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Steamed Red Bean Buns

Success.

For some time, I've been wanting to try my hand at Chinese steamed buns. I love them, and I haven't found a reliable source for them in Eugene besides the frozen ones at the Asian market. And so, a winter break project was formed.

Sticky dough! I triple-checked the recipe to make sure I didn't miss some flour.

After rising and kneading with a bit more flour, it became a respectable dough consistency.

The red bean paste that I used as filling, anko, can be purchased at Asian markets. But it was so easy to make, and I was able to control the amount of sugar. Here's how I made the anko. You could also fill these with pork, or vegetables, or shoelaces and cat fur, and it would be delicious.

I didn't research the right way to form the buns with the anko, so maybe there's a better way. What I did was form the dough into a small disk, put a spoonful of anko in the center, pull the dough up to seal it, and then place it with the seal side down (on a floured surface!).

It was handy that Jess had decided to watch this part, because I couldn't have gotten this photo alone.

See that closest one? The pretty one under which I forgot to put flour? It didn't stay so pretty.

Ready to steam atop the pasta pot and make the house smell amazing.


The Recipe:
1 tb yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c flour
1/4 c water

1/2 c water
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tb sugar
1 tb vegetable oil
1/2 tsp baking powder

Anko or other filling
  • Mix first 4 ingredients. Leave to stand 30 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients except baking powder. Knead the sticky dough until smooth and elastic (but still sticky), place in a greased bowl, and leave to stand 2 1/2 hours or until tripled in size.
  • Punch down dough and spread out on a floured surface.
  • Sprinkle baking powder evenly over surface and knead for 5 minutes.
  • Form dough into balls (about 15), stuffing with anko or another filling.
  • Steam for 15 minutes. (Try not to allow water to drop on the top of the buns, which will cause hard yellow spots.)

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A+
Overall reason: Just like in the restaurants! So, so good.
Time to prepare: 1 hour, plus 90 minutes of waiting time.
Husband quote: Jumping up and down 6 times, landing on each word for emphasis: "Good! Job! Girl! Good! Job! Girl!"







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