Steamed Vegetable Bun 蒸菜包

After the famous "Teck Kee Tanglin Pau" stopped producing its veggie steamed bun, I can't find comparable product elsewhere in my estate. This drives me to learn making steamed buns. Thanks to my Facebook friend Regina Lee for sharing the very soft and nice steamed bun dough/skin, I extended it to make my favorite mixed veggie steamed bun. Now, I have the luxury to enjoy more than 3 freshly steamed mixed veggie buns at the convenient of my home :)

Yield: 16 buns

Ingredients

400~450g turnip, cut into strips, or shredded 

30g carrot, cut into thin strips, about 4cm long

2 soaked shiitake mushroom, cut, about 40g

5 soaked black fungus, cut, about 20g

15g garlic, minced, about 4 cloves

5g dried shrimps, 1 tbsp

30~40ml hot water

Seasoning

1/4 ~ 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp seasoning powder (Knorr 好吃）

Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp potato starch

1 tbsp water

Direction

1. Stir fry garlic and dried shrimps in hot oil at medium high temperature till fragrant.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry till vegetable starts to soften.

3. Add in about 30 to 40 ml of hot water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer till all ingredients are thoroughly softened.

4. Add in the seasonings and adjust according to your preferred taste.

4. Mix potato starch with water and pour into the pot to thicken the mixture.

5. Dish out the vegetables into an open container to cool down before use.

The Sponge

Ingredients

80g Hongkong flour

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

70g water

Direction

1. Mix flour and instant dry yeast in a mixing bowl.

2. Slowly add in the 70g of water, stir in one direction till it forms into a paste.

3. Cover and let the sponge dough proof for 90 minutes.

The Dough 

Ingredients 

250g HongKong flour

60g confectioner's sugar

1 tsp double acting baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Sponge from above

20g rice bran/corn oil

60~70g water, add as required

Direction

1. Mix HongKong flour, confectioner's sugar, double acting baking powder and salt, by using a hand whisk.

2. Pour the sponge dough and rice bran/corn oil, into the mixture in (1), and mix brielfly.

3. Add in 60g water and stir till all the ingredients form into a lump.

Leaving behind about 10g of water to be added depending on the consistency of the dough.

Avoid adding too much water to the dough, to help the buns keep its shape after steaming.

4. Transfer the dough onto a floured work top and knead into an elastic and smooth dough.

The kneading is complete when you can hear bursting/popping of trapped air coming from the dough when you knead.

5. Flatten the dough and divide it into 16 portions, each about 36g. Roll into balls, dust with plenty of flour, and place in a mixing bowl.

6. Roll out the dough into a flat dough skin with the edge thinner than the center.

First, flatten the dough with your palm,

While one hand holding and pulling,  the other hand operates the rolling pin.

Slowly stretch the dough into a flat dough with the centre thicker than the edge.

Flip the dough skin over, so the smoother side will be facing out when wrap.

Scoop about a tbsp of the mixed veggie filling onto the center of the dough skin. Wrap up and pinch to seal. Place the finished dough onto a piece of paper.

7. Proof the buns for 25 minutes before steaming. Start the 25-minute countdown after you have completed shaping the first bun.

8. Start boiling water after you have completed the 4th bun. When the water boils, steam the buns for 5 minutes at medium high flame. 

Then lower to medium low and steam for 2 minutes.

Open the lid slightly and steam for 2 minutes.

Finally, turn off the flame, and let the buns stay in the steamer for 5 minutes.

The aim of the heat control is to steam the buns at medium high heat, and gradually reduce the temperature.

9. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack.

You can also keep the warm buns in a rice cooker.

Serve warm :)

Keep the unconsumed buns in a closed container place in the fridge.