Mantou is a yeast-based Chinese steamed bun. There are endless variations to try, with or without filling. For this recipe, mashed sweet potato has been added to make extra soft and fluffy mantou.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon yeast
• 100 ml warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 75 g sweet potatoes
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method:

• Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside for 20 minutes. The yeast mixture will rise and become foamy.

• Steam the sweet potato until it is soft. Discard the water that seeps out after steaming. Using a spoon, mash the sweet potato into a fine puree.

• Combine the yeast mixture, sweet potato puree, flour, sugar and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.

• Knead for one to six minutes until the dough becomes soft and shiny. If it is too sticky, add one or two tablespoons of flour. If you do not have a stand mixer, hand knead it for 20 minutes or until the dough does not stick to your fingers.

• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for five minutes.

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to form a 35 cm x 25 cm rectangle.

• Roll up the dough into a log. Roll the log back and forth a few times or until the surface looks smooth and reaches 30cm in length.

• Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into eight equal-sized pieces, and place each one on a 7.5 cm x 10 cm piece of parchment paper. You can roll each piece of dough into a ball after cutting.

• Place the dough in a steamer, cover with the lid and let the dough rise for 60 minutes. Leave enough space between each dough ball so they don’t stick together.

• Put water in the bottom of the steamer and cover tightly. Adding a teaspoon of Chinese white vinegar to the steaming water will make the steamed buns whiter.

• Steam over high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough expands into soft, puffy and fluffy mantou. Turn off the heat and serve the mantou warm.

Tips:

• Mantou dough can be wrapped around all kinds of sweet or savoury fillings to make steamed buns or pau.
• Freezing the dough is not recommended but it can be refrigerated overnight. Just remove it, let it rise and prove and continue with steaming.

This recipe first appeared in Rasa Malaysia.

Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.