apple – ideally a firm, tart one, such as Granny Smith
1-1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2-3 tbsp maple syrup

Preparation

1 In a bowl, combine the water and half the sugar, and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. 2 In a large bowl, combine the flour and remaining sugar, then slowly add the yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. 3 Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until your dough is smooth. I found the dough to be a little dense, but after kneading for 5-10 minutes, the dough did become smooth. 4 Cover the bowl with Clingfilm and allow to rest for about an hour, or until doubled in size. 5 Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock the air out and shape the dough into a log, approximately 2,5cm/1 in. in diameter. 6 Cut the dough into 12 pieces, or several bite-sized pieces if you prefer. Brush some vegetable oil on the bottom of each bun and place them in a bamboo steamer. 7 Fill the bottom of a wok or large pan with cold water and place the steamers over, making sure the steamers do not touch the water, and place the pan over high heat. 8 Steam for 15 to 20 minutes after the water starts boiling. 9 Turn off the fire and wait for around 5 minutes before opening the lid. 10 Serve with your side of choice: topped with honey, with a hot cocoa, … 11 Note: my buns expanded some more while steaming so you want to make sure they are not too close together 12 For the filled buns: 13 Peel, core and chop your apple into small pieces. 14 Place into a small pan with the cinnamon and maple syrup. 15 Cook over medium-high heat until your apples are caramelised but not mushy, and allow to cool. 16 Take a piece of dough and shape into a disk, roughly larger than the palm of your hand. 17 Place about 1 tablespoon of apple in the centre and pinch the parcel closed any way you like. (I tried using a T-shape pinch, but I think I had way too much filling and it didn’t turn out too nice). 18 Brush vegetable oil on the bottom of each parcel and steam as with normal buns.