STEAMED PAUS-PUMPKIN SKIN-PANDAN TAOYUNG FILLING

Very fluffy, soft paus with pumpkin puree. This recipe is suitable for those who have experience in making paus before as the portion of water to add depends on the wetness of the pumpkin puree. First the pumpkin puree is mix with all the dry ingredients into a rough dough. If it is too dry, gradually add in water as you knead into a soft dough. Then add in the shortening and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and pliable. The dough is ready for proofing and shaping.

The pau skin is not sweet as the filling used is a sweet Pandan Taoyong Paste. The sugar added is to help ferment the skin dough.

Ingredients 

[makes 10 paus]

350 gm pau flour

80 gm pumpkin puree

25 gm castor sugar

3 gm instant yeast

some water

1 tsp shortening

some cornstarch for coating

Filling - Pandan Taoyong Filling [mix with some toasted sesame seeds] or any sweet filling of your choice

1. Combined the flour and sugar in a big bowl [except yeast and shortening].  Make a well in the centre, add in the yeast, pumpkin puree then mix with some flour.    Use your hand to gather the flour into a dough.   Gradually add in some water if the dough is too dry as you knead into a rough dough.  Cover and leave to rest for about 5 minutes.
2. Knead the dough for a further 5-7 minutes.  Add in shortening and continue to knead until soft, smooth and pliable.  Shape into a round ball, cover with lid to proof for 20 minutes or until double in size.
3. Press your index finger into the dough, if it does not shrink then the dough is ready for shaping.  Punch down and knead into a smooth ball.  Divide into 8 or 10 equal portions, shape into round.
4. Take a portion, roll into a circle, flatten the edges.  Add in prepared filling and shape into a pleated pau.  Place on parchment paper.  Finish doing the same for the remaining ingredients.
5. Leave to proof for 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
6. Steamed paus over boiling water for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave for 5 minutes before removing.
7. Serve immediately or remove to cool on a wire rack before storing.

STEAMED PAUS-PLAIN PINK COLOURED MANTOU

In fact, I have no plans to share this recipe, a plain mantou recipe.  That is the reason why I did not snap any step by step preparation pictures.  This mantous are soft, spongy, fluffy and chewy.  It is also not difficult to make.  The most crucial point is to make sure that the dough is well kneaded until pliable and window pane stage.  You can omit the coconut milk powder.  The mantous are not sweet and can be served with savoury dishes like braised meat or just taken plan.

Actually, it is quite similar to Mi Koo [Steamed Pink Buns], but this recipe uses less sugar and instant yeast.  Try using this recipe if you prefer a low sugar and low yeast recipe.  The mantous do turned out good.

ngredients

[makes 8-9 Buns]

500 gm low protein flour or pau flour

2 tbsp coconut milk powder

6 gm instant yeast

50 gm castor sugar

1/4 tsp salt

290 ml lukewarm water

some extra water if dough is too dry

1 tsp shortening [optional]

some cornstarch flour for coating

1. In a big bowl, put in all the dry ingredients [except cornstarch flour] and water.  Mix ingredients with a pair of chopstick.  Mix and knead with hand into soft, rough dough. Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add in shortening if using.  Continue to mix and knead with hand using a combination of motion [knead, rub, pull and roll] until soft, smooth and elastic [about 20 minutes].  Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest until double in size.  This takes about 10 minutes.
3. The proof dough has lots of small air pockets. Punch down and knead for another 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Divide into 8 equal portions [depends on how big you wish to make the buns].  Roll each portion into balls.  Coat with some cornstarch flour. Place buns on a parchment paper. Arrange in a steaming tray, cover to proof until double in size about 20-30 minutes.
4. Brush dough with some pink colouring water [mix pink colouring with some water] before steaming.
5. Bring water to boil in a steamer.
6. Steamed buns in steamer over high heat for 20 minutes.  Off heat, leave buns in steamer for 5 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.

STEAMED PLAIN CHINESE BUNS [MANTOU]

These buns [mantou] are quite similar to the Chinese Red Buns [Mi Koo or Tortoise Buns]. The difference is, it is not that sweet, plain and less ingredients used to make them. Yet they are as good, texture is fine, soft, light, fluffy and chewy.  The sugar added is to aid in fermentation of the dough.

It can be eaten plain or good to serve with dishes like braised meat and perhaps curries etc. I ate it with ham.

Ingredients

[makes 8-9 Buns]

500 gm low protein flour or pau flour

5-6 gm instant yeast

1 tbsp sugar [I used 30 gm]

270 ml lukewarm water

some extra water if dough is too dry

1 tsp shortening [optional]

1. In a big bowl, put in flour, yeast, sugar and water.  Mix ingredients with a pair of chopstick.  Mix and knead with hand into soft dough. Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add in shortening if using.  Continue to mix and knead with hand using a combination of motion [knead, rub, pull and roll] until soft, smooth and elastic [about 20 minutes].  Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest until double in size.
3. The proof dough has lots of small air pockets. Punch down and knead for another 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Divide into 8 or 9 equal portions [depends on how big you wish to make the buns].  Roll each portion into balls.  Place buns on a parchment paper. Arrange in a steaming tray Cover to proof until double in size about 20-30 minutes.
4. Bring water to boil in a steamer.
5. Steamed buns in steamer over high heat for 15-20 minutes.  Off heat, leave buns in steamer for 5 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.

