Red Bean Bao_Natural yeast 天然酵母_ 红豆包子

Earlier i taught you to split sourdough starter into two, one feed with all purpose flour and another with bread flour ( can use to make bread). So i can use the starter that cultured with all purpose flour to make steamed baozi, mantou or buns. Actually sourdough starter is like Chinese so called 老面.

Using sourdough starter or natural yeast to make bao is same like you use instant yeast, same process but you just need longer time for the natural yeast to proof.

This is my beautiful and active natural yeast, named as "Everest" ^_^

after 1st proof, beautiful dough

You can use few types of flour to make bao, but difference flour give you different texture. If you use Bao flour, it give you more chewy texture wheares cake flour or Hong kong flour give you more light and fluffy texture.

If you don't have natural yeast, then you can try this recipe using instant yeast, refer here.

Red Bean Bao_Natural yeast 天然酵母_ 红豆包子

*makes 16 baozi

300g Bao flour, cake flour or Hong Kong flour

180g Natural yeast from sourdough starter (cultured with all purpose flour)

40g caster sugar

70g fresh milk

50g water

15g corn oil or vegetable oil

A pinch of salt

240g red bean paste (i used storebought)

Method

1.      Bring out starter from the fridge. Feed it with 25g all purpose flour and 25g water ( if you have less starter, you can feed more). Allow to peak, take less than 2hrs. You may perform a float test. Drop a small spoon starter into water, if its float, that means you may start to use the starter.

2.      In a stand mixer, add in all bao ingredients, mix and knead till smooth. Cover and set aside to proof till double in size. (~2.5 hours).

3.      Knock down the dough to expel some air. To weight the dough into 40g each and roll into ball. Rest for 15mins. Also weight red bean paste into 15g each and roll into ball.

4.      Fatten and roll out the dough into a circle. Place red bean ball onto the center, wrap and pleat up the sides and seal.

5.      Place the bao (pleat area face down) onto a piece of greaseproof paper, on the rack for steaming. Cover with a piece of cloth and let rise for another 45mins-1hr (do not over proof this time)

6.      Bring water to a boil in a steamer. Steam the bao over low heat for 10 minutes.

7.      Do not open the steamer lid (cover with a cloth) immediately, let the bao sit in the steamer and turn off the heat for 10mins. This is to avoid the skin of the buns turned wrinkles.

Recipe by Sonia a.k.a Nasi Lemak Lover