There are three steps: dough mixing, dough rising, and steaming.

1. Kneading noodles

1. Yeast: The yeast I use is Angel yeast powder bought in the supermarket. It comes in 5g version and is easy to use. The amount of yeast is relative, not absolute, and should be determined according to the temperature and speed of the dough making environment; dissolve the sour milk in warm water before use and let it sit for 5 minutes; if the environment is cool or you want to make the dough faster, you can use more yeast. Some, 5 grams per 500 grams of flour at normal temperatures is enough.

2. Amount of water: Regarding the amount of water used for kneading the noodles, in fact, this can be put in several times. It is best to use warm water for faster fermentation. The noodles of the steamed buns should be firmer. Normally, it is about 500 grams of flour and 250 grams of water. The surface of the meat buns is slightly softer and is easy to seal after filling. It is not easy to knead the dough smoothly at the beginning. You can knead the dough into a shape, cover it and let it sit for 10 minutes. After the water and flour are fully integrated, knead again. It will be easily kneaded into a smooth dough!

2. Proofing

1. First fermentation: Put the kneaded dough into a basin and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Perform a fermentation. Dough ferments easily when the weather is hot. Generally, it is enough to ferment until it is twice the size of the original dough.

2. Shaping: Pour out the dough and place it on the board. Knead it for a while to expel more air inside. The smaller the holes in the cross section of the dough after cutting, the better. Knead in this way. The smoother the steamed buns will be when they come out, and the surface of the steamed buns will be smoother after steaming; the same is true for stuffed buns. Then, you can make steamed buns or steamed buns while placing them in the steamer.

3. Secondary fermentation: Before steaming, it is best to carry out secondary fermentation. Let the green body stand in the steamer for about 20 to 30 minutes. It is recommended not to ignore this step. Steamed buns or steamed buns that have undergone secondary fermentation will definitely be better than those that lack this step. When the weather is hot, the steamer is filled with cold water, because high temperatures facilitate fermentation; when the weather is cold, the steamer is filled with hot water, which is more conducive to secondary fermentation.

3. Steaming

The amount of water in the steamer should be between the steaming curtain and the bottom of the pot or a little above it. Too much water can easily cause the layer of steamed buns below. The bottom of the steamer has been scalded with water and will become sticky. Too little water and insufficient steam will dry out the pot and the steamed buns will die. Before placing the steaming curtain into the dough, pour a little oil on it and spread it with your hands or a brush; Steam over high heat throughout the process, and start timing after the steam comes out of the pot. Generally, steaming takes 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the pasta. After steaming, wait 2-3 minutes to open the lid.

Reference materials

How to make steamed buns. Meishijie [cited on 2017-12-26]