STEAMED PAUS-HAND KNEAD PAU SKIN

This is a workable steamed pau skin dough recipe. The dough well kneaded and adequately proof, yields lovely, soft, fluffy and light paus. The pau skin is not sweet, pliable and easy to handle for wrapping of filling and shaping. I love to make the pau skin thicker with less filling and not vice versa. 

If interested to make home made paus, do try this recipe. You can use any filling you like but a little tip to share here. For paus with savoury filling, you can increase the sweetness of the skin. For paus with sweet filling, I suggest the pau skin must not be sweet. For paus with savoury and sweet filling, the sweetness of the pau skin is average that is just acceptable.

Ingredients Pau Skin Dough

[makes about 12 paus]

400 gm pau flour

>1 tsp [about 4 gm] instant yeast

10 gm sugar

210-220 ml lukewarm water [add a little more if dough is too dry and tough]

1 tsp shortening [optional]

1. Combined pau flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre, add in yeast and 150 ml water.  Mix well, stir until dissolved and leave for 1-2 minutes or so.  
2. Bring the flour together and add in remaining water, mix into a rough dough.  Cover for 5 minutes to rest.
3. After resting dough for 5 minutes, it is much easier to knead the dough into a smooth and soft dough with combination of hand motion [knead, rub, push and pull back motion with your hand]. Add in shortening if using.  As you knead, rotate dough along one direction at 90 degrees.  Add some extra water if dough is too dry. 
4. Knead dough for another 5-10 minutes until soft, smooth and pliable. Shape into a ball.  Place in the mixing bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or until double in size.
5. Punch down dough, then roll into round.  Divide into 12 equal portions and roll into balls.  Flatten each one in circle. Flatten the edges,  the centre is thicker than the edges. 
6. Place filling [about a tablespoon or more] in the centre, gather the edges together to seal to make a round pau or pleat the edges into a pau shape.
7. Place shaped pau on parchment paper and steaming tray.  Finish doing the rest. Cover to prove for about 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
8. Place steaming tray in the steamer over rapidly boiling.  Cover to steam for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave in steamer and remove paus only after 2-3 minutes.
9. Cool on wire rack or serve immediately. 

STEAMED PAUS-FLUFFY PAUS-CHAR SIEW FILLING

A friend gave some char siew and it would be better to use it to make Char Siew Paus instead of using it to fry Fried Rice as suggested.  The end product can be shared with more people.  Homemade char siew paus are always good as they are not too sweet compared to store bought ones and of course with more meat filling instead of the starchy sauce.  The pau skin is also not sweet with much less sugar added.

Similar as in my previous post on steamed paus, this pau skin dough is hand kneaded.  It is a workable pau skin recipe.  The dough is soft, smooth and pliable.  Very easy to wrap and pleat.  When steamed, it is soft, light, fluffy and chewy too.  You can into 10 or 12 paus with this portion depending on how big you wish to make the paus.

The char siew portion here is enough to make about 25 medium size paus.

Ingredients Pau Skin Dough

[makes about 10 paus]

300 gm pau flour

1 tsp [about 3 gm] instant yeast

10 gm sugar

160-170 ml lukewarm water

1 tsp shortening [optional]

Char Siew Filling [Recipe Below]

1. Combined pau flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre, add in yeast and <150 ml water.  Mix well, stir until dissolved and leave for 1-2 minutes or so.  
2. Bring the flour together and add in remaining water, mix into a rough dough.  Cover for 5 minutes to rest.
3. After resting dough for 5 minutes, it is much easier to knead the dough into a smooth and soft dough with combination of hand motion [knead, rub, push and pull back motion with your hand]. Add in shortening if using.  As you knead, rotate dough along one direction at 90 degrees.  Add some extra water if dough is too dry. 
4. Knead dough for another 5-10 minutes until soft, smooth and pliable. Shape into a ball.  Place in the mixing bowl, cover to rest for 20 minutes or until double in size.
5. Punch down dough, then roll into round.  Divide into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.  Flatten each one in circle. Flatten the edges,  the centre is thicker than the edges. 
6. Place filling [about a tablespoon or more] in the centre, gather the edges together to seal to make a round pau or pleat the edges into a pau shape.
7. Place shaped pau on parchment paper and steaming tray.  Finish doing the rest. Cover to prove for about 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
8. Place steaming tray in the steamer over rapidly boiling.  Cover to steam for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave in steamer and remove paus only after 2-3 minutes.
9. Cool on wire rack or serve immediately. 

Char Siew Pau Filling

300 gm char siew - cut into small bits

1 yellow onion - peeled and chopped

1-2 stalks spring onions - chopped into bits

some toasted sesame seeds

Seasoning

1 tbsp ang chow [red rice wine residue]

1 tbsp each oyster sauce, light soy sauce and sesame seed oil

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water

200 ml water

1. Prepare the filling ingredients as stated above.
2. Heat a non stick wok, add some oil to saute yellow onions until lightly charred and aromatic.  Add in char siew, stir fry, lower heat and add in the seasoning ingredients except water and cornstarch mix.
3. Continue to stir fry until well combined.  Then add in 200 ml water.  Bring to boil and simmer until water is reduced to half.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Thicken with cornstarch water.  Off heat, leave to cool.
5. Mix in spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
6. Chill in fridge until required.