How to Make a Basic Dough for Chinese Buns

[Dolphindream15]

im searching for a recipe  chinese cheese buns Ive had them before and there really good do you know a recipe for this,,

[snacksguy]

I got here from wazgul. Don't ask how.

Also, thx! I've always wondered how to make these.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@snacksguy Thank you very much - I'm glad you stopped by :)

[azmathossain123]

"THE DOUGH SHOULD BE A DOUGHY CONSTANCY..... JUST LIKE THAT..." WORDS TO LIVE BY

[learn2010a]

Thank you very very much!

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@learn2010a Thank you so much for watching and commenting :)

[FreakishWaffle]

are these the white steam buns or the baked buns?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@FreakishWaffle These are for the steamed white buns :)

[MsMinday]

I don't have baking powder!! Can I just use baking soda instead??? What difference would it make?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@MsMinday The baking soda won't make the dough rise in this recipe because it needs an acid to activate it :)

[sayuri394]

esta excelente!!!!! gracias lila ^.^

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@sayuri394 Thank you :)

[CyNDaReLLa503]

Is this the dough for bbq pork buns? And can u make a vid on beancurd wraps (thin tofu wrapped with waterchestnuts mushrooms & i dnt know what else)

[LingSovereign]

Any Type OF FLour Will Do?

[longagostory]

what if we dont have any shortening?but we already put everything on it except the shortening.....

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@longagostory Lard is the best substitute for the shortening, but if you don't have that then you can use butter as well :)

[jetsfan0619]

what is shortening

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@jetsfan0619 Here I use Crisco shortening which is vegetable oil in solid form. It adds to the texture of the dough. If you can't find it, you can substitute it with lard :)

[DVSnmeSON]

thank you for the help here. one question though (maybe a stupid one) what kind of sugar do you use? does it matter if I use other types?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@DVSnmeSON Here I use regular white sugar. You can use any type of sugar (raw, organic, ect.) but not brown sugar since it has moleasses in it which would change the flavor of the dough :)

[DVSnmeSON]

@AsianCookingmadeEasy AWESOME! Thanks heaps :D

[ciabak]

is the shortening and yeast compulsary ??

[Littlecutefishy]

@wintwina one cup equals to 250 ml

[Littlecutefishy]

Can I make the dough with out the shortening? I can't find shortening at the stores

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@Littlecutefishy Hi- you can use lard as a substitute for the shortening :)

[sierraleonne111]

how many buns does this dough make??

[wintwina]

one cup of flour is equal to how many gramme or how many milliliter?

[neolancer005]

My buns are lumpy and a little raw and grey why is that? is it the dough or maybe I didn't knead it enough I guess. I found out that it's a little raw because i didn't steam it enough. Help plz!!!

[sierraleonne111]

can i use something else instead of shortning?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@sierraleonne111 The shortening give these buns their texture. The only other substitute would be lard :)

[TailithSky]

Is that all purpose flour? or bread flour? Thank you for the nice video : )

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@TailithSky This recipe uses all purpose flour. Thank you so much for watching :)

[Chiantiques]

Hi, can you use butter instead of shortening? Thank you for this video!

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@Chiantiques The shortening give these buns their texture. The only other good substitute would be lard :)

[keg265]

Hi, do you have a video on how to make the Tang zhong bread ?? I am having trouble as to how to make the roux.

[21116666]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

[traccc96929]

hi lila:)  i was wondering, would i be able to use just vegetables for a steam bun? and what vegetables do u suggest to use? thanks

[armadafan]

Hey...."Just Like That".....

[randy6771]

Hi Lila,

Your southern American accent threw me a second!

Thank You for showing us how easy Chinese cooking can actually be!

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@randy6771 lol! Thank you  :)

[OGJay08]

Hello, Lila! I have a question about your way of measuring. Im a bit confused about those quarters, halfs or thirds of a cup. When you say 1/2 cup of flour you mean half of a cup of flour, right? But when you say 1 1/2 of flour, what do you mean by that?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@OGJay08 That is correct - 1/2 cup means a half a cup. 1 1/2 cups means one and a half cups. Let me know if this is still confusing :)

[OGJay08]

@AsianCookingmadeEasy

Thank you, Lila! I finally understood the quarter cups thing. :) Btw, this was my first time making Chinese buns and, oh boy, they were fantastic!! I love how soft and tasty they were! Thank you so much! :)

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@OGJay08 Thank you for trying this recipe - I'm so glad you liked them :)

[pielover316]

@OGJay08 she means one and a half cups

[MiiTenGo]

Can I use this dough for Jiaozi 饺子？:)

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@MiiTenGo This dough would not work for Jiaozi. The jiaozi dough is mainly just a mix of flour and cold water - about 3 cups of flour and 3/4 cup of water, kneaded and rolled out to make a skin :)

[shannan2000]

You know how to make Chinese Honey Coconut bun?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@shannan2000 Hi - you mean the cocktail buns right? I'll put those on my request list :)

[shannan2000]

all purpose flour is that Self Raising flour? am in UK we dont have all purpose flour!

