mantou

Chinese Steamed buns or "man tou," are a staple in the Beijinger’s diet and for some, preferred more than rice. This simple recipe makes homemade Chinese man tou a reality for you!

All-Purpose Chinese Steamed Bun Dough (Man Tou)

all purpose flour

instant yeast

baking powder

sugar

water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the water, and knead until it forms a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise for about 2 hours. Roll the dough ball into a log (the size depends on how large or small you want your man tou), and cut it into however many equal pieces you'd like.

Arrange them in a steamer lined with cheese cloth, about 2 inches apart. Cover the steamer and let the buns rise for another 15 minutes. Turn on the heat to medium high and steam the buns for 20 minutes. Serve! To re-heat, just steam them again for about 5 minutes. Don't be tempted to use the microwave, because they'll dry out!

“Fluffy” and “chewy” are how I like to describe these Whole Wheat Mantou. These are almost always the two words that come to mind when I come across really, really good mantou (Chinese steamed buns). I had my fair share of whole wheat mantou when we lived in Beijing, as they are surprisingly common

The Perfect Whole Wheat Mantou Recipe

milk

active dry yeast ((3 grams))

sugar ((12 grams))

all-purpose flour ((400 grams))

Heat the milk until warm to the touch (not hot). Then stir in the yeast and sugar until it dissolves. Combine the milk mixture with 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl. The mixture will be wet. Cover with a damp cloth and let proof in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until the mixture doubles in size. Since it’s winter, I let the dough proof near a heat vent!

Now mix in the whole wheat flour, a quarter cup at a time, until the dough is smooth, soft, pliable, and not sticky. Cover the dough, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Now, prepare your steamer with cold water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the mantou during steaming. Brush the steam rack with a bit of vegetable oil, or prepare 12 small (3” x 3”) squares of parchment paper to prevent the mantou from sticking to the steam rack.

Now knead the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces using a kitchen scale. Form each piece into a ball. You can also roll the dough into a long tube and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Space the mantou out on a steaming rack about 1-inch apart. You will need 2-3 racks, or you can steam them in a few separate batches.

Let the mantou rest in the steamer for 30-45 minutes until the dough doubles in size before turning your stove on to high to start the steaming process. Steam for 15 minutes using high heat, then turn off the heat, and wait 5 minutes before opening the lid to check your mantou. The last step will ensure your mantou come out full and smooth! Otherwise, they will collapse and look lumpy.

You can enjoy these mantou immediately or store them in a plastic bag after they’ve cooled completely. They will last about a week in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them. To reheat, I usually steam them for about 8-10 minutes. Microwaving for 30-60 seconds also works!

Learn how to make soft and fluffy Chinese steamed buns using Instant Pot as a steamer for the best result. You will be surprised by how easy it is.

How To Make Instant Pot Chinese Steamed Buns

gr all-purpose flour

gr Wheat starch (about 1/4 cup,

90 gr cake flour (1/2 cup + 2 3/4 Tbsp)

gr Instant yeast (About 1/2+ 1/8 tsp. see notes 1)

gr sugar (about 2 Tbsp sugar, more or less to your taste)

tsp cooking oil

tsp salt

Start with 80 ml cold milk

dou sha

coconut filling

Char siu

Pork steamed buns

Place the flour combination (either option 1 or 2), instant yeast, sugar in a mixing bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, use a dough hook attachment. Add cold milk or water. Add cooking oil. You may need to add more milk/water if the dough is still a bit dry. Add more teaspoon by teaspoon until the dough comes together and continue to knead for 5 minutes. If you are kneading by hands, about 10 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and smooth. Then add in the salt and continue to knead until the dough is smooth again

Prepare the dough with a machine:

Place the flour combination (either option 1 or 2), instant yeast, sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix until you get a rough dough (it&#039;s not going to be smooth yet). Cover and rest it for 15 minutes. Then go back and knead it. You&#039;ll be surprised by how easier it is to knead it now. Knead until the dough is smooth and pliable, about 10-15 minutes. At any point during kneading, you can always stop and rest the dough if you find it hard to knead. This is to relax the gluten. Then go back to knead again and you&#039;ll be surprised by the difference it makes by just resting the dough before kneading again. It&#039;s easier on you too.

