Recipe - Chinese Steamed Lotus Buns

Stephen Ceideburg
1 Envelope active dry yeast
6 tablespoon Sugar
One fourth cup Warm water (100 degrees F.
to 110 degrees F.)
3 One half cup Allpurpose flour, + more
for kneading
1 cup Warm milk (100 degrees F. to
110 degrees F.)
2 teaspoon Baking powder
Asian sesame oil or
vegetable oil

Put yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into a bowl. Pour in warm water,
stir, and let mixture stand 5 minutes to dissolve. It should foam and
bubble. If it does not, discard and use a fresh package of yeast.

Put flour and remaining sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal
blade. Turn machine on for 2 seconds to mix ingredients. Combine yeast
mixture with warm milk and, while the machine is running, pour milk down
the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until dough forms a rough ball.
If the ball is sticky, add flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, and process a few
seconds longer until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Remove dough to a
lightly floured board.

Knead, dusting with flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 2
minutes. Form dough into a ball and put it into a large, lightly oiled.
mixing bowl. Cover and set in a warm spot. Let rise until it doubles in
size, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Flatten, then
put the baking powder in the center. Fold over edges and knead until baking
powder is thoroughly incorporated. Invert, mixing bowl over the dough; let
rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Cover one half, and roll the other half into
12inchlong roll; cut into 12 pieces. Remove 1 piece and cover rest. Roll
the piece into a flat 3 One half inch circle. Lightly brush one with oil; fold
over to form a half moon. With the back of a knife score the halfmoons
crosswise at 1/4inch intervals.

Then with a chopstick, make an indentation in the middle of the rounded
edge while the thumb and forefinger pinch the middle of straight edge to
form a notch and form a leaf. Set on a 3inch square of parchment paper and
place in a steaming basket. (You will need 2 baskets, or you'll need to
steam 2 separate batches.) Repeat with remaining dough; leave space between
buns in the basket.

Let rise for 30 minutes, or until buns almost double in size, then steam
over boiling water for 15 minutes. When done, let cool for a minute before
serving.

Makes 24 buns.

PER BUN: 90 calories, 2 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, (0 g
saturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 33 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Joyce Jue writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 11/25/91.