Mantou: the super soft Chinese buns, you will only need 4 ingredients!

By Cookist Wow · 120 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Warm the water to bath temperature (not hot) in a large bowl, sprinkle in the yeast, stir and let sit for a few minutes until foamy.
2. Add the flour and sugar and stir until it clumps. Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, slightly tacky but not sticky. Add a splash of water if too dry, or a little flour if too wet.
3. Knead for 8–10 minutes, shape into a ball, return to the bowl, cover tightly and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until doubled.
4. Turn out the dough, knead gently to deflate, then divide into three equal parts and roll each into a smooth log.
5. Trim the ends of each log and cut into pieces of about 40 g each.
6. Place the pieces on a parchment-lined tray with space between them. Cover and let rise for another 40 minutes.
7. Steam the buns in a steamer, not touching, over boiling water with the lid on for 9 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 1–2 minutes before opening.
8. Lift the lid, let the steam escape, and move the mantou to a plate. Serve warm.

Summarized from Cookist Wow's video. Watch it for the details.