Prepare the dough by hands:

Wrap the dough with a plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes before shaping. The dough will not rise at this point. This step is to relax the gluten so you can roll and wrap the dough easily later

Rest the dough:

Lightly dust your work surface with some flour. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Work with one dough at a time. Flatten the dough with your palm and then use a rolling pin to roll it out to form a circle about 4-5 inches, with a slightly thicker middle part. This is to support the weight of the filling. Don&#039;t roll the dough too thin. If you roll the dough too thin, the filling might make the steamed buns &quot;wrinkle&quot; later when you steam. Place the filling at the center and then gather the sides to enclose the bun and pinch to seal. Flip the bun so the seam side is down now or you can fold the edge to create flower patterns

Wrapping:

Cover with a clean cloth and let them proof for about 15 minutes. Let the dough rise at room temperature.  If it&#039;s winter where you are, you can use your oven &quot;bread proof&quot; function to let them proof in there, or simply turn on your oven to the lowest temperature and then turn off and after 15 minutes, place the shaped buns in there to let them proof. This may take about 15-30 mins at a warm temperature. Don&#039;t just go by the time though. They won&#039;t necessarily double in size, but they will puff up to about 50% of its original size and feel light when you lift it up.

You can also do a finger test by gently pushing down on the dough, it will leave an indentation but it will spring back slowly. This dough is perfectly proofed. If it springs back right away, it needs to be proofed a bit longer. If it never springs back, then you have over proofed the dough.

Proofing:

Pour 3 cups of water into the inner pot of Instant Pot. Don&#039;t use the metal trivet that comes with IP because the trivet is too low and the steaming basket will get splattered by the boiling water during steaming and that will bruise the steamed buns

I use a heat-proof bowl instead. Then I place a bamboo basket or stainless steel steamer basket on top. Press &quot;SAUTE&quot; and bring the water to a boil. When water comes to a boil, carefully place the buns on the steaming basket, I can only fit in about 3. I recommend steaming one rack at a time for the best result as the buns will expand during steaming

Drape a clean kitchen towel over the inner pot (as shown in the photo and video). This prevents condensation dripping on the steamed buns. Then put the IP cover on top. The lid is just to cover and to make sure there is just enough pressure to cook the buns and we can&#039;t lock the lid because of the towel, which is ok. There will be steam coming out from the IP, don&#039;t panic, it&#039;s normal because the lid is not tightly secured

STEAMING TIME (just a reference): Small to medium buns with no raw meat filling needs 5 minutes to steam. Large buns with no raw meat filling need about 8 minutes. If there is raw meat filling, steam the small-medium buns for 8-10 minutes and the large ones for 15 minutes. You need to set your own timer using your phone or any digital timer

When it&#039;s done steaming, press &quot;CANCEL&quot;. Remove the lid and carefully uncover the towel. Transfer the steamed buns to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely. This also prevent the bottom of the steamed buns from getting soggy

To steam the next batch, refill the inner pot with 1-2 cups of water or as needed. Press saute again to bring it back to a boil, it shouldn&#039;t take long. Then repeat the same process

Use Instant Pot &quot;SAUTE&quot; mode (highly recommend this method):

Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot of Instant Pot. Place a metal trivet in there. Use a bamboo basket or stainless steel steamer basket. I don&#039;t recommend using a plate as the material is too thick and the buns won&#039;t cook properly. It&#039;s better to use something that has holes or ventilation at the bottom so the steamed buns can cook properly Place it on top of the trivet. Arrange 3 buns in the basket allowing about 1/2-inch space in between. You will need to do the steaming in 3 batches

Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to &quot;sealing&quot;. Press &quot;Steamer&quot; and make sure it&#039;s on &quot;high pressure&quot;. You can use the +/- button to adjust the pressure level. Set the timer to 3 minutes for small buns. About 5 minutes for larger buns. If there is raw meat filling, set the timer to 8 minutes. Make sure it&#039;s on high pressure. Release pressure immediately when they are done cooking

Carefully unlock the lid and remove the steamed buns to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely

Continue with the second batch. Refill the inner pot with some water if necessary. Arrange the rest of the proofed buns in a basket and turn the steam release valve back to &quot;sealing&quot; again and repeat the process. This time it will pressurize almost immediately

