Steamed Bun Dough


 
R

r benash

TVWBB Emerald Member
I'm planning to serve some steamed pork buns tomorrow. I know I can buy frozen buns. Thing is I've gone to the effort of making all the ingredients for Momofuku Ramen recipe and assembling to spec for this first run.

I want to accompany with the recipe for Momofuku Pork buns and want to make my own buns. The recipe in the book is for 50. Mostly because the quantity of ingredients is the minimum that would mix up in the typical home mixer.

I could run down to H-Mart and pick up a dozen frozen but really want to make my own.

I've made and frozen dough previous for pizza and bread without issue.

I see no reason why I wouldn't be able to make a full recipe of the steamed bun dough mix, reserve say a quarter and freeze the rest (before first rise)

Let me know what you think, but that's my plan as I only need to make up about 12 tomorrow.

Recipe:

1T ADY
1.5 C water, room temp
4.25 C bread flour
6 T sugar
3 T nonfat dry milk
1 T kosher salt
1/2 t baking powder,rounded
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 C rendered pork fat of veg. shortening(pork fat for me)

Nothing here tells me I should be concerned about freezing the mixed dough. Never made steamed buns before so don't know if they suffer somehow if made from frozen dough.

I figure the worst that could happen is the remainder of the dough gets tossed.

Trying to cut down on prep time as I need to serve at 1PM tomorrow and don't want to spend the time required to make up 50 buns when I only need a dozen. But - would like to make these myself.
 
Ray, I think you could freeze the freshly-made dough. Just make a ball out of each 12-bun batch, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze in freezer-weight bags for up to 2 to 3 months.

Let us know how they turn out.

BTW, you could also just scale down the recipe. And I'm thinking that the filled and shaped buns would also freeze well. Why not try freezing a few to test? Thaw in fridge before baking, I'd think.

Rita
 
Thanks. Yeah, pretty sure frozen buns will thaw and steam/warm up fine. But I don't want to take the time right now to make them all up.

You have my plan in your first sentence make up the batch divide in 4 freeze 3 and make up 1.

In the book they say this is the minimum recipe that will catch/mix well in a mixer. So not planning to reduce the recipe as I don't want to take the time to work by hand this time around.
 
Ray, I see what you mean about the quantity of dough need to be able to catch in the beater or dough hook of a mixer. Once you see what the dough does and its texture, I wonder what you'd think about using a food processor to pulse into a dough. (I don't know what your mixing instructions are.)

One thing that so many recipes do not include is the type of nonfat dry milk. Is it the non-instant "powdered" dry milk or the Carnation type granular instant dry milk?

My steamed bun recipe uses a yeast dough. It's been a long time since I've made them. Thanks for making me think about them.

Rita
 
Ray, Please update with your results/efforts. Another thing I've wanted to attempt.

Rita: "non-instant "powdered" dry milk or the Carnation type granular instant dry milk?"
Never having any experience with what would be the difference?
 
Marc, good question. The finely powdered non-instant dry milk is sometimes called Baker's dry milk and is often used for baking, especially breads. Some, though not all, non-instant is dried at higher temperatures to kill the enzymes that affect bread texture and rising, the same reason that liquid milk should be scalded before using in yeast recipes. It will clump if used for reconstituting into liquid milk unless it's mixed in a blender. Carnation instant dry milk (in a box) is granulated and will easily dissolve in water to reliquify the milk. The reconstituting proportions are not the same, therefore the amount of milk in the recipe would be less if using instant instead of non-instant.

The reason I asked is that I've come across a few baking recipes that call for "dry milk" but didn't specify which type. After contacting the source, I found that they are using the finely powdered non-instant variety.

BTW, I take issue with Peter Reinhart on the subject of scalding milk (to 180°F) for bread doughs. I have tried some of his recipes both ways, not scalded (as he suggests) and scalded, side by side, and there is a difference in the texture of the breads. The ones with the scalded milk had a much finer crumb.

Rita
 
Rita, Great information. Thank you! I've always assumed that the grocery store variety was the only one.
I've only done a couple of doughs that include milk and have always scalded as well. Now I know to continue to do so!
 
Worked out fine as far as making/steaming them. I did split the dough into four, froze 3 and finished raising, forming, and steaming them the night before. Made 12. They came out pretty nice.
Tastey! The pork belly and the cucumber I made according to the recipe/s in the book. Served them along with the Momofuku Ramen recipe. Served to 7 on Saturday.

P1010724.jpg


P1010727-1-2.jpg
 
Beautiful, Ray! And a lovely presentation too, instead of the usual ball-shaped bun.

Rita
 
Well darn now I have to try making a new type of dough. What are you guys trying to do, make me into a baker?
 
Thanks Rita. That's the way they look in the book too. I'm going to make large ball shaped style next time around to see which I like best. The store bought frozen ones I get are good, I have to say I liked these better than freezer section ones.

Fresh from a Chinese bakery though - I wouldn't ever be concerned with using them at all instead of making my own. I wanted to play though.

Also I had to steam these ahead of time for the dinner unfortunately. Right out of the steam they were truly great.

Same with the Ramen (I.E. - frozen vs Chinese noodle house fresh vs making them myself). I had to assemble and hold the 8 servings for about 30 minutes, I left the eggs out though so they would stay right. The Ramen plate eaten right at assembly was awesome. I'd prefer to have served each plate individually but that wouldn't have worked on Saturday. The home made noodles fresh out of the pot were excellent. And they held up quite well after the hold, it's just they pull in the broth and turn the same color. They did stay firm and had good bite regardless.

It was all very good though and well worth the effort. I'll definitely be doing this again and again. The flavors were just perfect IMHO.

J. Beisinger has been playing with the Momofuku book for a long, long time. I'm sorry I didn't get to it sooner than I did, but his posts/reviews were very encouraging and kept it on my radar.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bob Sample:
Well darn now I have to try making a new type of dough. What are you guys trying to do, make me into a baker? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't do it Bob!!! It's as bad as BBQ!!
icon_wink.gif
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rita Y:
Ray, I see what you mean about the quantity of dough need to be able to catch in the beater or dough hook of a mixer. Once you see what the dough does and its texture, I wonder what you'd think about using a food processor to pulse into a dough. (I don't know what your mixing instructions are.)

One thing that so many recipes do not include is the type of nonfat dry milk. Is it the non-instant "powdered" dry milk or the Carnation type granular instant dry milk?

My steamed bun recipe uses a yeast dough. It's been a long time since I've made them. Thanks for making me think about them.

Rita </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The book listed nonfat dry milk powder . I ended up using the Alba Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk that I had on hand from using in other bread. Next time around I'll try the plain dry milk powder to see if/how it changes things.

Looking at traditional recipes posted by Chines folks though they mention milk powder as optional (for taste).
 
Well, Ray, at least there will be some milk in the dough, no matter which type you use. An enhanced dough (i.e. with milk and/or eggs) will yield a more tender product with a finer texture. FYI, BAKER'S NON-INSTANT DRY MILK is almost as fine as face powder.

Judging from your mouthwatering photos, it looks as if you can fit a little more filling into the open buns than you could into the ball-shaped ones before the ball-shaped bun would become too large and unwieldy. Plus, steamed buns are rather plain...and so 'white,' with the question of what they might contain inside, but yours gives a definite "Hey! Try this!" call to the diner.

Not authentic, but steamed buns can be baked until lightly golden for a different look.

Rita
 
Just as a follow up. As I've been looking about on the web. Found this example/s by someone else who made the bun dough recipe and buns from Momofuku.

Buns look like they came out just like mine.

BAO
 
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