Simple Plain Steamed Buns

We still had some Kaya (coconut jam) at home, so I decided to prepare some plain steamed buns to spread it on, and enjoy it.

The big advantage of steamed buns is that you can prepare them without an oven, which is pretty essential in the hot weather that we have here.

These simple and plain buns are quite easy and quick to prepare. Here‘s the recipe:

Ingredients:

For the dough (around 15 to 16 pieces – depending on the size of each):

• 300 g bread flour (all-purpose flour will do, too)
• 1 packet of instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 160 ml water (room temperature)
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation:

Pour the water into a high glass or plastic container, add the sugar and yeast and mix well. Set aside for about 10 minutes or until you see bubbles forming. That means that the yeast has been activated.

Add the flour and the pinch of salt to a bowl, mix both with a pair of chopsticks and form a hollow in the middle.

When the yeast is activated, pour the yeast-water-mixture slowly into the hollow in the flour and start stirring and mixing with the chopsticks.

As soon as the dough starts forming, put the chopsticks aside and start kneading with you hand. The dough will probably be a bit sticky at the beginning but become better as you knead it. If the dough is too sticky, try to oil your hands with a few drops of neutral vegetable oil.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and homogenous. Cove the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for about 1,5 hours or, until it has doubled in size.

At the end of the dough’s raising time, dust your working surface with flour and drop the dough on it.

Knead it for a few minutes to get the air out, and then roll it into a square of about 60 x 40 cm size. Roll the dough lenghtwise into a long log.

Cut the log into slices/buns of about 2 to 2,5 cm width.

Line your steamer with baking paper which you pinch with scissors or a knife. If your steamer is big enough, you can steam them all at once but keep in mind that the buns will get a lot bigger during the steaming process, so make sure to leave enough space between them. My steamer only holds a maximum of 5 buns, so I had to steam in 3 rounds.

Add water to your wok/steaming pan and bring it to a boil. Place the steamer inside, cover with a lid and let the buns steam for about 20 to 25 minutes.

When the buns are done, take the wok/steaming pan off the cooking plate, and wait about 5 to 6 minutes before removing the lid of the pan and serving the buns.

The buns were very fluffy and tasted wonderfully with the Kaya spread on them. We didn’t have other spreads or jams available, but of course you can spread anything you want on them.