Shortcut Plain Steamed Buns Food

SHORTCUT STEAMED BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Fill a 12-inch skillet with 1 inch of water. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat. Line a steamer basket or bamboo steamer with parchment paper. Poke four to six evenly spaced holes in paper. Press biscuits into 3-inch rounds; coat tops with cooking spray. Fold biscuits in half and place, 1 inch apart and away from edge, in prepared basket. Place basket in skillet. Steam, covered, 10 minutes or until puffed. Remove basket and transfer buns to a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine next five ingredients (through brown sugar). Stir in carrots and green onions.
• Carefully open buns and fill with chicken mixture. If desired, top with cilantro.

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.

STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the sugar and salt in the water, and then mix in the yeast. Let it rest for about 15 mins, or till the surface is covered in frothy yeast.
• Add the oil to the mixture and stir it in to combine.
• In a large bowl, add the flour and make a hole in the center. Add the liquid to the hole and gradually incorporate the flour till you have a sticky mass.
• Oil your bench top with a little olive or vegetable oil, them knead the dough on the oiled surface until it forms into an elastic and smooth ball, which takes about 15 minutes. The dough should be elastic and slightly tacky but not so that it sticks to your hands.
• Roll out the dough into a tube that's about 5cm in diameter.
• Slice the tube into 16 loafs. Lay each of the loafs on its cylindrical edge, not the face, on top of a square of parchment paper, and leave for about 20-30mins to rise (or till the surface has become slightly puffy).
• Shape your buns - if at this time you wish to make filled buns, roll them into a circle, add the filling to the middle then pinch the sides together and give it a slight twist so it doesn't come undone as it steams. Leave to rest for another 30 minutes.
• Arrange the loafs in a steamer. They will expand quite a fair bit so try and leave about 3-5cm around each bun. Cover the steamer and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
• Immediately remove from the steamer and place on a plate to cool enough so they can be handled.

SHORTCUT PLAIN STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Line the steamer tray with parchment paper, leaving a few holes uncovered for heat circulation.
• Unwrap the package of biscuit dough. Take 1 round of dough and use your fingers to stretch it gently until the center is about half of its original thickness. Fold the dough in half and place in the steamer tray. It will look like giant smiling lips. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds, spacing them a generous 1/2 inch apart and 1 inch away from the edge of the tray where condensation collects.
• Place the tray in the steamer, cover, and steam the buns for 10 minutes, or until they have nearly doubled in size and look dry. Turn off the heat and wait for the steam to subside before lifting the lid, and then lift it away from you carefully to avoid condensation dripping onto the buns. Remove the tray and use a metal spatula to transfer the buns to a wire rack. If the buns are left to cool completely, transfer them to a plate and cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. (The buns may be steamed up to 4 hours in advance of serving and kept at room temperature. To serve warm, reheat in the steamer or microwave oven.)
• Serve the buns warm or at room temperature. They are not served hot because the meats that they accompany are not served hot.