Steamed Scallion Buns

Serves: 3-4

Prep Time: 35 mins

Cook Time: 10-12 mins

Quick and easy to make, these buns are tasty, warm and everything nice. Serve them up for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even mid-day snacks. I should note that every time I make them they come out different sizes, so practice makes perfect.

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for texture and dusting

1 tsp dried active yeast

¾ tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

½ cup lukewarm water

Filling

3-4 tbsp scallions, finely chopped

¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions

1. Using a standing mixer, add in flour, baking powder, sugar and water-yeast mixture. Knead on a low-medium speed for about 8 minutes. The dough should finish smooth. Add more flour in until the consistency is that of a dough that is more firm than loose.

2. In a small bowl add in chopped scallions, five spice powder, and salt. Heat up your oil in a small saucepan and pour over the scallions. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a thin rectangle. Recipes noted 20 cm x 30 cm but for me that was too thin and then it got stuck to the surface. Try to get around that size without stretching out your dough.

4. Evenly coat the dough with the filling and then fold the dough lengthwise twice to create a 3-layer strip and cut into 12 equal sized smaller pieces like you do when you make homemade noodles.

5. Take two of the pieces and stack them. Using a thin chopstick or a thin skewer, use it to press a light middle line lengthwise and slightly stretch the dough out longer. Then hang it on a chopstick (in the same way you put clothes on a clothing rack), and pinch / hold the ends together, and with the other hand twist the chopstick, and then press down to keep the shape held and remove the chopstick. I recommend watching a video on Youtube because I couldn’t figure it out that easily from instructions.

6. Rest your rolls for 30 minutes and place into your lined (parchment paper or lettuce) steamer trays. Make sure there is enough room between them all as they will expand a bit more.

7. Fill a pot with water, turn on high heat and once it boils, turn it down to medium. Place the steamer tray on top, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

8. Serve warm and enjoy!

Note: For a light dipping sauce, I use a small prep bowl and add 1 tbs of soy sauce, ½ tbs of sesame oil, freshly chopped scallions and if I want a kick I’ll add a little bit of sriracha or Lao Gan Ma’s spicy chili crisp.