Easy to make Chinese steamed plain bun or bread aka Chinese Mantou (馒头) which is soft, light, fluffy and chewy

Mantou (馒头) is a traditional Chinese plain steamed bun or bread and is a staple food in Northern China where wheat, rather than rice, is grown. Only few ingredients are used to make this sweet, light and, fluffy bun. This traditional Chinese Mantou (馒头) is delicious eaten on its own. It can be eaten with meat or vegetables stuffed inside the buns.

Mantou (馒头) is very popular in China and is usually eaten with soup or porridge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is soft and the texture is very smooth.  Give this a try and you will love it!

Ingredients :

- 500g all-purpose flour (I used unbleached flour)
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar (adjust accordingly)
- 1 tbsp of softened butter
- 250ml water (adjust accordingly if required)
- a pinch of salt

                                                 Before                                                                         After
Method :
1) Put all the ingredients except butter as per your bread machine instruction.

2) Press dough function and let it knead.

3) When the dough is smooth, add in butter and continue the kneading process.

4) Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes or double in size.

5) Take out the dough, punch out the air and lightly hand knead it on a floured surface .

6) Divide the dough into two or three portions as you wished. Then. roll the dough into a rectangle and then roll into Swiss roll like. Cut as per the above pictures.

7) Place the cut buns on a greaseproof paper and let it rest for 15 minutes.

8) Steam over rapid boiling water over high heat for 13 minutes.

9) Serve warm.

Note :
You can refrigerate or freeze the steamed mantous in a container or plastic bag.  Just reheat it in a steamer whenever you want it.

Freshly Steamed Mantou (馒头)

Soft, light, fluffy and chewy ...

It's plain but delicious

Other Mantous you may like. Just click at the image for the recipe.

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How to make Purple Sweet Potato Chinese Steamed Buns/Mantou (馒头) which are pillowy soft, fluffy and has a sweet aroma of sweet potato

Mantou (馒头) or Chinese Steamed Buns is a type of steamed bread which is popular in Northern China.

There are many variations of mantous be it plain, sweet or savory. You can even try out my steamed scallion flower bun.

Steamed Scallion Flower Buns

For this post, I am sharing with you a sweet purple coloured mantou. Don't worry, this is a natural purple colour from purple sweet potato.

This recipe is adapted from Boon's Secret Recipe 2 under 'My Wife's Signature Pumpkin Mantou'. I substituted the pumpkin with purple sweet potato as I happened to have it. 

Well, overall, this mantou is pillowy soft and very delicious.

Purple Sweet Potato Mantou
Recipe adapted from Boon's Secret Recipe 2 with minor modification

For those who are interested in simple and easy budget meals, local kuih-muih, desserts and snacks, you should get all his 3 series which come in handy whenever you want a comfort and warm meal for your family.  I have no regrets adding these 3 series to my existing cookbook collection.

Ingredients A:
- 500g purple sweet potato (pared off the skin and cut into small pieces)
- 480ml water (keep this water after boiling it with potato)
- some pandan leaves
Ingredients B :
- Sweet potato water from ingredients A
- 250g caster sugar
- 1 kg all purpose flour
- 1 sachet dried yeast
- 3 tbsp softened butter

Method for ingredients A - mashed purple sweet potato :-

1) Boil ingredients A over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and discard pandan leaves. Keep the sweet potato water (for ingredients B).

2) Remove sweet potato into a basin or big bowl and mash it.

Method for ingredients B dough - (please take note I used bread machine):-

1) Put in mashed sweet potato and all the ingredient B except butter as per your bread machine instruction.

2) Press dough function and let it knead.

3) When the dough is smooth, add in butter and continue the kneading process.

4) Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

5) Take out the dough and lightly hand knead it. Divide the dough into pieces according to your preferred size.

6) Roll and shape the dough any shape you like. I shaped it into buns.

7) Place the shaped buns on a greaseproof paper and let it rest for 15 minutes.

8) Steam over rapid boiling water over high heat for 13 minutes.
9) Serve warm.

Serve warm for breakfast or tea 

These mantous have sweet aroma of sweet potato 

This is recipe is a keeper. Try it and you will know what I mean. 

Note :
1) If dough is too dry, add a bit of water or if too wet, sprinkle some flour onto the dough.
2) You can freeze the steamed buns and re-steam the frozen buns (about 3 minutes) whenever you crave for it.

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Steamed Scallion Flower Rolls/Buns (花卷)

Last week I harvested a big bunch of scallions from my mini edible garden.  I have been quite eager to try Steamed Scallion Flower Rolls when I first chanced upon it in Facebook. Then, I happened to see a post by Kit quite sometimes back.  In fact, this is one of  the many recipes which I have been procrastinated but this time around, without any hesitation, I went into action and finally, I am happy to say that the buns turned out very successful and delectable too!!!  

Recipe source : Kit
Ingredients :
- 1/2 packet yeast
- 3 cups pau flour
- 1 cup of warm milk
- 6 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cups vegetable oil ( I used sunflowers oil)

For the glaze:
- 3 tbsp chopped scallions
- 1 small carrot ( shredded) (I omitted)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil

Method :
1) I used bread machine for the dough. Add ingredients as per your machine instruction to form dough and let it proof.

2) While waiting for your dough to proof in the machine, mix all the ingredients for the glaze and set aside .

3) Knead the dough again before dividing it into 12 egg sized pieces.

4) With a rolling pin, roll each pieces of dough into a long oval. Brush with glaze and make few slits.

5) Twist the dough and shape into a knot.

6) Place on square parchment paper . Cover and proof the buns again for 40 to 60 mins .

7) Steam the buns in steamer for 10 to 13 mins.

The bun is very smooth, soft and fluffy

We had this for lunch...

Best served warm

Great for breakfast too

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