Steamed breads

When I really started getting serious about cooking Chinese food, some of the first things I mastered were the steamed breads and buns of North China. The reasons were simple: I had been making bread for years and years, so yeast dough posed little terror for me. And maybe even more important, my husband grew up on these, so he'd get all misty-eyed whenever I threw some dough into the steamer, especially if there was some milk powder mixed in, just like he used to have them when he was a kid.

There's really no trick to these versatile little breads: this is straight-up bread making, only the dough is formed into little buns that are cooked in a steamer instead of formed into loaves. If you have a heavy-duty mixer with a dough hook, life becomes even simpler. And, once you master this basic recipe, you can then do all sorts of interesting things with it by changing the color and flavor, layering sesame paste or green onions in it (huājuǎn, or flower rolls), decorating the top of a big bread wheel with Chinese dates, filling the buns with sweet or savory stuffings (bāozi), kneading in green tea powder or nuts and grains, baking or frying them rather than steaming... the possibilities are endless, but over the next few months I'll do my best to make a dent in this delicious repertoire.

Shandong is the renowned center for steamed breads, and it bears its mantle well. I got to enjoy some of its many varieties when I lived on the outskirts of Taipei, as every morning a retired old soldier from Shandong would bike down my alley, singing out “Baozi mantou!” His bike was incredibly rusted and squeaky, and so I could hear him a few minutes before he hit my alley, giving me just enough time to get some cash together and rush outside. Sweet Mr. Liu would greet me with a big grin and shout out “Taitai!” (Madam) when he saw me, and his bike would lurch to a stop with a huge squeal.

Ready for kneading

Without even needing to hop off, he would turn around and fish into the wooden crate jerry-rigged behind his seat, peel back the clean white cloth that kept his steamed breads warm and fresh, and would count out into a plastic bag whatever I wanted that day: tan sweet mantou, plain white breads, the round buns filled with pork, and the triangular ones stuffed with red bean paste. I loved them all, and he would always throw in an extra one for good luck.

One day when I got back from a vacation, I ran out to buy some of his mantou and baozi as usual, and found that he was quite upset. “Where were you?” he asked, almost tearfully. “I thought you were mad at me!” And that was the way it was with all of my lovely food people; if I didn’t show up for three days, I’d get an earful the next time around.

Who needs Jewish guilt when you can have the Chinese version?

Plain steamed buns 
Mántóu 饅頭 
Shandong

Makes 12 to 16 buns

2 teaspoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1¼ cups warm filtered water

3 cups good quality Korean bread flour, plus ¼ cup for kneading (or, 2 cups all-purpose organic flour mixed with 1 cup pastry flour, and ¼ cup all-purpose flour for kneading)

2 tablespoons milk powder, optional but good

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Toasted sesame oil as needed 

Kneaded & shaped

1. Start this the night before, if you can, as this gives the dough time to develop more flavor as it rises in the fridge. If not, start at least 4 hours before you want to serve the mantou. Place the water in a measuring cup and sprinkle on the yeast and sugar. Give the yeast time to wake up and foam, about 20 minutes; if it is not foamy by that time, the yeast is too old and you’ll have to buy a new batch (see Tips).

2. Pour the flour, milk, salt, and the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer (see Tips for doing this by hand) with a paddle attachment. Mix the ingredients together until it forms a dough, and then switch out the paddle attachment for a dough hook. Knead the dough with the mixer until it is smooth and shiny, adding more flour if necessary.

3. Lightly dust a flat surface with some flour and turn the dough out on the board. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes; when it is as soft and supple as an earlobe, clean out the mixing bowl, dry it thoroughly, and rub a bit of sesame oil all over the inside. Place the dough in the bowl, turn the dough over a couple of times so that it is completely coated, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise either on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours or in the refrigerator for about 8 hours, or until the dough is at least double in size. Check to see that the dough is ready by inserting two of your fingers deep into the top of the dough; if the holes remain after a minute or two, the dough is ready to be punched down. Smack it with your fist to break all of the bubbles in the dough, cover it again, and let it rise again until double, this time on the kitchen counter, since the dough will be easier to work with if it isn’t cold.

