I’ve got another traditional Chinese recipe for you, and this time they are some traditional Chinese Mantous! Mantous are a steamed bun kind of similar to a dinner roll. My mom use to make these all the time while growing up and they never got old!
If you know what bao zis or bao buns are, then you know how fluffy and delicious the buns are! Mantous are just the wrapper for bao buns but with no filling!
I love eating these as sandwich bread or on their own! It may sound weird but I love putting some peanut butter and jelly on it to make a pb&j sandwich!
Tip for making smooth mantous:
- It is super important to knead the dough before and after rising. Typically I knead for 3-5 minutes each time. There should be no large air bubbled after the second round of kneading. Make sure to flour the surface so that the dough does not stick.
- If the dough keeps sticking to your hands, then flour your hands as well.
- Steam on high heat with a metal steamer, but medium heat with a bamboo steamer.
Key ingredients for mantous:
- All purpose flour
- I like using unbleached organic flour from Jovial.
- Eggs
- These help the mantous rise and also moist while cooking!
- Milk and water
- Traditionally mantous are only made with water, but I like adding milk for a richer texture and flavor.
- Yeast
- This is necessary for the mantous to rise. I used instant yeast which means I an add it directly to the dough mixture. If you don’t use instant yeast, then you have to let the yeast bloom in the warm water first.
- Buckwheat flour
- This is definitely not an ingredient used in mantous but I love adding it for extra nutrition and I like the little specs of color! If you don’t have this then just you all purpose flour.
Traditional Chinese Mantous
I've got another traditional Chinese recipe for you, and this time they are some traditional Chinese Mantous! Mantous are a steamed bun kind of similar to a dinner roll. My mom use to make these all the time while growing up and they never got old!
Equipment
- Steamer basket
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpouse flour
- ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp warm water
- 1¼ tsp yeast
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the milk, eggs, and water. Whisk until well combined.
- Now add in the flour, buckwheat flour, and yeast. Fold until well combined.
- Once the dough has come together, flour your work surface and knead the dough for 3-5 minuets.
- Let the dough rise for at least 1 hour in a warm environment, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once the dough is done rising, flour your work surface again and knead for 3-5 minutes.
- Cut the dough in half and roll into a long log shape, about 2 inches diameter. Cut the log into equal pieces, all about 1 inch thick.
- Let the mantous rise for an additional 20-30 minutes. In the meantime boil some water in a pot that is the same diameter or a little larger than you steamer basket.
- Place a wet coffee filter on the base of the steamer basket to prevent sticking.
- Place 5-6 mantous in the steamer basket depending on the size of your basket.
- Steam for 13 minutes.
- After 13 minutes let the mantous sit in the basket for 5 minutes so that they do not deflate.
- And now you are done!
