Yummy and colorful Chinese steamed pumpkin buns.

I love to play with the dough when I started making basic Chinese steamed buns (Mantou) at home. At the very beginning, I use hand kneading and spent a quite long happy kitchen life with all kinds of dough balls. Earlier this year, I got a stand mixer as a birthday gift. From that time, I started a new period in which I made steamed stuff from starch at least twice a week.

Compared with soft and milky bread (like this one), the dough of steamed buns is much easier  to make. They have a denser texture and plain taste. But we can always do some changes and make plain steamed buns colorful and interesting.

I have listed two ways of making a wonderful steamed pumpkin buns. You can make pure yellow pumpkin buns or make a swirl version mixing with a white dough. Pleaser weight the pumpkin cubes after peeling. As pumpkin contains a large amount of water, there is no need to add extra water in the dough.

To make pure pumpkin buns

• 250g pumpkin cubes
• 300g all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• pinch of salt
• 2-4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoon instant yeast (1 and 1/2 teaspoon in summer)

Steps

Clean the pumpkin; remove the skin and the filling, cut into small cubes. Place all the cubes in a steamer.

steam for around 20 minutes until well softened. Then blend it until really smooth. Set aside to cool down to Luke warm.

In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast then pour in pumpkin puree.

Knead for 6-8 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic and soft dough. Transfer it to a bowl and cover with plastic wrapper until the dough is almost double in size.

Divide the dough to two halves. Shape one of the two halves into a long log.

Cut it into 8 small portions. Then repeat to finish the other half.

Set up the steamer by adding enough cold water to a large pot. Place the buns into a lined steamer and then count 15 minutes after the water boils. Wait for 3-5 minutes and lift the cover. Serve warm.

If you want to make the swirl version: make plain white dough according to Chinese steamed buns. We need half of the pumpkin dough.

Re-knead the two dough balls until smooth again and roll each one out to a large rectangle (around 20cm long and 9cm wide). Lay the pumpkin wrapper over the white one and then roll the layered wrapper up tightly.

Divide the long log into two shorter ones. Take one out and slightly press the log to make it longer and tighter when rolling on the operating board.With a sharp knife, discard the two ends and cut the remaining part into 6 equal portions. Repeat to finish all.

Set up the steamer by adding enough cold water to a large pot. Place the buns into a lined steamer and then count 15 minutes after the water boils. Wait for 3-5 minutes and lift the cover. Serve warm.

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Steamed Pumpkin Buns (Two Ways)

Prep Time

2 hrs

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 20 mins

 

Two ways of making healthy and colorful pumpkin buns

Course: Breakfast, dim sum

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: mantou, Pumpkin

Servings: 24 Making around 24 small buns

Calories: 80 kcal

Author: Elaine

Ingredients

Pumpkin dough

• 250 g pumpkin cubes
• 300 g all purpose flour , plus more for dusting
• a small pinch of salt
• 2-4 tbsp. sugar
• 2.5 tsp. instant yeast , 2 tsp. in summer

White dough

• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. instant yeast
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 150 g water , or 20ml more if needed
• a tiny pinch of salt , around 1.5% of the dough

Instructions

Pure Pumpkin buns (I kept the other half for the second version)

1. Clean the pumpkin; remove the skin and the filling, cut into small cubes.
2. Place all the cubes in a steamer and steam for around 20 minutes until well softened. Then blend it until really smooth. Set aside to cool down to Luke warm.
3. In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast then pour in pumpkin puree. Knead for 6-8 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic and soft dough. Transfer it to a bowl and cover with plastic wrapper until the dough is almost double in size.
4. Dust your operating board with a thin layer of flour and re-knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth again.
5. Divide the dough to two halves. Shape one of the two halves into a long log. Cut it into 8 small portions. Then repeat to finish the other half.
6. Set up the steamer by adding enough cold water to a large pot. Place the buns into a lined steamer and then count 15 minutes after the water boils. Wait for 3-5 minutes and lift the cover. Serve warm.

Swirl version (white dough+ half pumpkin dough)

1. Make plain white dough according to Chinese steamed buns. We need half of the pumpkin dough.
2. Re-knead the two dough balls until smooth again and roll each one out to a large rectangle (around 20cm long and 9cm wide). Lay the pumpkin wrapper over the white one and then roll the layered wrapper up tightly. Divide the long log into two shorter ones. Take one out and slightly press the log to make it longer and tighter when rolling on the operating board.
3. With a sharp knife, discard the two ends and cut the remaining part into 6 equal portions. Repeat to finish all.
4. Set up the steamer by adding enough cold water to a large pot. Place the buns into a lined steamer and then count 15 minutes after the water boils. Wait for 3-5 minutes and lift the cover. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

The Nutrition Facts is based on each single bun.

Nutrition Facts

Steamed Pumpkin Buns (Two Ways)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 80

% Daily Value*

Sodium 1mg 0%

Potassium 26mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%

Sugars 2g

Protein 2g 4%

Calcium 0.3%

Iron 4.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.