hua juan

Steamed scallion buns (hua juan 花卷) are delicious flower rolls made of a light and fluffy dough layered with green onions that is twisted and steamed.

Steamed Scallion Buns

all-purpose flour (about 2.5 cups)

instant yeast (1 teaspoon)

granulated white sugar (1 teaspoon)

salt (1 teaspoon)

lukewarm water (2/3 cup)

scallions (green onions)

salt

vegetable oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients including flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.

Add water and stir well to combine until no dry flour is visible in the bowl. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. (Lukewarm water and sugar “wakes up” the yeast and speeds up the fermentation, which helps build up gluten strength).

Transfer the dough onto a clean and lightly greased surface and knead the dough until the dough ball is smooth, about 6-8 minutes. You can rest the dough covered in the mixing bowl for 5 minutes and continue kneading until smooth.

Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and let dough rise at room temperature (preferably in a warmer area) for 1 hour until doubled.

Prepare the dough:

In a small mixing bowl, add scallions, salt, and oil and stir well to combine. Set aside.

Prepare the filling:

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an approximate 12x9-inch rectangle. Use a silicone brush and brush the scallion filling evenly on top.

From the long side of the rectangle, fold the dough in to the 2/3 mark. Take the other long side and fold it in on top, to form a three-layer rectangle approximately 12x3-inches in diameter.

Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the rectangle crosswise into 12 even strips (about 1-inch wide). Make sure all the layers are cut through.

Take two strips at a time and stack them up together. Use a chopstick or straw to press down lengthwise in the centre to create an indentation. Hold the two ends and gently stretch it a little.

Hang the end side over a chopstick (the side without the indentation), and pinch the two ends together. With the other hand, rotate the chopstick in a full 360 degree circular motion to twist the bun into a coil. 

Repeat with the rest of dough strips to form 6 shaped buns

Shape the buns:

Prepare to steam the buns by adding some water into a large cooking pot and placing a fitted steamer basket on top. Lightly oil the steamer basket and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking during steaming.

Place the buns into the lined steamer basket and cover with the lid. Set it aside, and let the buns rise for 25 to 30 minutes before cooking. You don't need to wait till the buns double in size, as they will rise further during steaming.

Turn the stove on to medium heat and bring the water to a boil. Steam the buns for 15 minutes (covered) over boiling water . Turn off the heat and leave the buns in the steamer for another 5 minutes before uncovering or removing from the steamer. This will help prevent the buns from shrinking due to temperature drop.

Steam the buns:

Chinese hua juan, or flower rolls, are beautiful to look at and delicious. They can be simply steamed, or steamed and pan-fried for crispy bottoms!

Hua Juan (Chinese Flower Rolls/Steamed Scallion Buns)

lukewarm water ((scant

active dry yeast

sugar

all-purpose flour

baking powder

five spice powder

neutral oil ((plus more for browning the buns))

scallions

In a liquid measuring cup, add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let the mixture stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, until foamy. (This may take longer in colder temperatures).

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Turn the mixer on low to combine the dry ingredients, then gradually add the water. Once the dough comes together, let the mixer knead the dough for 20 minutes. It may look sticky at first, but the flour will absorb the water during kneading, and it should soon look smooth, with no dough sticking to the sides of the bowl. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can start by stirring the water into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, and then knead by hand.)

After 20 minutes, if the dough is too sticky to pull away cleanly from the bowl, add a little extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. You may need up to 2 tablespoons, but not much more than that. Let the flour incorporate and then turn the dough out onto a clean work surface.

Meanwhile, mix together the five spice powder and salt in a small bowl. Line a bamboo steamer (you’ll need two layers) with a round piece of perforated parchment paper or damp cheesecloth. Set aside.

You’ll know the dough is right if you can roll it out without flouring your work surface. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 9x18 inches (20x45 cm).

Brush the dough all over with a thin layer of oil. Sprinkle evenly with all of the five spice mixture, followed by all of the scallions.

Fold the dough lengthwise by a third. Brush the exposed clean side of the dough with a thin layer of oil, then fold the opposite side over it. Cut the dough in half then in halves again until you have 16 strips of folded dough.

To assemble the buns, take one strip of dough, brush the top with a little oil, and top with a second strip of dough. Press a chopstick along the length of the strips to make an indentation. Grabbing both ends of the dough, one in each hand, gently stretch the dough and twist it a few times. Then, tie it in a rough knot so you end up with a round bun shape.

Repeat with the remaining dough until you have 8 buns. Place 4 buns on each level of your steamer, cover, and set in a warm place to proof for 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to steam the buns, fill your wok with water, and place the steamer in it (the water shouldn’t go higher than ½-inch up the sides of the bamboo steamer). Turn the heat on to medium-high, and set a timer for 15 minutes. At or near the 10-minute mark, you should see steam rising around the bamboo lid. Once the 15 minutes have passed, turn off the heat, and keep the lid ON the buns for 10 minutes. (If you lift the lid immediately, the buns will collapse).

You can enjoy these steamed buns right away, or pan-fry them first. To pan-fry the hua juan, heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet with a generous drizzle of oil, and add the steamed hua juan to the pan. Once they’re golden and crispy on the bottom, remove from the pan and enjoy!

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Top 2 hua juan recipes from across the web

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Steamed Scallion Buns

Hua Juan (Chinese Flower Rolls/Stea...

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