4. Sprinkle the baking powder on top of the dough and turn the dough over on top of the powder so that the baking powder is completely enclosed in the dough. Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and knead it again for a few minutes, dusting the dough with a bit more flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Prepare enough 2 x 2 inch wax paper squares, flattened cupcake liners, or Chinese mantou doilies for the number of mantou you are planning to make (i.e., 12 to 16).

Fully risen

5. Roll the dough out into a long rope, either 12 or 16 inches long. Use a knife or pastry scraper to cut the dough into 1-inch pieces of equal size. You can leave the dough in brick shapes or decorate them with knotting or slicing or pinching; see the top photo for one idea. Place each piece of dough on one of the prepared pieces of paper. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and let the mantou rise until they are double in size. While the dough is rising, prepare a double basket steamer and bring the water to a full boil under the steamer, giving the steamer baskets the chance to heat up thoroughly before the mantou are added. Place the mantou on their papers in the steamers so that they are an inch apart. Stack and cover the steamer baskets and steam them for around 15 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and let the steamer cool down for another 10 minutes, which helps keep the mantou puffy.

6. Serve while hot, or let the mantou come to room temperature. They can be refrigerated in a plastic bag or frozen; to reheat, simply steam them again until heated through. (This is preferable to microwaving them, which tends to make them tough.)

Tips

Korean bread flour works best here; regular all-purpose is all right, but makes the mantou a bit less tender, so mix in pastry flour to give it just the right amount of gluten.

Some whole wheat flour can be added (as in the picture at the top) to give it extra flavor and color.

Buy yeast at a busy store and check the expiration date. Then, store it in the fridge. If you don't make a whole lot of bread, buy small envelopes of yeast as you need them.

To make this by hand, follow the directions for Silver Thread Rolls up to Step 2.

Silver thread rolls

One of the greatest delights of northern Chinese cuisine is its breads. We usually don't associate bread with Chinese cuisine in the West, but that is because most of the cooking styles we have become familiar with -- particularly Cantonese and Hunanese -- are southern. And therein lies the answer.

Rice doesn't grow well in cold climes, but wheat does. Not only that, but the whole stretch of North China has been flavored for years by the Muslim travelers who brought spices, lamb, and beef with them, as well as an abundance of pastries, noodles, and breads. For many of them, their journeys on the northern Silk Road ended in Shandong at the easternmost edge of this cultural highway. 

Knead until soft and smooth

People who have traveled to Beijing are usually familiar with the delicious local steamed bread known as mantou. These traditionally are made as large, fluffy pillows that would accompany individual bowls of food, much different from the communal plates of meat and vegetables and small bowls of rice placed in front of southern diners. In fact, if you want to make simple mantou, this recipe is perfect for that; just roll the twice-risen dough out into logs, cut them into whatever size you want, and steam on oiled paper.

What makes these truly different from plain old mantou is that half of the dough is shaped into oil-slicked strands that give a divine lightness to the bread. First your teeth bite into the tensile exterior, and then they hit the tender center, a pile of doughy wisps that have steamed into something pretty close to ethereal in texture.

The secret to wonderfully light and fragrant steamed bread is three-fold: good flour, sufficient rising time, and allowing the bread to sit in the steamer after the heat is turned off, as this keeps the dough from deflating as soon as cold air hits it.

Pull the "silver threads"

As in almost every flour-based recipe here, I like to use Korean flour since it has the right amount of protein. Just as French flour is different from American, Chinese flour is also softer than what we have here, and so a good way to guarantee excellent results is to use the right flour. You can substitute about two-thirds all-purpose plus one-third pastry flour for pretty good bread, too, but try to find the Korean flour if you can.

