Chinese Steamed Flower Buns (hua Juan)

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup water
• 1 -2 teaspoon yeast (use the higher amount in cooler weather, or if you want the dough to rise more quickly)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour
• 2 -4 tablespoons oil (for brushing dough)
• sichuan pepper (sprinkled to taste)

Recipe

• 1 in mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water. wait until it bubbles.
• 2 whisk in salt and 1 c flour; stir in 2nd cup of flour, and knead in 3rd cup gradually to form smooth, soft dough.
• 3 cover dough an let rise until double (the dough will no longer bounce back when gently pressed with a fingertip.).
• 4 divide dough into 2 or 3 portions. roll each into a rectangle less than 1/2-inch thick on floured surface. brush dough with oil and sprinkle with sichuan pepper powder. roll the dough into a log.
• 5 to shape the buns, slice the dough as thin as possible with a very sharp, floured knife, and press 9 or 10 of them together to form each bun. you can see pictures here: http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.sg/2011/03/hua-juan-and-sao-bing.html.
• 6 let buns rise on floured surface for half an hour.
• 7 steam 15 minutes.