Steamed Buns - Mantou

Mantou is one of the traditional Chinese noodle dishes, a food product made from fermented noodles steamed into a bun, which is one of the daily staple food of Chinese people. A quick and easy way to make Mantou (Chinese Steamed Buns). My detailed instructions tutorial will help you succeed.

Mantou is relatively easy to do, the most important thing to make Mantou is to hair the noodle, only the noodle hair is good, make out of the Mantou is fluffy, the following and I come together to make Mantou, on the way there will be some tips hope to help you:

1、What is Mantou?

Mantou, anciently known as “brute head”, also known as “steamed bun”, “steamed bun”, is the original name of “bun”, one of the traditional Chinese noodle dishes, is a kind of food made of fermented noodles. “Mantou is a traditional Chinese noodle dish made of fermented flour and is one of the staple foods of the Chinese people, with wheat flour as the main ingredient.

Mantou originated in the barbaric era of human head sacrifices, rumored to have been invented by Zhuge Liang when he conquered Mengwu, in the shape of a human head, and then with the development of history, gradually changed to poultry filling, but the history of the Chinese people to eat Mantou can be traced back to at least the period of the Warring States period, when it was known as the “steamed cake”. Three Kingdoms, Mantou has its own official name, called “Barbarian head”, Ming Lang Ying in the “seven repair class draft” records: “Mantou was called Barbarian head, barbarian land to human head sacrifice to the gods, Zhuge's conquest of Mengwu, the order to bread meat for the head to sacrifice, called ‘Barbarian head’, today, the Chinese people eat Mantou history can be traced back to at least the Warring States period, when it was called ‘steam cake’. The name 'Mantou' was also used to describe the head of a man in the barbarian land.

The word “Mantou” was first used to refer to Mantou with filling, which is often called “Baozi” by people in the north of the country, and the word “Baozi” was first used in the Song Dynasty. The terms “Baozi” and “Mantou” were gradually differentiated in the Qing Dynasty. In Wu-speaking areas, the ancient name is still retained, and those with fillings are called “Mantou”, such as “Shengjian Mantou”, “Crabmeat Mantou”, and so on.

2、Two common production methods of Mantou fermentation

Single-fermented Mantou

After only one fermentation of the dough is called single-fermented over, which generally means that the dough is mixed and allowed to ferment naturally. Single-fermented Mantou is known for its relative simplicity and speed of preparation. A single-fermented Mantou has a denser texture and a slightly different taste than a double-fermented Mantou. This method is suitable for beginners as it is easier to follow.

Double-fermented Mantou

The so-called double fermentation Mantou is a dough that goes through a secondary fermentation method involving two fermentation processes, which involves letting the dough swell until it doubles in size, and then kneading it to eliminate any internal air bubbles. After kneading, the dough is left to rise for the second fermentation. The second fermented bread will be softer when it cools down. It is quite challenging for beginners.

3. Mantou Cooking Tips

① If you use active dry yeast, the best way is to mix it with sugar and warm water separately before adding it to the flour.

② Knead into a smooth dough. After dividing the dough into portions, remember that the dough should not have small holes; this is one of the most important steps to prevent the top of the Mantou from wrinkling when it is ready for steaming.

③Do not over-ferment the dough, over-fermentation will cause the bread to collapse, it is recommended to ferment the dough for about 30 minutes.

④When steaming Mantou, it is recommended to use bamboo steamer, bamboo steamer works best because it will absorb some moisture during steaming and make the buns taste best.

4、How can I store Mantou that I can't finish?

Mantou can't be eaten up, then you can freeze them after they are steamed and cooled down. To serve, put the buns into the steamer and re-steam them, or wrap them in a wet paper towel and heat them up in the microwave for 10 - 15 seconds.