Best Chinese Steamed Buns Recipes

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH BBQ PORK FILLING

Steps:

• Mix together pork, barbecue sauce, shallots, flour, chicken stock, soy sauce, oil, and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook the pork until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Allow to cool; shred or finely chop the meat.
• Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns (see footnote).
• Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like won-ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seam-side down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate, leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH MEAT FILLING

Steps:

• Cook chopped pork in a wok over medium heat. After 3 minutes of cooking add chopped shrimp if desired. Cook until pork is no longer pink. Drain, season with salt and set aside to cool.
• Mix together green onions, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, oil, sugar, and pepper. Stir in minced meat. Stir in water and mix thoroughly. Chill in freezer for 2 hours, or in refrigerator overnight to firm up and blend flavors.
• Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns.
• Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like Won-Ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seams down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS (BBQ PORK AND PORK/VEGETABLE)

Steps:

• For Filling #1, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the shallots 2 minutes or until light brown. Add the flour, stir to combine, and cook 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock, stir well, and cook 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and cook one minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in cut pork and oyster sauce, sugar, peanut oil, and sesame oil. Chill until very firm.
• For Filling #2, simply mix all ingredients together.
• To make the dough, combine all dough ingredients into a stand mixer. Mix with the dough hook for 4 minutes.
• Use the oil to grease the outside of the dough; cover and let rest in warm area 1 ½ hours or until double in size.
• Punch down dough and divide into 24 pieces.
• Using a rolling pin, roll each into a round disk, making quarter turn with each roll.
• Roll to leave the center thick; thinner edges are easier to pleat.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of filling at the center of each dough round, flat side up.
• Gather the edges by first pleating counterclockwise, and then twisting to seal securely. Place the bun round side up on a square piece of parchment paper (2.5 X 2.5 inches).
• Let buns rest, covered for at least 30 minutes.
• Steam on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not uncover the steamer any time during the steaming. If a flat lid steamer is used, wrap the lid in a kitchen towel to prevent condensed steam from dripping on the buns.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS (MANTOU)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar over 4 tablespoons of the warm water and leave it for 15 minutes.
• Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and the remaining water. Mix everything to form a dough.
• Turn it onto a floured board and knead until smooth.
• Return dough to the bowl, cover and let it stand in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.
• Punch down, cover again and let it stand for 20 minutes longer.
• Knead the dough again and shape into rolls.
• Bring the water in the bottom of a steamer to a boil. Place the rolls in the steamer, leaving a 1- inch gap between them. Cook for 10 minutes or until firm and cooked through.
• Serve them hot.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH BBQ PORK

Steps:

• Mix together pork, barbecue sauce, shallots, flour, chicken stock, soy sauce, oil, and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns. Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like Won-Ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seams down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

SWEET POTATO MANTOU (CHINESE STEAMED BUNS)

Steps:

• Peel and cook sweet potato.
• Puree cooked sweet potato in blender with water or milk and sugar.
• Pour sweet potato liquid into a bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and allow to dissolve.
• Sift dry ingredients together.
• Stir flour mixture into yeast mixture. Knead in 1 additional cup of flour as needed.
• Melt butter or lard and knead into dough.
• Let rise until double (60-90 min).
• Roll dough into flat rectangle; starting from front edge, roll dough into log. Cut log into 16 equal segments. (See photos and instructions for more attractive ways to shape the buns here: http://wendyinkk.blogspot.sg/2009/08/steamed-sweet-potato-mantou.html and here: http://wendyinkk.blogspot.sg/2011/08/purple-sweet-potato-rose-mantou.html).
• Place buns in steamer basket, on cheesecloth, about 1 inch apart.
• Steam vigorously for 15-20 minutes.
• (The buns can be cooked in the steamer basket of your rice cooker while the rice is cooking. They don't all fit at one time, so I freeze the the rest of the shaped, raw, buns on a flat baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. I can pull them out a few at time to thaw and steam as needed.).

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS (MANTOU)

Steps:

• You will also need a rice steamer and some parchment paper.
• Directions:.
• Mix yeast, flour and sug arand salt. Stir well. Add melted lard, vinegar and egg white, mix thoroughly. Result should resemble grains of sand. Add in enough water to turn dough into a ball.
• Knead for about 6-8 minutes with a dough hook in your mixer. If kneading by hand, take a little longer.
• When properly kneaded dough is not overly sticky, very smooth, pulls apart without being stringy. If you under knead your dough, it will flatten when you steam it. If you over knead your dough, it will become very hard.
• Oil up dough ball and place it in a metal bowl. Put a damp paper towel or rag over your bowl let it rest in a warm place to rise for an hour. It should double in size. If you wish, you can set your oven on the keep warm setting and place your bowl in there for an hour.
• Soak the wood ears and shiitake mushrooms in hot water to revive them. Chop them into fine pieces. Next chop your chives. Place your pork and chicken into a bowl and add all of the chopped items. Mix thoroughly. Add in seasonings.
• To test: Place a spoonful in a bowl and nuke it in the microwave. Try it out and add more seasoning as needed.
• Your filling should be relatively sticky and dry. If it is too watery, your dough will get soggy and it will be hard to fill. Make sure everything is well drained!
• Cut parchment paper to 2-3 inch squares. If your buns will be big, cut bigger squares. This will keep your buns from being stuck to your steamer.
• Knead dough to get all of the air out. Knead into sausage shapes and cut into little pieces. Flatten your dough with your hand and spoon filling into dough. Bring all edges to the center and pinch closed. Place on top of parchment paper and set in a cookie tray to rise for 30 minutes.
• Do not overstuff, buns will expand too much. Insure the bottoms of buns aren't too thin or juices from filling will make bottom soggy.
• Ready your steamer and make sure to boil extra water for steaming. Place your buns in the steamer. Steam for 15 minutes (or 20 if your buns are big) and enjoy!

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH BARBECUED PORK FILLING

Steps:

• Place the warm water in a large bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Stir in 1 cup of the flour, and mix thoroughly. Cover with a cloth, and let stand until bubbles appear, about 20 minutes.
• Dissolve sugar and shortening in boiling water, and allow to cool to lukewarm. Stir into the yeast mixture along with the remaining flour. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Coat a large bowl with sesame oil, and place the dough inside. Turn over to coat, and cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add pork, and fry for a minute, then stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then stir the mixture into the pork. Cook, stirring constantly until the pork is coated with a thickened glaze. Remove to a bowl, and allow to cool.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, and roll it out into one long log. Slice the log into 1 inch pieces. Flatten each piece into a 3 inch circle using the palm of your hand or a rolling pin. Place 2 tablespoons of the pork filling onto the center of each circle, and gather up the edges around the filling and pinch together to close the bun. Place each bun seam side down onto a square of aluminum foil. Cover with a towel, and let rise for about 1 hour.
• Bring a couple inches of water to boil in a wok. Place a few buns at a time in a steamer, such as a bamboo steamer for a wok, or a fitted steam tray. Cover, and steam buns over briskly boiling water for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining buns.

CHUUKA MANJUU - JAPANESE-STYLE CHINESE STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• The dough:.
• Cut up the parchment paper into 24 squares about 10 cm / 3 inches square.
• Proof the yeast in a bowl or cup in the 1/4 cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar added, until foamy.
• In a large bowl, put in 5 cups of the flour. Make a well in the center, and add the hot water and mix rapidly.
• Add the sugar and yeast/water mixture, baking powder, warm milk, and the shortening or lard. Mix well.
• Add the rest of the flour little by little until you have a workable dough. Knead for a few minutes on a floured board until it's soft and pliable.
• Put into a large bowl, cover with a clean towel, and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Take out the dough and roll into one long sausage. Cut the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and let rest for a bit.
• To fill the buns, flatten each ball so that the middle is slightly thicker than the edges. Put about a tablespoon or so of filling in the middle. Gather up the edges and pinch them firmly together to seal, then turn the bun over and place on a square of parchment paper. Let the buns rise for 15-20 minutes before steaming.
• Steam in a steamer for 20 minutes. Eat while piping hot.
• The filling:.
• Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water until soft. Cut off the hard stems and slice thinly.
• Cube the pork, or chop it up finely.
• Mix the flour and cornstarch with the water.
• In a pan heat the sesame oil and toss in all the ingredients except the flour/cornstarch water. Sauté briefly, then add the flour/cornstarch water. Cook until it's a bit syrupy.
• Let cool and use to fill the buns.
• The Chinese-style roast pork (Chinese: char siu; Japanese: yakibuta).
• If you have a big piece of pork, cut it into about 500g pieces.
• Roughly chop the ginger, skin on is okay, and crush the garlic to crush a bit.
• Put the pork pieces in a sturdy plastic bag or container. Put in the pork, ginger, star anise and garlic, and fill with enough soy sauce to cover the pork.
• Seal the bag well and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Turn the meat several times if you can so that the marinade penetrates evenly.
• Preheat the oven to 140° C / 280°F
• Empty out the contents of the bag into a baking dish. Add a bit of water so that the meat is sitting in about 1cm of liquid.
• Sprinkle the meat with sugar, and bake for about 2.5 - 3 hours, turning the meat every 20-30 minutes. If you want it even sweeter, sprinkle more sugar on the meat periodically.
• At the end, the liquid will be almost gone and syrupy, and you will have dark amber colored pieces of pork.
• Let cool and slice thin, cube, etc. You can use cubes in fried rice, or in the steamed buns of course, and any number of things.
• It is quite worthwhile to make this in some quantity, since the cooking takes so long, and to freeze in portions for later use.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• Mix together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup warm water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Mix in 1/2 cup warm water, flour, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vegetable oil. Knead until dough surface is smooth and elastic. Roll over in a greased bowl, and let stand until triple in size, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Punch down dough, and spread out on a floured board. Sprinkle baking powder evenly on surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 2 parts, and place the piece you are not working with in a covered bowl. Divide each half into 12 parts. Shape each part into a ball with smooth surface up. Put each ball on a wax paper square. Let stand covered until double, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

