Steamed Mantou Buns

5 from 2 votes

Fluffy, soft mantou buns are a traditional complement to many traditional Asian dishes. Mantou buns are just like bao buns, but without any sweet or savory filling. These rose bud shaped mantou buns are perfect for Valentine's or Mother's Day.

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

PROOFING1

Total Time1 32

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Asian, Asian American

Servings: rosebud buns

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Kelly Bloom

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup Milk
2 tablespoon Sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
1¼ teaspoon Yeast
Vegetable oil
1½ cup All Purpose flour use a little more if dough is too sticky
Red Food color drops as needed, about ½ teaspoon max
Green Food color drops as needed, about ¼ teaspoon max
cup All Purpose flour about ¼ cup extra for adjusting dough texture, kneading, and shaping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and yeast in a bowl. Pour in room temperature milk and stir. Add some of the flour and mix with a spoon. Gradually add the rest of the flour and knead the dough with your hands. The dough will be a little sticky.
½ cup Milk, 2 tablespoon Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1¼ teaspoon Yeast, Vegetable oil, 1½ cup All Purpose flour
Adjust the dough with a little extra flour if it is still too sticky. Roll the dough into a ball and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to bulk rise for 1 hour.
cup All Purpose flour
While the dough is bulk proofing, set your pan with water on the stovetop. Heat on medium to prepare for steaming.
If using a stainless steel steamer, wrap a terry hand towel around the cover lid, under and over. Secure at the top where the handle is. This way any condensation will be absorbed by the towel and not make soggy buns. Add some water in the bottom portion and set on a medium heat.
Pinch off about 2 tablespoons of dough and put in a small bowl. Add a little green food color and mix in (wearing nitrile gloves will prevent your hands from staining). Tint the remaining dough with the red food coloring. Use nitrile gloves when kneading the food color into the mantou dough. Use a fresh set of gloves for each color.
Red Food color, Green Food color
Roll out the dough and use a small 1.5" to 2" round cookie cutter to cut out 18 small circles of dough. Overlap three of the dough circles into a strip. Roll the strip of overlapped dough circles into a roll, starting from the short end.
Cut the roll of dough petals in to two halves, making two small center rosebuds. Cutting will seal the rosebud center at the bases so they don't unravel. Repeat with the remaining small circles so you have a total of 6 rosebud centers.
Cut out six 2.5" round pieces of dough. You can also hand shape the circles with small balls of dough.
Center one of the rosebud centers in the middle. Make 6 equal cuts around the rosebud center.
Pick up one wedge shape and wrap it around the center bud. You can use a drop of water to help the petal corners to stick.
Do the same to the opposite wedge shape. Repeat this process with remaining petal circles and rosebud centers.
Make leaves out of the green dough by pinching off small pieces and shaping them. Attach when on the bottom of the rosebuds so they peek out from underneath.
Let the buns rest to rise for 30 minutes, then place in a steamer with a parchment paper liner. Turn heat up so water is at a steady simmer. Steam for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove top and serve immediately.

Notes

Remove Mantou buns from the steamer as soon as they are finished cooking, 12 to 14 minutes, depending on size and heat variations.
Do not proof the second time for more than 30 minutes, this will prevent the steamed buns from collapsing or wrinkling on top.
Don't crowd the mantou buns in the streamer, as they will expand and stick together if you do. Leave at least 1½" between buns.