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@shannan2000 All purpose flour is not the same as self rising flour. I believe the most equivalent would be plain flour in the UK :)

[sonalsamson]

@shannan2000 : Self Rising flour (SRF) is made in this proportion : 1 cup all purpose flour with 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. So if you get SRF in UK then just omit the Baking powder and salt as mentioned in the recipe. It will give you the same results.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@shannan2000 Shortening is a solid form of vegetable oil. I use Crisco shortening for this recipe :)

[shannan2000]

What kind of Flour you use?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@shannan2000 I just used all purpose flour for this recipe :)

[Swanquynh1314]

Hummm u know to make bun that eat with Peking duck?

[licheng94]

is it important to put the shortening ?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@licheng94 Yes, the shortening adds to the texture of these buns :)

[desertsand921]

ah ic "crisco" its vegetable right? thanks!!! its just that when my father teach me to make the dough for chinese buns he did not put any shortenings! we use to put a teaspoon of vinegar, well i do not know for what but it was really delicious after cooking! by the way i love your video and more power!!!

[desertsand921]

what shortening is that?!?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@desertsand921 Crisco Shortening :)

[sachikzz]

would it work/would it have the same result if i wont use all purpose flour?

[fgah]

Is there any substitute for shortening coz there too much trans-fat.

Also, Why baking powder needed? Can skip baking powder and still make a perfect dough?

[ahempoot]

@fgah I used peanut oil, I've made it with grapseeds oil palm oil. I think baking powder helps this type of dough just like it would for bread. I don't think it'll be a big deal if you skip it, it may change the texture but the most important thing is yeast, for me at least.

[zepres]

liked it ...  just like that.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@zepres lol - thank you :)

[Kilooscarromeo]

Can you freeze the buns?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@Kilooscarromeo Yes - I usually cook them first and then freeze them on a baking sheet so that they don't stick together. Once frozen, then place them in a freezer bag :)

[Kilooscarromeo]

@AsianCookingmadeEasy Thank you

[Akelaerer]

about how many buns does this make?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@Akelaerer It depends on what type of buns you're making and how big you want them to be. For the bbq pork buns that I make it usually makes about 15. The average in most recipes is about 15 to 20 :)

[kellykims]

this is a really good recipe.i tried it already,the bun is really soft and moist just like i wanted. the only problem is that your recipe, the buns are not sweet. it taste too plain. for me i like the bun's to be sweet. i tried your recipe by adding more sugar in the flour mix but it does not even out and the bun's get harder when it cook's. so......can you tell me how or another way to mix the flour to make the bun's sweet? i love your recipe.......i just like sweeter bun's.

[GeneralWeibwurst]

Wow no one knows what shortening is :P

[darkcloud1975aj2007]

@GeneralWeibwurst FAT animal FAT

[gastrocnemius10]

thank you so much!! i dont know that making chinese steamed bun (or we called it pau here) is so easy ^^,=

my friends all want to learn this recipe.

[shennie87]

can i use whole wheat flour instead of the white all purpose flour?

[scarlette536]

How do you go through life not knowing what shortening is?

[MissContraryMary]

@scarlette536 Pretty easily. xD

[ZINQ91]

All purpose flour is a kind of flour. It is pretty much white flour that can be used for just about anything. Shortening is solidified vegetable oil used for baking, frying, greasing a pan, etc. You can usually substitute butter or vegetable oil or some spreads for shortening and vice versat. You can find a conversion chart online so you know how much to use.

[ChenXmartialartistX2]

Did u use just one kind of flour 'cause at 0:58 it displays 'here i used all purpose of folur' ...what that that means?

n' what is shortening means.....Can we replace wid something else like....Butter...mayolonese and ect...???

[CinCinLei]

what does shortening do? can we not use it in the recipe? :) hehe i'm new :D

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@CinCinLei Shortening gives it texture. You can use lard instead, but you definitley need to have one of these for this recipe :)

[CinCinLei]

@AsianCookingmadeEasy thank you very much!

[ciaoasia13]

Thanks for posting this! Q: how do you prevent the top from wrinkling up? i hear you have to make sure not to turn off the heat before opening the lid, but I still had a problem with the buns turning out a little wrinkled.

[mouse264]

Thanks somuch! I'm goingto try this sometime...

