Pumpkin Mantou (Steamed Bun)

Soft, fluffy and lightly sweetened. This Chinese steamed buns or known as Mantau are usually without fillings and normally eaten plain. Mantau is a basic staple in northern China . Mantou is mostly served as breakfast in restaurants and food carts. The traditional Mantau usually is made with flour, yeast and water. However you can add vegetable puree such as sweet potatoes, milk or pumpkin or any thing that you can think off!!

I like to make mine with pumpkin paste as it gives the nice yellow colour. 

Ingredients:

• 110g pumpkin puree
• 40g castor sugar
• 250g pau flour or plain flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 15g vegetable oil
• 50-60ml water

Method:

For pumpkin puree: Steam pumpkin over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Blend until smooth, set aside to cool.

Add 25ml of water to the instant yeast, mix well. Set aside  for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine pau flour/plain flour and baking powder. Sieve and add in sugar and salt to combine. Add in pumpkin puree to roughly incorporate.

Add in oil and yeast mixture and knead. Add the remaining water bit by bit to the dough. You do not need to finish all the water. The amount of water is subject to how concentrated the pumpkin puree is. When a rough dough is formed, transfer it to a working surface and continue kneading until the dough is no longer sticky, soft and smooth.

Place the dough in a lightly oil bowl, cover with cling film. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes in a room temperature.

Lightly dust the working surface with flour. Gently punch down the dough to deflate and knead it for 1-2 minutes.

Rough the dough into a rectangle. With a pastry brush, remove any excess flour on the top surface and brush a thin layer of water on it. Starting from the wider edge, roll up the dough like a swiss roll

Roll the elongated dough out until it reaches a length of 45-50cm. Cut both ends and divide the remaining dough into 6-8 equal portions.

Place each portion on a piece of baking paper. Proof them for another 30 minutes until double in size. You can also proof the mantau inside the bamboo steamer with lukewarm water underneath. You can also proof inside an oven (without power).

Starting from cold water and with medium heat, steam the mantau for 18-20 minutes, depending on the size of the mantau. Once it is done, open the lid slightly to release the heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the bamboo steamer away from the water and let it stand for another 2-3 minutes before removing the lid. With this, the mantau will not shrink after cooling down