I have also added milk powder to the mix. This adds a nice fragrance and also makes a more tender crumb. My husband especially loves the taste of milk powder in the bread, as it reminds him of his childhood. I have used goat milk powder with terrific results, too, and it gives a nice "barny" aroma and taste to the bread.

Make the rolls whatever size you like. If you are having an elegant dinner party or buffet, you might want to make them smaller; the cooking time is the same.

The oiled strands of dough

These breads freeze wonderfully. Just allow them to come to room temperature and then freeze them on a baking sheet. Slip the hard breads into a freezer bag, seal, and place in the freezer. You don't need to defrost them; just put them back in the steamer and heat for about 10 minutes until hot all the way through. You can also deep fry the buns to a warm gold color, and this is perfect as an accompaniment to a simple dinner of a hearty soup; these buns are called, of course, Fried Silver Thread Rolls, or zha yinsijuan.

Silver thread rolls 
Yinsijuan  銀絲卷 
Beijing

Makes 8 rolls

2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1¼ cups warm filtered water
3 cups good quality Korean or Chinese bread flour, plus ¼ cup for kneading (or, 2 cups all-purpose organic flour mixed with 1 cup pastry flour, and ¼ cup all-purpose flour for kneading)
2 tablespoons milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Place strands on dough sheet

Fresh neutral-flavored vegetable oil as needed

 1.  Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water and let the yeast bloom while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. If the yeast hasn't started to foam after 10 minutes, discard and get some fresher yeast.

2. Place the flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir in the liquid. Mix the dry ingredients and liquid together until a soft mass has formed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured smooth surface, and use a pastry scraper in one hand to lift and turn the dough while you knead it with the other until the dough loses its stickiness. Then, continue to knead the dough, adding a bit more flour as needed, until it is silky and smooth. Roll it up into a ball and pat it; it should feel like a baby's bottom.

3. Wash and dry the mixing bowl. Oil it well and toss the dough in, turning it over and over in the oil until it is thoroughly covered. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and place it in a warm place, such as an oven with either the light or pilot light on. Let the dough rise to double its size, and then punch it down. Pull the edges of the dough over onto the center as a form of gentle kneading. Cover the bowl again and let it rise once more. Divide the dough in half. Keep one half covered while you work with the other half.

Roll the strands in the dough

4. Gently scrape half of the dough out onto a clean, smooth work surface. Use a rolling pin to shape it into a rectangle that is about 8 x 12 inches. Cut the dough into ¼-inch strips. Using well-oiled hands, pull the strips one at a time into long strands at least 30 inches long, running your fingers over the strands so that they become coated with the oil; this will keep them from sticking together. The strands don't have to be the same size, and it is all right if they break. Arrange the strands into two bundles that are about 15 inches in length with the strands lying parallel to each other. Cover the strands loosely with plastic wrap.

5. Roll the other piece of dough out into a rectangle that is about 15 x 10 inches in size. Cut the dough lengthwise so that you have two pieces about 15 x 5 inches in size. Lay one of the bundles of strands on one of the flat pieces of dough near an edge, and then roll the dough up lengthwise so that the strands are in the center of the roll. Pinch the dough along the seam to seal it. Grab both ends of the roll and lightly roll it so that it is of even girth and about 18 inches long. Trim off an inch at either end, and then cut the roll into buns that are 4 inches long. 

Cut the ends off of the logs

6. Place the buns seam side down on lightly-oiled steamer paper or cupcake liners. Cover the buns with plastic wrap and let them rise for about 10 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the dough until you have 8 buns. (You can take the cut-off ends and stick them together into a bun or two that will not be especially pretty, but just as tasty as the rest of the buns.)

7. Steam the buns for about 10 minutes over high heat, turn off the heat, and allow the buns to sit in the steamer without peeking for at least 5 minutes to keep them from deflating. Keep the breads covered with a clean cloth napkin so that they do not dry out. Serve as is or deep fry.