[25022006]

hey thanks for ur reply, that was really helpful!!

[25022006]

everything was fine, but come to the shortening, i was like " wat the hell is that"??

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@25022006 Shortening is a semisolid fat - here I use Crisco vegetable shortening which is found in most local grocery stores. This can be substituted with lard if you can't find it :)

[D3vilNight]

@25022006 Crisco = Vegetal fat, I don't know about this recipe but it can usually be replace (1 for 1 ratio) with any other fat such as butter.

[MrSteka2]

Thank you so much for sharing this, i am really gonna try it...Thank you once again....

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@MrSteka2 Thank you for the comment and for watching :)

[navandozer]

what is shortening? i have never used that in any of my cookings.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@navandozer Here I use the Crisco brand of shortening which is bascially a semi solid form of vegetable oil. You can substitute it with lard if you can' t find shortening :)

[aneromyllet35254ever]

just like that! i wanna i do :) 

[FFMSmit]

you make it sound real easy when you say 'just like that' so often

[yuzanawinn]

Thank you SO much for your clear explanation. How can I get shortening.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@yuzanawinn I used Crisco Shortening which here can be found in most grocery stores. If you can't find it you can use lard as a substitute :)

[MizzMoxie]

Wonderful!! Thank you SO much for taking the time to do this. Your videos are so clear and yoru instructions are really concise and easy to follow!

I love your voice and accent :P

xo

[jncomstate]

Great, comprehensive !

[gabsylv]

very good!

[touleexiong18]

hey doesn't matter wat flour we use rite??

[raztis1]

im looking for a recipe for the steamed buns that look like perfect white spheres and the bun is chewy but soft, and the filling is like sweet bean paste or custard, do you know what this is called or have any recipes for it? can i use this recipe to get that type of bun?

[ariannesgames]

i cant find active dry yeast... can i use instant yeast instead?

[Dragonlady66]

@ariannesgames dry active yeast Is in fact, what you might call instant yeast... so yes.

[serghina]

@mkshriva typing mistake gosh!! tss my vocabulary is pathetic. as if. that's the only thing I wrote wrong..

[ralfkhayal]

I expected to see the results.how it looks at the end.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@ralfkhayal This is just the dough. To see it used in a final product, watch my bbq pork buns recipe. These are the type of buns that this dough creates :)

[afro208]

does anyone have recipe for steamed custard buns? thanks

[10900bigbird]

i don't have shortening , can i sustitue with butter or oil

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@10900bigbird The best substitute is lard. If you use butter it will change the flavor a bit :)

[admireme899]

thanks so much for the video! good job ! but can i use this dough for bo lo bao?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@admireme899 This is not the same dough, but I have bo lo bao on my request list and will post it soon. Thanks for writing and watching :)

[Tanisthedragon]

You are amazing so simple and easy to follow instructions thank you.

[silverprincess0001]

Haha, sorry, I have another question! How do you store your already made dough? I don't like making it a lot because it takes a lot of time, but I'd like to have some stored, so I have the option to make fresh bread.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@silverprincess0001 You can store it in the refrigerator for about a week. Some people have stored it in the freezer for longer, but freezing yeast dough usually kills the yeast. If you do store it in the freezer you will probably need to add more yeast and then a little more flour. The best thing to do is to make the buns or bread; and then freeze the final product :)

[1991JMP]

lol i could find shorting then i realised we call it copha here

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@1991JMP That is great to know - thanks for posting this :)

[silverprincess0001]

Will using baking soda instead of baking powder make much of a difference?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@silverprincess0001 Yes, it will be different. Baking soda needs an acid to activate it. The baking powder already has this in it. Using just baking soda would make this dough flatter and effect the taste as well :)

[silverprincess0001]

@AsianCookingmadeEasy Thank you!

[bioboy505]

"just like that" ;)

[k2r5j]

Hi, I would love to make buns but were I live I can't find shortening, is it possible to use margarine instead or has to be lard?

And you think I could use fresh yeast instead of the dry one(so hard to find)? If yes how much should I use?

Thank you for the recipe and the nice and easy explanation! :)

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@k2r5j Margarine and butter will change the flavor quite a bit. The best substitute is lard. And you can use fresh yeast - just use one cube plus a quarter of another cube. Thank you for writing and watching :)

[Vietnamemperor12346]

hmm when you said flour what kind of flour? self rising or all purpose?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@Vietnamemperor12346 I just used all purpose flour for this recipe :)

[TheMrDomingo]

hi that shortening is lard right? cause i cooked this with butter and it tasted like bread haha

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@TheMrDomingo Shortening is actually a solidified vegetable oil.  Lard is the best substitute and will be the same. Butter, as you found, changes the flavor :)

[Toymit]

You know when you leave for 2 hrs to rise,did you place it in a warm place or just at room temperature.Thanks.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@Toymit I just let it rise at room temp :)

[serghina]

oh, so you ARE aloud to just eat the though then? just like that...

