Mantou Buns

- Serves 4
Nothing completes a saucy dish like soft, fluffy Mantou buns! These traditional steamed buns are perfect for soaking up every last bit of flavor from iconic dishes like Chili Crab and Black Pepper Crab. Follow our simple recipe to make these pillowy delights at home and add an authentic touch to your Asian-inspired meal.
Ingredients for Mantou Buns
1 packet (7g) Yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
30ml Warm water
400g Hong Kong flour or Plain flour
2g Salt
40g Sugar
1 teaspoon Vegetable or coconut oil
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda – optional
180ml warm Milk or Water
coconut or vegetable oil, for deep frying
bamboo steamer
cupcake liners or parchment paper

Recipe
  1. Activate yeast by adding yeast to 30ml warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir to dissolve & let it rest for 5 minutes until frothy. 
  2. In a mixing bowl with dough hook, add 400g flour, yeast mixture, salt, 40g sugar, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda & milk. Mix for a few minutes until smooth.
  3. Remove and knead for a few minutes. Cover and set aside in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 hour.
  4. Punch air out of the dough, reshape into a ball again, then cover and let it rise another 45 to 50 minutes in a warm place. Once risen, punch again and split into 2 balls. 
  5. Roll out each ball in to a ¼” thin rectangle on a work surface. Roll the rectangle into 2” wide long log. Cut into 1” wide pieces, you will have 12-13 equal pieces of Mantou.
  6. Place buns on cupcake liners. (you can also use parchment paper with holes). Arrange on a bamboo or steel steamer. (you might need 2 depending on the size of your steamer). Cover them with a clean damp kitchen towel. Let it rest for additional 30 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, fill a wok or steamer pot with water and bring it to boil over high heat. Place steamer with buns into wok or steamer pot; make sure water is not touching the buns. Cover with a lid and steam for 10-12 minutes or until buns are fluffy and fully cooked.
  8.  Tilt the lid a tiny bit for slow air circulation for 2-3 minutes before opening it. If you open  the lid right away, the fluffy buns will sink down. Serve hot, enjoy.
  9.  To make fried mantous, heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a wok on medium heat. Once the oil temperature reaches 180ºC or the surface of oil starts shimmering, add cooled mantous. Flip quickly as mantous brown very quickly in hot oil (about 1 minute). Serve hot.
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