Title: Steamed Buns I
Categories: Blank
Yield: 1 Servings

Steamed or Baked Bun Dough Yield: 2 dozen buns

1 cake of fresh compressed yeast 1 3/4 cup warm water 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 6 1/2 cups unsifted all purpose flour

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

Dissolve 1/2 yeast cake with sugar in warm water. Immediately add baking powder and then the flour. The dough will be fairly firm and a bit on the dry side. Knead on board or 20 minutes (you should not need to flour the board) until dough becomes elastic and smooth. Place it in a big mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a dry, warm place (away from drafts) until dough doubles in bulk. (Every kitchen is different. My dough usually takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to double in my electric oven, which I slightly preheat to a warm setting for 2 or 3 minutes then turn off.) Now punch down dough and knead again for 5 more minutes. It is no ready to be stuffed with fillings.

Comments: This is just a basic yeast dough with perhaps a bit more sugar added. For those of you who do not care to make this from scratch, you may use frozen bread dough as a substitute.

FILLING AND COOKING THE BUNS:

Wrapping: Divide filling into 24 portions. Divide dough into 24 balls. Slightly flatten each ball then roll out into 4-inch discs, leaving the center of the disc twice as thick as the side. Place 1 portion of the filling in the center of the dough. Gather up the sides around the filling and twist dough to seal. Place on a 2 inch square piece of wax paper, twist side down. Put the wrapped buns at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and allow the buns to rise in a draft-free place (the oven) for another hour.

Steaming:

Steam for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let steam subside before lifting cover. [If you don't have an Oriental steamer, you can improvise by setting a plate on an upside down bowl or can with the ends cut out in a big kettle or stock pot. Fill the pot with water up to the bottom of the plate, but not so high that the boiling water slops over the edge. S.C.]

Baking:

Preheat oven to 350F. Set buns 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Brush with a mixture of 1 beaten egg white, 1 teaspoon water and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; January 31 1991.

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