Use the Instant Pot &quot;Steam&quot; mode (result not consistent):

Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot of Instant Pot. Place a metal trivet in there. Use a bamboo basket or stainless steel steamer basket. I don&#039;t recommend using a plate as the material is too thick and the buns won&#039;t cook properly. It&#039;s better to use something that has holes or ventilation at the bottom so the steamed buns can cook properly. Place basket/rack on top of the trivet. Arrange 3 buns allowing about 1/2-inch space in between. You will need to do the steaming in 3 batches

Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to &quot;Sealing&quot;. Press &quot;Pressure Cooker&quot; and make sure it&#039;s on &quot;high pressure&quot;. You can use the +/- button to adjust the pressure level. Set the timer to 1 minute. If there is raw meat filling, set timer to 4 minutes. It will take about 1-2 minutes to pressurize. When it&#039;s done cooking, release pressure immediately

Carefully unlock the lid and remove the steamed buns to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely. This is important so the bottom of the steamed buns won&#039;t be soggy

Continue with the second batch. You shouldn&#039;t need to refill with any water. Arrange the rest of the proofed buns in a basket and close the lid again and turn the steam release valve back to &quot;sealing&quot; again and repeat the process.

Use Instant Pot Pressure Cooker mode (result not consistent):

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/Ykon3PbA.mp4

Steamed bun dough is a mildly sweet white bread that is used to make all sorts of Chinese buns (Plain buns are also known as u0022Mantouu0022).

Steamed Buns (Plain or Stuffed)

active dry yeast

all-purpose flour

canola oil

In a large Pyrex or ceramic bowl, mix the yeast with the warm water and set it aside.

Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large electric mixer bowl.

Place the mixer bowl with the dry ingredients in the electric mixer with the dough hook attached. Set the mixer on the lowest speed. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture. Next, pour in the vegetable oil and then the milk. Let the mixer mix until a smooth dough ball forms. (You can do all this by hand, as well, though it will take longer.)

Transfer the dough to a large Pyrex or ceramic bowl that is double the  size of the dough.  Cover the dough with a damp cloth and place the bowl inside an oven set to u0022proofu0022 setting. Alternatively, place the covered bowl inside a steamer and let it sit. Let the dough proof until it doubles in size (approximately 2 hours).

Once dough has risen, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a cylinder about 18 to 24 inches long. Slice the cylinder roll every 1/2 inch and separate the pieces.

For Plain Bun (aka Mantou):

Once dough has risen, shape dough into long cylinder about 18 inches long. Slice dough into 12 separate sections and form dough balls. Use small rolling pin to roll out dough into round flat pancakes about 5 inches in diameter. For savory buns, roll the edges thinner than the center. This will make it easier to pinch the skin closed. For sweet buns, roll the pancake evenly.

Add filling to the center of the pancake, and pinch the dough closed. For savory buns, place on plate with opening on top. For sweet buns, pinch close and flip the bun over so the top of the bun is round.

For Stuffed Bun (sweet or savory fillings):

Bring water to a boil in a steamer. Place buns either directly on parchment paper in steamer or on a plate lined with parchment paper in the steamer.

For plain buns (aka mantou): Steam the buns for 20 minutes or until the bun is firm to the touch with a little bit of give. Serve immediately. For buns with filling: Steam the buns for 30 minutes to ensure the filling and dough near the filling is completely cooked. After steaming, let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.

Steam the Buns:

Fluffy, soft, and light steamed buns made using only cold milk, yeast, and flour.

Steamed Buns (Mantou)

(175 ml) whole milk, chilled

tsp (4 g) active dry yeast

(280 g) all purpose flour (bleached)

Cut one sheet of parchment paper into 8 4”x 4” squares.

Set up a steamer over the stove. Add water according to the type of pan you&#39;re using.For metal steamers or steamer baskets, typically, 1 cup of water is sufficient. However, if you&#39;re using a larger pan or a bamboo steamer, you may need to adjust and add more water. Ensure the water level is below the wire of the steamer basket, colander, or wire rack.This prevents the water from touching the buns during steaming, which could make them soggy.

