Chinese noodle culture is vast and profound, with a long history. When it comes to traditional noodles, there are countless varieties, and the skills involved are exquisite. As early as ancient times, our ancestors began to make various noodles from wheat flour, and today, they are even more diverse and numerous. Noodles like buns, dumplings, noodles, wontons, and pancakes are frequently seen on the tables of ordinary people. Because of geographical reasons, northerners have always been accustomed to eating noodles. My family is a typical example, and we make noodles several times a week, so I usually stock up on several bags of flour for emergencies.

I believe everyone has been idle lately, but some people can entertain themselves by browsing their friends' circles. It's amazing to see how many eccentric friends have become cooking masters, especially those who didn't touch the sun for a long time. Let's play with flour and try making the most basic buns! Steaming buns may seem difficult or easy, but in short, it involves four steps: kneading, proofing, shaping, and second proofing. However, there are still a few points to note to ensure that the buns are soft and smooth, otherwise, you'll get a lump of dead dough. Below, I'll share my method for steaming buns, which will give you another skill!

Yam and Purple Sweet Potato Buns

Required Ingredients:Yam 80g Purple Sweet Potato 120g Common Flour 500g Sugar 20g Warm Water about 150ml Fresh Yeast 15g or Dry Yeast 5g

Steps:

1. Peel and cut the purple sweet potatoes and yams into small pieces, place them in a steamer, and steam until soft and cooked.

2. Take out the steamed purple sweet potatoes and yams, use a spoon to mash them into a smooth puree, and let them cool to a non-hot temperature.

3. Mix the flour, sugar, purple sweet potato and yam puree, fresh yeast, and warm water, and knead into a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment in a warm place.

4. Wait until the dough has doubled in size and has a honeycomb structure, indicating that it has proofed. Due to different environments and temperatures, the proofing time is not fixed, and it cannot be over-proofed, which will result in an acidic taste.

5. Take out the proofed dough, knead it to remove the air bubbles, and then divide it into ten uniform dough balls. Make sure to knead the dough thoroughly to remove all the air bubbles, otherwise, the surface of the buns will be bumpy and uneven.

6. Arrange the bun dough into the steamer one by one, leaving some space between each bun for fermentation. I used two steamers.

7. Wait until the bun dough has significantly increased in volume, and then open the lid of the pot with a rush of cold air.

8. After the fire is turned off, wait for two or three minutes before opening the lid. This step is also called 'false steaming'.

9. Soft and smooth buns are steamed, and when you break them open, the internal structure is also very delicate, and adding purple sweet potato and yam also doubles the nutrition!

Tips:

Because the water content of purple sweet potato puree and yam puree is different, when kneading, reserve 50g of water, and then adjust the amount according to the actual situation. If you just want to steam white buns, remove the purple sweet potato and yam puree, and adjust the water to about 270g. To steam buns, first ensure that they are properly proofed, and secondly, thoroughly knead and press the dough, which is the essential condition to ensure that the buns are soft and smooth.

Have you learned how to steam buns? If you find my sharing helpful, please like, collect, and forward it. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a message in the article. Let's discuss and learn from each other!