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@serghina I wouldn't eat the dough without steaming it first :)

[mkshriva]

@serghina My Gosh Your Vocabulary is pathetic.. ( aloud,though) hihi & u r trying to make fun of this lady..just like that :P

[USPMONTANA]

Are you going to put in the oven , at what temperature--or we can just eat the dough ..just like that!

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@USPMONTANA This dough is for the steamed bun recipe - it's in my video list titled "How to Make Chinese Steamed Barbecued Pork Buns" :)

[trangd]

hi, i just wanna add that u miss the coconut milk, if u use it it will taste better. am viet and we use that, i think chinese people use that too.

[kimmiita]

I used "dry yeast for baking bread"

Will it effect to the bun or not ?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

@kimmiita no it should be the same :)

[uzukima]

have you ever tried to bake them instead of steam them???

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

Yes, I have a recipe for baking them. I'll send u the link through youtube mail :)

[uzukima]

hey have u ever tried to bake them instead of steam them??

[Norman31chea]

How comes each time I made buns per book instruction and per video, the buns never come out as white color as I found in the Chinese restaurant? I also used the technique specified in the book to pour small amount of vinegar into water before or during steaming but it doesn't work! Please advise!

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

I used a bleached flour for this recipe, however they do make a special flour called Hong Kong flour which is highly bleached and will make them super white :)

[Norman31chea]

Thanks for your reply! but where will I find them any specific brand you would recommend?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

I used Gold Medal all purpose bleached flour here. The Hong Kong flour is hard to find where I am, but you can usually order it online :)

[MiccyMellow]

can we use butter instead of shortening? will it affect the crispy-ness??

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

You can use butter, but it will change the flavor just a bit :)

[FaithSama]

I can't find shortening in the store without hydrogenated oil D: I don't want transfat buns. :(

[AshillaBeige]

Frankly, you're gonna have trouble finding trans fat-free shortening.

There's Cookeen which is low in trans fats.

A very small amount of trans fats isn't going to kill you, though.

[dianaabanana]

is yeast necessary to make the dough?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

Yes, yeast makes the buns fluffy :)

[seonidh]

Flour as in bread flour, self raseing flour, plain flour or strong flour?

Also what is shortening?

[blu3bunn13]

what would happen if no yeast is used?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

The buns wouldn't rise and be fluffy :)

[ThatsAcceptable]

can we use 2tbsp of vegetable oil instead of shortening?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

The shortening adds to the texture of these buns and the best substitute would be lard. If you don't have that, then you can use butter; although it will change the flavor a bit. I would not use oil in this recipe. Thanks for writing and watching my vids :)

[ChoiFungWa]

What kind of flour? Just all purpose flour or ...?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

I just used all purpose flour for this recipe :)

[sacopenapa]

I second coitis2002!!! Great video and great recepie!

[navykangaroo]

can you refrigerate the dough and use it later?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

Yes this can be refrigerated for about a week :)

[coitis2002]

You are very pretty and this video is great! Perfect steam buns (I made them with red bean paste filling)! Yum!

[foxyvixen19]

what can i substitute for shortening?

thanks!

[missychryssy]

vegetable oil is fine..

[SuaveSweetie]

Aiya, thank you! I'd like to try. :D

[lunarlink]

I find myself Curious, apart from the filling, whats the difference in Meat bun dough and Manju dough?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

The Mantou dough is softer and slightly sweeter in flavor than the filled bun dough :)

[amandawongjoyee]

What will happen to the dough if my yest does not foam up?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

This means the yeast is not working, so the dough will not rise. I would get some new yeast and start again :)

[amandawongjoyee]

Ok thanks :)

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

This is true - pork is not good for you and can cause disease - especially if it is not cooked thoroughly. I rarely eat it and my husband never eats it. You can usually subatitute chicken for pork in most recipes :)

[AelamasZoren]

@AsianCookingmadeEasy yeeaah but its still good. Die eating something good is better than living and eating things that taste horrible.

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

I never eat things that taste horrible. To me pork tastes like chicken - it's mainly what you put on it that gives it flavor :)

[lisabyx]

can i use rice flour ir no?

[AsianCookingmadeEasy]

No, rice flour would not work well in this recipe :)

[missbsk]

Hi!

Thanks for this BEAUTIFUL RECIPE.

Just one important question: I did lot of dough so can I freeze it? Or you suggest to freeze it after making a pork buns (so with the all the bun already made)?