Prep

Mix together chilled milk and yeast.

Add the flour and stir with a spatula until the mixture becomes clumpy. Use your hands to knead the dough for about 15 mins. If you’re using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix for 10 mins. Initially, the dough may feel sticky, but as you knead, it should become smooth. The texture of mantou dough can vary depending on the moisture content of the All-Purpose Flour brand you are using. If your dough feels wet and sticky after kneading, it may require additional flour. Gradually add 1 teaspoon of All-Purpose Flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky and does not feel overly dry. On the other hand, if your dough feels excessively wet, add All-Purpose Flour 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough is no longer sticky and does not feel dry.

Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap or a lint-free towel and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Dough

With a knife, divide the dough into 7 equal pieces.

Take one piece and use a rolling pin to roll it into an oval shape. Fold the top half into the middle and lightly press down to seal it. Then, fold the bottom half into the middle. Pinch together the opposite edges, forming a ball.

Place the ball on a sheet of parchment, smooth side up, and shape into a sphere. Repeat.

Shape

Arrange the shaped buns in a steamer. Cover with its lid and let the buns proof for 1 hour, or until they have doubled in size.

Once the buns have proofed, steam them on low heat for about 10 mins. Serve warm.If you&#39;ve tried this recipe, please let me know what you think in the comments below! And if you enjoyed it, don&#39;t forget to give it a thumbs up or share it with your friends! You can help my channel by tagging @vocabularyoffood in your cooks. ۶(◠ 。◠)۶

Steam

Soft and fluffy steamed buns with homemade black sesame filling

Black Sesame Steamed Buns

½ cup + 3 tbsp (100 g) black sesame seeds

⅓ cup (70 g) unsalted butter, melted

⅓ cup (70 g) sugar

⅔ cup (160 g) whole milk

1 tsp (3 g) active dry yeast

2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour

1 tbsp (6 g) vegetable oil

2 tbsp (30 g) sugar

Toast black sesame seed in a pan over medium heat. Keep stirring until you smell the aroma and hear light popping sound. Transfer to another pan or plate to cool.

Using a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor, grind the toasted seed until smooth. Add sugar and melted butter, mix until even. Transfer the filling to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.

Divide the chilled sesame filling into 10 equal portions and shape them into balls. Set aside.

Black Sesame Filling

Stand Mixer: In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, yeast, sugar, flour, and oil. Using dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 5 minutes, then increase to mediums speed and mix for another 5 minutes. Mix until the dough is white and smooth.
Kneading by Hand: Mix yeast and sugar with milk. Stir in flour and mix. Then add oil and start kneading. Use one hand to push the dough then pull it back. Alternating hands, repeat this motion for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and shiny in appearance. (You should be sweating by then!)

Take the dough and divide into 10 equal portions (50 g each). Cover with plastic wrap or towel to prevent them from drying.

Roll each piece of dough into a log. Then take both ends and fold toward the middle. Press down with the palm of your hand. Repeat this two more times to get rid of air bubbles.

To ensure that the bun has a smooth surface, use your palm to fold the edge toward the middle (2). Gently press down in the middle. Then slightly rotate and do it a few more times, until all edges are nice and round with no cracks or lines. If you turn the dough upside down, the top will look very smooth (4), and the bottom will look like belly button (3).
With the belly button side facing you, flatten the dough ball again using your palm (5). Use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a round disc that is thick in the middle and thin on the edges (6).

Bun Dough

Place sesame filling onto the center of the disc. Press the sesame with your thumb and use your other hand to gather the wrapper onto the top of the filling. The dough sheet will start to form pleats and retain its round shape. Place the assembled bun, pleated side down, onto a cut out parchment sheet or a lined steamer. Cover it while you repeat the same process with the remaining dough.

Rest the buns in room temperature for about 30 minutes before steaming. The bun should rise to at least 1.5 to 2 times its original size.

Assembly

Prepare the steamer and steam for about 10-12 minutes. Turn off heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Open the lid very carefully and make sure water does not drip onto the buns. Transfer onto a cooling plate. Enjoy!

Steaming

Black Sesame Steamed Buns taste BEST when they are warm and fluffy. If you are not eating on the same day, you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge and microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

Storage and Reheating

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