CHINESE-STYLE ROAST TURKEY STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• 1.Spatchcock turkey. 2.Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with aluminum foil. Place half of scallions, ginger, and garlic in bottom of pan. Place slotted broiler rack or wire rack directly on top of vegetables. 3. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and rub on all surfaces with 1 tablespoon oil. Season liberally on all surfaces with salt and five spice powder. Tuck wing tips behind back. Place turkey on top of rack, arranging so that it does not overlap the edges, pressing down on the breast bone to flatten the breasts slightly. Transfer turkey to oven and roast, rotating occasionally, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast registers 150°F, and the thighs register at least 165°F, about 80 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, place the neck, giblets, and turkey back in a sauté pan and add water to cover, about 1 1/2 quarts. Add remaining ginger, scallions, and garlic, and Shaoxing wine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for until the broth is rich and reduced significantly, about 1 hour. You should have about 2 cups of broth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Add soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, roasted chili oil, white pepper, chili bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorn. 5. When roasted turkey is cool enough to handle, remove skin and cut into strips. Lay out all the strips of crispy skin onto a serving platter. Pick meat into large bite-sized chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside carcass for another use. 6. Add sauce to turkey and toss to mix. Taste meat and adjust seasoning with more salt, soy sauce, sugar, or vinegar as desired. Transfer all the turkey meat onto a serving platter or bowl, pouring residual sauce onto the meat. Cover with foil to keep warm. 7. Reheat steamed buns according to package directions. 8. Place vegetables, garnishes, and sauces onto plates and bowls for serving.

CHINESE STEAMED FLOWER BUNS (HUA JUAN)

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water. Wait until it bubbles.
• Whisk in salt and 1 c flour; stir in 2nd cup of flour, and knead in 3rd cup gradually to form smooth, soft dough.
• Cover dough an let rise until double (the dough will no longer bounce back when gently pressed with a fingertip.).
• Divide dough into 2 or 3 portions. Roll each into a rectangle less than 1/2-inch thick on floured surface. Brush dough with oil and sprinkle with Sichuan pepper powder. Roll the dough into a log.
• To shape the buns, slice the dough as thin as possible with a very sharp, floured knife, and press 9 or 10 of them together to form each bun. You can see pictures here: http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.sg/2011/03/hua-juan-and-sao-bing.html.
• Let buns rise on floured surface for half an hour.
• Steam 15 minutes.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH MEAT FILLING

Steps:

• Cook chopped pork in a wok over medium heat. After 3 minutes of cooking add chopped shrimp if desired. Cook until pork is no longer pink. Drain, season with salt and set aside to cool.
• Mix together green onions, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, oil, sugar, and pepper. Stir in minced meat. Stir in water and mix thoroughly. Chill in freezer for 2 hours, or in refrigerator overnight to firm up and blend flavors.
• Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns.
• Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like Won-Ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seams down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

SIMPLE AND TASTY CHINESE STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over 1 cup of warm water in a large bowl. The water should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Combine the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a small bowl. Stir half of the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in the remaining flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, then place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and form into rounds.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the buns, recover, and steam for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• Prepare the DIY Chinese Dough recipe all they way through to the final rising.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, and place on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut the dough in half, and put the second half back in the bowl.
• Roll the dough into a cylinder, about 1.5 inches thick.
• Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough log out, to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
• Using a pastry brush, brush some water over the surface of the flattened dough.
• Roll the dough up, until it forms a log.
• Cut off the ends, and then cut the log into equal pieces, or as equal as you can get.
• Repeat the process for the other ball of dough.
• Place them into a bamboo steamer, on pieces of parchment paper.
• Chef's Note: The parchment paper will keep them from sticking to the steamer.
• Cover the steamer with the lid, and allow the buns to rest for about 30 minutes.
• The buns should be about 1.5 times larger.
• Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Remove pan from the heat and allow then to sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes.
• Chef's Note: This will prevent the buns from becoming soggy (I HATE a soggy bun).
• Serve with some nice sweet butter, and/or a selection of jams and preserves. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.