A complete guide to steaming steamed buns

　　There is also a lot of knowledge in how to make steamed buns.

　　When making steamed buns, if you rub a small piece of lard into the dough, the steamed buns will not only be white, soft, but also fragrant.

　　When steaming the steamed buns, add a little orange peel shreds to add fragrance to the steamed buns.

　　Steamed steamed buns will turn yellow if too much alkali is added. For example, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar to the original steamer water and steam for 10 to 15 minutes to turn them white.

　　The dough for steamed buns must be kneaded evenly, add an appropriate amount of baking powder, and shape it after it has risen. Do not steam it in the pot immediately after it is formed. You must also let it "wake up" for about half an hour before steaming it.

　　What are some tips for steaming steamed buns well?

　　(1) When steaming steamed buns, if the dough seems to be soft but not soft, you can dig a small hole in the middle of the dough, pour two small cups of white wine into it, wait for 10 minutes, and the noodles will start to rise.

　　(2) If there is no yeast when making dough, honey can be used instead. Add 15-20 grams of honey for every 500 grams of flour. After the dough is kneaded, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rise for 4-6 hours. The steamed buns steamed with honey dough are soft and fragrant, with a sweet aftertaste.

　　(3) In winter, when the indoor temperature is low, it takes a long time for the dough to rise. If you put some sugar in the dough during fermentation, you can shorten the rising time.

　　(4) In fermented dough, people often add an appropriate amount of alkali to remove the sour taste. To check whether the amount of alkali applied is appropriate, you can cut the dough into a piece with a knife. If there are holes of uniform size like sesame seeds on the dough, it means the amount of alkali used is appropriate.

　　(5) If the steamed steamed buns turn yellow due to too much alkali and have an unpleasant alkali smell, add 100-160 grams of vinegar to the water in which the steamed buns have been steamed. Put the steamed buns into the pot and steam for 10-15 minutes. The steamed buns will turn white and have no alkali smell.

　　(6) When steaming steamed buns, put a little salt water in the flour to promote fermentation. The steamed buns will be white and crisp.

　　How to steam steamed buns to make them soft and chewy?

　　Here’s the trick:

　　1. Use cold water to knead the noodles in summer, and warm water to knead the noodles in winter. The kneading and rising of noodles in winter should be 1 to 2 hours earlier than in summer. Be careful when adding water when mixing noodles.

　　2. Knead the dough several times to encourage the starch and protein in the flour to fully absorb water, and the resulting gluten will have good consistency. The mixed dough should be kept at a certain temperature, preferably 30°C.

　　3. When the noodles have risen, you must control the degree of fermentation. If you see that the dough has a honeycomb shape and there are many small ones, it means it has fermented well. The larger the eyes of the honeycomb surface are, the older the fermentation is, or even over-fermentation.

　　4. Before steaming, the steamed buns must go through the noodles. The noodles last about 15 to 20 hours in winter and shorter in summer. When the steamed buns are cooked, the water in the pot must be boiled to the full steam for 10 minutes.

　　5. There should be no air leakage at the joint between the cage drawer and the mouth of the pot. If there is air leakage, it must be blocked with a damp cloth. When steaming in an aluminum pot, the lid should be tightly closed.

　　6. When steaming steamed buns, the pot must be heated with cold water and gradually raised to heat the steamed buns evenly. Do not try to steam the steamed buns with hot or boiling water right from the start, as the steamed buns will be easily cooked.

　　How to make dough with Angel Yeast?

　　1. Follow the instructions for dosage, slightly more in winter.

　　2. Put the yeast into a bowl, add a small spoonful of sugar, and dissolve with warm water. Pour into the flour and knead evenly until the dough becomes slightly softer. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit in a warm place. It can be done when the volume becomes larger and there are a lot of small bubbles in the surface.

　　3. After making the steamed buns, cover with a dry towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

　　4. Pour water into the steamer and steam over high heat for 15-20 minutes.

　　Should I use boiling water or cold water to steam steamed buns?

　　Special attention should be paid to the process of putting the pot on and steaming it. The heat must be medium, and cold water should be used in the pot. Don’t be unprepared. If you boil water as usual, the dough will definitely come out dead. The method of boiling water over high heat is only applicable to noodles fermented with flour fertilizer.

　　Do not use hot water to steam steamed buns

　　Many people like to steam steamed buns in hot or boiling water, thinking that it will cook faster. In fact, this is not scientific. Because the cold steamed buns suddenly encounter hot air, the surface of the steamed buns will stick together, which will easily cause the steamed buns to become stuffed.

　　The correct method is to add cold water to the pot, put the steamed buns in, and then heat it up to make the steamed buns evenly heated and soft and delicious.

　　How to tell whether steamed buns are raw or cooked?

　　There are several ways to judge whether steamed buns are raw or cooked:

　　(1) Gently pat the steamed buns with your hands until they are elastic and cooked;

　　(2) Tear off the skin of a piece of steamed bun. If the skin can be peeled off, it is cooked; otherwise, it is not cooked;

　　(3) After lightly pressing the steamed buns with your fingers, the dents will quickly subside into cooked steamed buns. If the dents remain in place, it means they are not yet cooked.