Love Cooks - Golden Pile Bun (黄金堆)

Been craving for plain steam buns (mantou-馒头). One of my aunt made this soft fluffy - almost cottony steam buns and she would always keep some for me to take back home (she stays in KL). I finished the last one she gave just few days after Chinese New Year.

Vowed to learn and make some myself, I found a few recipes available on the internet and do some adjustment on the weight, additional savouries, and most important on the kneading time. Also, my new present-from-hubby stand mixer has been sitting comfortably in its box for quite sometime so it's play time. You know how people says there's too much chemical in pre packed food, too much preservatives in pre prepared food, so I'm gonna make some with the water roux (Tang Zhong-汤钟) method.

Initially I wanted to make Pandan Steam Buns, it's hard to get from local supermarket and I'm too lazy to get to the wet market just for a few pieces of Pandan leaves. Let's make some Pumpkin Steam Bun instead. I still have some left overs in my fridge from my Vegeterian ABC soup so I skinned and puréed it.

Ooohhh the buns are so soft and fluffy. I've decide to make a bigger batch just so I can have extras to give to one of my girl friend. Once it's cooled, I packed it and freeze it for her to come pick it up the next evening.

Suddenly come to me where we used to have steam buns with curry chicken. It's my family favorite esp when my dad bring us out to picnic by the beach or waterfalls. Then, my mom will just buy canned curry chicken and bring along, unless her good mood calls and she will cook us, her curry chicken. One of the best dish from her. Tadaaaa, I so happen, make some curry chicken myself to go along with my steam buns, just enough for our dinner and left over some gravy for breakfast dipping tomorrow morning... Yummm

Here's the recipe:-

300g Superwhite Pau Flour

30g Sugar

3g Salt

2tsp Instant Yeast

1/2 cup of Pumpkin (sweetened with sugar and puréed)

1/2 cup Water Roux

3 tbsp Water

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Methods:-

1) Sieve flour,sugar and salt. Make a hole in the middle and add in instant yeast, pumpkin puréed and water roux. Mix at low medium speed (i used speed 2/6) for 5 min interval with water. You might need to add in more water or reduce to suit the type of flour that you are using - it depends on the water retention of the flour.

2) Add in vegetable oil and increase speed to medium high (I used speed 4/6) once all oil had incorporated into the dough. You add in oil last just to let the gluten to develop. Mix for 15 min or until you see the dough become very very elastic. You will be able to pull to very thin film with your fingers without breaking it.

3) Let the dough rest for 1 hour. I rest mine 2 hours. Poke your floured index finger to the centre. It will resemble our belly button and you know it's proofed enough.

4) Shape as desire and proof it for second time for another 1 hour. I found that the longer you second proof, the fluffier the bun gets. It gives time for the dough rise and trap gas bubbles in it. 

5) Steam the buns over boiling water for 15 min. Wait till it's slightly cooled before taking it out from steamer. This protects the bun from collapsing due to sudden drop of temperature. See an example I have for you below, just so you know how funny it looks like.