If you follow Jubes&Tank on Instagram, you'll know that I made my very first batch of Chinese steamed buns (aka. man-tou) not too long ago! The first place I looked at for a recipe was good old Google. I read a couple of recipes and decided on one that made the most sense to me, which happened to be one from Allrecipes.com.
The recipe is straight forward and fairy simple. It helps to use a stand mixer with a doughhook attachment, but for those without, it'll just take a little elbow grease.
Since these buns are steamed rather than baked in an oven, they come out super tender, moist, chewy and have a deliciously unique "skin" on the top that's a little shiny and a lot tasty. I like peeling it off before eating the innards. Kind of like everything else with skin- chicken, roast pig, little children, etc.
I'm kidding on that last one, FYI.
Haha.
Ha.
Obviously to make these a steamer is needed. If you won't have one, may I suggest you invest in one? They aren't very expensive if you know where to shop. Most Chinese grocery stores will carry them, but a fool proof place would be your local China town. Take a photo along with you, just in case there's a language barrier! You're welcome.
The add ins and fillings are limitless when it comes to these buns (or any kind of bread in general). I decided to mix in chopped spring onions as well as a handful of black sesame seeds and dried garlic, for colour and flavour.
I'll defiantly make these again. Maybe with some kind of meat filling or vegan filling, something savory or maybe something sweet! I love that these freeze and reheat beautifully. Ziploc freezer bags are one of my favourite things! To reheat, just stick them in the steamer or for those extremely lazy days, over them with a damp paper towel and zap them in a microwave in 30 second intervals until hot. It's best to defrost them first if microwaving. :)
