Recipe: Chinese Steamed Buns with Sweet or Savory Filling (Mantou)

STEAMED BUNS (MANTOU)
"Mantou are the Chinese equivalent of Western bread. They used to be the staple fan of North China, where rice was regarded as a luxury food for the better-off. Made of leavened dough, which is made from wheat flour and water, mantou are steamed rather then baked, and always eaten piping hot."


"Steamed buns are still widely eaten in China although no longer as a main meal (except for breakfast) but as a snack or part of a meal. Besides plain mantou, which usually accompany seasoned and piquant cai dishes, there are a basic types of steamed buns: sweet or seasoned baozi (filled mantou)."

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried yeast
10 fl. oz. warm water
4 cups (1 lb.) self-rising flour
Dry flour for dusting
FOR THE SWEET FILLING:
Sweet bean paste (red or black)
FOR THE SEASONED FILLING:
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
14 oz. pork (or lamb or beef)
3/4 cup (3 1/2 oz.) bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water for 5-10 minutes until frothy.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then gradually stir in the yeast mixture to make a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for 1-1 1/2 hours.

TO MAKE THE SEASONED FILLING:
Soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 45-50 minutes, then squeeze dry and discard any hard stalks. Coarsely chop the mushrooms, meat and bamboo shoots. Mix with the scallions, ginger, salt, sugar, soy sauce, wine and sesame oil. Blend thoroughly.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, then roll into a long sausage. Cut into about 24 pieces and flatten each piece with the palm of your hand. With a rolling pin, roll out each piece into a circle about 4-inches in diameter.

Place 1 tablespoon of the filling (sweet or seasoned) in the center of each flattened circle of dough, then gather together the edges to meet at the top around the filling. Twist to enclose the filling. Stand for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

Place a piece of wet cheesecloth on the rack of a steamer, arrange the buns 1-inch apart on the cheesecloth, cover and steam vigorously for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes about 24 buns
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from St. Martin's Press
Source: The Chinese Kitchen by Deh-Ta Hsiung