How to fix the problem of steamed buns not rising

We all know that steamed buns are made by steaming the flour after it has fermented. White flour must be fermented to a certain degree before it can be steamed into white and plump steamed buns. This is how the steamed buns will taste good. Steamed buns are also an indispensable staple food in many people's daily meals. Therefore, the technique of steaming buns is very important. So, what should we do if the steamed buns do not ferment? Let’s take a look at it below.

What are the tips for making good steamed buns?

(1) When steaming buns, if the dough is not yet fully risen, dig a small well in the middle of the dough and pour in two small cups of white wine. Wait for 10 minutes and the dough will start to rise.

(2) If you don’t have yeast when making dough, you can use honey instead. Add 15-20 grams of honey for every 500 grams of flour. After the dough is kneaded soft, cover it with a wet cloth and let it rise for 4-6 hours. The steamed buns made with honey dough are soft, fragrant and sweet when eaten.

(3) In winter, the indoor temperature is low and it takes longer for the dough to rise. If you add some sugar to the dough during fermentation, the time it takes to rise can be shortened.

(4) People often add an appropriate amount of alkali to the fermented dough to remove the sour taste. To check whether the amount of alkali applied is appropriate, you can cut a piece of dough with a knife. If there are evenly distributed holes the size of sesame seeds on it, it means that the amount of alkali applied is appropriate.

(5) If the steamed buns turn yellow and have an unpleasant alkaline smell due to too much alkali, add 100-160 grams of vinegar to the water used to steam the buns, and then steam the buns for another 10-15 minutes. The buns will then turn white and have no alkaline smell.

(6) When steaming buns, add a little salt water to the flour to promote fermentation, making the steamed buns white and fluffy.

How to make steamed buns soft and chewy?

Here are the tips:

1. Use cold water to knead the dough in summer and warm water in winter. Kneading and rising the dough in winter should be done 1 to 2 hours earlier than in summer. Be careful when adding water when kneading the dough.

2. Knead the dough several times to allow the starch and protein in the flour to fully absorb water and form gluten with good texture. The kneaded dough should be kept at a certain temperature of 30℃.

3. When the dough has risen, it is important to control the degree of fermentation. If you see that the dough has become honeycomb-shaped with many small ones, it means it has been fermented. The bigger the holes in the honeycomb dough, the older the yeast has been, or even over-fermented.

4. Before steaming the steamed buns, they must be drizzled with sugar. In winter, the sugar noodles last about 15 to 20 minutes, and in summer it is shorter. When steaming the buns, the water in the pot must be boiled high and the steam should be steamed for 10 minutes.

5. There must be no air leaks at the connection between the steamer and the pot mouth. If there are any leaks, they must be blocked with a wet cloth. When steaming in an aluminum pot, keep the lid tightly closed.

6. When steaming buns, the pot must be heated with cold water and the temperature must be gradually increased so that the bun dough is heated evenly. Be careful not to use hot or boiling water to steam the buns at the beginning, as the buns steamed in this way will easily be undercooked.