Huajuan

Flavor: Original; Cooking Method: Steaming; Time: Several hours; Difficulty: Moderate.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions for Huajuan

Dissolve yeast in warm water to make yeast water.

Put an appropriate amount of flour into a container, pour in yeast water and clear water, stir with chopsticks until well mixed.

Form the dough and let it ferment in a warm place.

When the dough has doubled in size, it has successfully fermented.

Dissolve an appropriate amount of edible alkali in a bowl with warm water to make alkaline water.

Pour the diluted alkaline water into the container with the fermented dough.

Pour the diluted alkaline water into the container with the fermented dough, sprinkle dry flour on the cutting board, and quickly knead the fermented dough and alkaline water mixture on the cutting board until well combined.

To achieve a soft and delicious steamed Huajuan, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes.

Roll the kneaded dough into a square or round dough sheet using a rolling pin.

Sprinkle an appropriate amount of salt on the dough sheet according to your taste.

Gently roll the rolling pin over the dough sheet to make the salt stick to the dough.

Pour an appropriate amount of peanut oil onto the dough sheet.

Fold the dough sheet into quarters to evenly spread the oil.

Roll up the dough sheet.

Cut the rolled dough into evenly sized pieces.

Stack two pieces of dough together, pinch the ends with your thumbs and index fingers, gently stretch them in opposite directions, then rotate and pinch tightly in opposite directions.

Steam the prepared Huajuan on clean corn leaves in a steamer with enough water, cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Turn on the heat to start steaming, once the steam rises from the steamer, steam for about 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and remove from the steamer.

Finished product!