7 February 2020
The Chinese cooking method – namely steaming – allows the buns to cook in a short time and to maintain a peculiar texture.
Try our version: divide the dough into two parts, add some cocoa to one of them, and you will obtain a spiral effect. They are extraordinarily fluffy and not too sweet, perfect to fill with a generous amount of hazelnut cream. This recipe yields 14 pieces but you can make them a little bit smaller.
A recommendation: don’t place the buns too close to each other because they grow a lot during cooking. This is the secret of their softness! Once ready, let them cool and eventually fill them. The best way to preserve the buns is to put them in the freezer and pull them out when needed. Only a few minutes in the microwave or in the traditional oven and the buns will be as fresh and fragrant as if they were just made!
To cook the buns, use our bamboo steamer. The bamboo steamer is an entirely natural product and allows cooking without added fat. See the recipe Savoy cabbage rolls with rice and ham to learn how to use and clean your steamer.
Preparation time: 30 minutes + 3 hours (for leavening)
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: medium
Yield: makes 14 buns
Budget: low
Remove the milk and the butter from the fridge at least an hour in advance. Place the sifted flour, the sugar and the yeast, previously dissolved in a little warm milk, in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and turn it on at medium-high. Gradually incorporate the diced butter, the remaining milk and the salt. Continue kneading until you get a relatively soft dough, but do not add any extra flour.
Transfer the dough on a well-floured surface; divide it into two parts and finish kneading one half by hand. The key to get the right consistency is to keep the work surface well-floured so that the dough will absorb only the flour needed. Put the other half back into the stand mixer, add the cocoa and knead until it has a nice homogeneous colour. Once ready, tip the two types of dough in separate bowls, make a cross-cut and cover them with some cling film. Leave them to rise.
Roll out the doughs in two rectangles of the same size and overlap them. Brush the white part with a little water so they can adhere perfectly. Form a narrow and long roll and cut it into pieces 3/4 cm thick. Place each piece on a square of baking paper and leave them to rise for another half an hour covered by a cloth. Once leavened, transfer them into the bamboo steamer. Don’t place them too close to each other: for a 25 cm steamer put 4 or maximum 5 buns.
Put the closed steamer into a pot of the same size with two or three fingers of water. Cook the buns on the stove for about 25 minutes, checking the water level from time to time and adding some boiling hot water if necessary.
Once ready, let the buns cool and store them for a few days in well-closed food bags. Alternatively, put them in the freezer and remove them as needed. In that case, thaw at room temperature or in the oven.
