Steamed Rose Buns
Recipe from Jen Monroe
These are a fun pull-apart riff on Chinese steamed buns, or mantou, which are similar to bao but without filling. I like to use low-gluten Chinese bun flour, like mantou, which you can often find at Asian supermarkets. My personal favorite is Purple Orchid brand—it’ll give you an extra-soft, fluffy bun—but cake flour or even all-purpose flour will give you a good result, too. I like to make the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook, but you can definitely knead by hand instead. You can also play around with natural food colorings instead of gel paste (try turmeric or purple sweet potato powder). Serve with Molded Butter Candles (page 35 in Dinner At Our Place cookbook) for dipping.
“My friend Mariko introduced me to the idea of a group Valentine’s Day dinner years ago. Not to be confused with Galentine’s Day, group Valentine’s Day dinner has nothing to do with your relationship status. Friends, lovers, exes, crushes are all equally welcome.”
1 hour
2.5 hours
18 buns
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 8 to 10 drops pink or red food coloring gel paste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups mantou flour, cake flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Mint leaves or other leaves, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Make Ahead
Let the buns cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can flash-freeze the buns, uncovered and not touching each other, on a parchment-lined sheet pan or cutting board for 2 hours. Once they’re frozen firm, put them in a freezer bag or airtight freezer-safe container. That first freezing step hardens them enough to prevent them from sticking together in the freezer bag (this is a great technique for freezing fragile things like cookie dough, meatballs, berries, dumplings, etc.). To serve, resteam the buns for a few minutes until soft and warmed through, or microwave in 10-second increments, covered in a damp paper towel, until hot and soft.
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, food coloring gel paste (if using), sugar, and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a big bowl, if kneading by hand), combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix until it starts to come together (or by hand). If the dough is dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together. Knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth, then add the butter. Knead until completely combined and smooth. Cover the bowl and let rest for 20 minutes.
Step 3
Line bamboo steamer baskets with parchment paper or cabbage leaves. (If you have fewer than three baskets or are using your Always Pan steamer insert, you’ll need to steam in multiple batches.)
Step 4
Divide the dough in half and keep one half covered while you work on the other. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 22 × 16 inches; the dough should be pretty thin. (If the dough is too tight and springing back too much to roll out, let it rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes so it can relax.) Using a 3 1/2-inch round cutter or a similar size thin-rimmed drinking glass, cut as many rounds from the dough as you can.
Step 5
Arrange a row of 4 halfway overlapping dough rounds. Use a small scrap of dough to roll a thin log about 3 1/2 inches long. Set the log crosswise on the last dough round (the one on top) toward the edge of the round. Roll the dough rounds around the log to form a big cylinder. Cut the cylinder in half crosswise to form two rosettes. Gently open and shape the petal edges and place in your lined steamer baskets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches space in between the buns. Keep the baskets covered as you continue to work on the rest of the dough. Repeat, rolling flowers until you’ve used all the dough rounds. Gather the remaining dough scraps into a ball and keep covered while you repeat the rolling and cutting steps with the second half of the dough. Gather all the remaining dough scraps into a ball, roll out, and punch out as many rounds as you can (this will be a much smaller batch).
Step 6
Allow the buns to rest until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
Step 7
Meanwhile, bring a pot with a few inches of water to a boil (or, if using your Always Pan steamer insert, bring a shallow layer of water to a simmer in the pan, checking that the water isn’t touching the bottom of the steamer basket).
Step 8
When the buns are ready, steam them, covered, over medium-high heat for 12 minutes. (Note: If you’re using the Always Pan, you should cook at medium heat to ensure the water doesn’t boil off.) After 12 minutes, turn the heat off and allow the buns to rest in the steamer, covered, for 5 minutes before removing the lid.
Step 9
Allow the buns to rest until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
Jen Monroe
Jen Monroe is a chef, artist, and food designer whose project, Bad Taste, is committed to exploring new ways of thinking about food and consumption, approaching food as fantasy and as a transportive medium. She takes presentation to a whole new level in her chapter about love, food, and bringing a bit of romance to our friendships.
