Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns

粟米窩窩頭

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — finished dish

Total time: 55 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Cornmeal and a little wheat flour form hollow cone-shaped steamed buns with a firm grain texture.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

200 g fine cornmeal, not cornflour starch
80 g plain wheat flour
180 ml hot water
15 g sugar

Dough oil

1 tsp cooking oil

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — ingredients

02

Tools

mixing bowl
measuring spoons
measuring jug
chopsticks
steamer with rack
steamer parchment
oven gloves
serving plate

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — tools

03

Steps

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Check cornmeal is finely milled grain, not white corn starch

Step 1

Check cornmeal is finely milled grain, not white corn starch

Check cornmeal is finely milled grain, not white corn starch.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Mix cornmeal and wheat flour in a large bowl

Step 2

Mix cornmeal and wheat flour in a large bowl

Mix cornmeal and wheat flour in a large bowl.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Dissolve sugar in the hot water

Step 3

Dissolve sugar in the hot water

Dissolve sugar in the hot water.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Gradually add sweetened water, stirring with chopsticks into damp crumbs

Step 4

Gradually add sweetened water, stirring with chopsticks into damp crumbs

Gradually add sweetened water, stirring with chopsticks into damp crumbs.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Cool until safe to touch, add oil and knead until dough holds together

Step 5

Cool until safe to touch, add oil and knead until dough holds together

Cool until safe to touch, add oil and knead until dough holds together.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Cover and rest ten minutes to hydrate cornmeal

Step 6

Cover and rest ten minutes to hydrate cornmeal

Cover and rest ten minutes to hydrate cornmeal.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Divide into eight and round each portion

Step 7

Divide into eight and round each portion

Divide into eight and round each portion.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Press a hollow from below with thumb; shape a cone with walls about one centimetre thick

Step 8

Press a hollow from below with thumb; shape a cone with walls about one centimetre thick

Press a hollow from below with thumb; shape a cone with walls about one centimetre thick.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Line steamer and place buns hollow side down with gaps

Step 9

Line steamer and place buns hollow side down with gaps

Line steamer and place buns hollow side down with gaps.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Boil steamer water, add buns, cover and steam twenty minutes

Step 10

Boil steamer water, add buns, cover and steam twenty minutes

Boil steamer water, add buns, cover and steam twenty minutes.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — With gloves remove and split one; centre must have no raw wet flour, otherwise steam five more minutes

Step 11

With gloves remove and split one; centre must have no raw wet flour, otherwise steam five more minutes

With gloves remove and split one; centre must have no raw wet flour, otherwise steam five more minutes.

Chinese Steamed Cornmeal Buns — Remove, cool slightly and serve as small hollow cones

Step 12

Remove, cool slightly and serve as small hollow cones

Remove, cool slightly and serve as small hollow cones.

Common mistakes

Corn starch cannot replace cornmeal; thick solid balls are harder to steam through.

Tips

Absorption varies; add hot water a teaspoon at a time if crumbly, or a little flour if wet. Contains wheat; firm texture is not an assessed elderly meal, so consider chewing ability.