Chinese Steamed Bun (Mantou 馒头)

Directions

• Add the milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer attached with a dough hook. Stir well.
• Add the flour to the yeast mixture. Turn on low speed and knead the ingredients until it forms a smooth dough, about 6mins. If the dough starts to “climb up” the dough hook, stop the stand mixer and push the dough down to the bowl.
• Transfer the dough out and cover it with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions (for plain and orange), cover 1 portion for plain. 2nd portion (orange dough) and add 1/2 tsp of orange food colouring and knead about 3 mins.
• Put the rested plain dough on parchment paper, roll out into thin flat dough (cover the rolled dough to prevent it from drying).
• Put the rested orange dough on parchment paper, roll out into thin flat dough.
• Put orange dough on top of plain dough, roll out again to left and right into thinner dough.
• Remove the parchment papers, put the thin dough on floured working table, flatten the dough at the end where rolling starts, then roll up the thin dough into a rod shape.
• Cut into 10 portions using serrated knife (for a nicer cut), put each on a piece of paper.
• Cover the dough and let rise for 60mins or until the dough balls expand in size. Make sure you leave enough space between each dough ball so they don’t stick together.
• Setting Panasonic cubie oven in steamed medium 15mins until dough expands to soft, puffy and fluffy steamed buns. Turn off the heat and serve the steamed buns warm.