Mantou is a Chinese breakfast staple. It’s so simple, but it pairs perfectly with almost anything! I developed this recipe to create the softest, most pillow-y mantou you will ever eat, and you don’t have to go out to buy them. Make them even more special by deep or shallow frying them—then dip these golden brown mantou into condensed milk for a sweet treat!
Makes 12 small mantou
Ingredients
200 g all-purpose flour + more, if needed
2 g cornstarch
2 g instant yeast
75 g water + more, if needed and for steaming
35 g heavy cream, milk, canned coconut milk, or water
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Knead until a smooth dough forms, adding more flour or water if needed. Cover and let rest for about 60 minutes, or until dough doubles in size.
On a lightly floured surface, de-gas and divide the dough in half. Work with one half at a time.
The next step is to get rid of as many bubbles as possible. Using a pasta machine (if you don’t have one, you can roll out the dough by hand), run the dough through the widest setting three times. Fold in half and run it through again at least three more times. Repeat with the next setting.
Now, you should have a long rectangle. Start with the shorter end and roll the dough into a tight, 6"-long log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 6 equal pieces, each one about 1" thick. Transfer to the steamer. Place each one on top of a piece of parchment paper slightly bigger than the mantou.
Repeat for the other half of the dough.
Let the mantou rest in the steamer with the lid on for 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop.
Boil water and steam for about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave them on the stove above the still-hot water for at least 5 minutes. Open and serve.
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