Mantou (The Best Recipe)
User Reviews
4.6
Mantou (The Best Recipe)
Description
This Mantou recipe blends traditional Chinese steamed bread techniques with mashed sweet potato incorporated into the dough, enhancing softness and sweetness. Yeast is activated in warm water with sugar, then combined with mashed sweet potato, flour, sugar, and neutral oil to form a pliable dough.
The dough is kneaded thoroughly, promoting gluten development and a tender crumb. After resting briefly, it is rolled and shaped to create a smooth exterior. The dough is steamed, producing mantou that are soft, fluffy, and mildly sweet.
These steamed buns are versatile staples that can be served alongside savory dishes, used as sandwich buns, or enjoyed plain with tea. Their texture is fluffy yet substantial, with a subtle sweetness imparted by the sweet potato and sugar.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon yeast
- 100 ml water warm
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 75 g (2¾ oz) sweet potato (or "yam" in the United States)
- 250 g (9 oz) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl. Stir to mix well and set aside for 20 minutes. The yeast mixture will rise and become foamy.
- Steam the sweet potato until soft, then discard any water that seeps out after steaming. Using a spoon, mash the sweet potato into a fine purée.
- Add the yeast mixture, sweet potato purée, flour, sugar, and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Knead on speed 1 for 6 minutes, until the dough becomes soft and shiny. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead by hand for 20 minutes or until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to form a 14x10-inch rectangle. Roll the dough up into a log, then roll the log back and forth a few times until the surface looks smooth and it reaches a length of 12 inches (30 cm).
- Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces using a sharp knife or pastry cutter. Transfer each piece to a 3x4-inch (7 cm x 10 cm) piece of parchment paper. You may roll each piece of dough into a round ball after cutting.
- Place the dough balls into a steamer, ensuring there is enough space between each one so they don’t stick together. Cover the lid and let them rise for 60 minutes, or until the dough balls expand in size. Add water to the bottom of the steamer, and you may add 1 teaspoon of Chinese white vinegar to help make the steamed buns whiter. Cover the lid tightly.
- Turn the heat to high and steam for 10-12 minutes, or until the dough expands and becomes soft, puffy, and fluffy. Turn off the heat and serve the mantou warm.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 166 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 166kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 10% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.3g | 2% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Sodium | 7mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 67mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1331IU | 27% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 8mg | 1% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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