Cooking Recipe Chinese Steamed Lotus Buns
Recipe Ingredients
Directions
Put yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into a bowl. Pour in warm
water, stir, and let mixture stand 5 minutes to dissolve. It should
foam and bubble. If it does not, discard and use a fresh package of
yeast.
Put flour and remaining sugar in a food processor fitted with the
metal blade. Turn machine on for 2 seconds to mix ingredients.
Combine yeast mixture with warm milk and, while the machine is
running, pour milk down the feed tube in a steady stream. Process
until dough forms a rough ball. If the ball is sticky, add flour, 1
teaspoon at a time, and process a few seconds longer until dough
pulls away from sides of bowl. Remove dough to a lightly floured
board.
Knead, dusting with flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 2
minutes. Form dough into a ball and put it into a large, lightly
oiled. mixing bowl. Cover and set in a warm spot. Let rise until it
doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Flatten,
then put the baking powder in the center. Fold over edges and knead
until baking powder is thoroughly incorporated. Invert, mixing bowl
over the dough; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Cover one half, and roll the other half into
12-inch-long roll; cut into 12 pieces. Remove 1 piece and cover rest.
Roll the piece into a flat 3 1/2 inch circle. Lightly brush one with
oil; fold over to form a half moon. With the back of a knife score
the half-moons crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals.
Then with a chopstick, make an indentation in the middle of the
rounded edge while the thumb and forefinger pinch the middle of
straight edge to form a notch and form a leaf. Set on a 3-inch square
of parchment paper and place in a steaming basket. (You will need 2
baskets, or you'll need to steam 2 separate batches.) Repeat with
remaining dough; leave space between buns in the basket.
Let rise for 30 minutes, or until buns almost double in size, then
steam over boiling water for 15 minutes. When done, let cool for a
minute before serving.
Makes 24 buns.
PER BUN: 90 calories, 2 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, (0 g
saturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 33 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
Joyce Jue writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 11/25/91.