Old Dough Steamed Buns

Flavor: Original; Technique: Steaming; Time: Several days; Difficulty: Advanced.

Detailed Steps for Making Old Dough Steamed Buns

Mix 200g flour with 200g warm water, stir well, and seal in a bottle.

After a day, when you open the lid, there should be a sour smell and dense bubbles, indicating the old dough is ready.

Prepare around 260g of flour, add the old dough, a little sugar to promote fermentation, and knead into a smooth dough.

Ferment until the dough doesn’t bounce back when poked with a finger.

Add 2g baking soda, knead and deflate repeatedly, continuously sprinkling in dry flour. Knead for over ten minutes.

Start rolling into thin sheets, sprinkling dry flour upwards continuously. Fold like a blanket, then roll into thin sheets again, repeating nearly twenty times. I added around 150+g of dry flour throughout the process.

Shape into a long strip.

Cut into eight equally sized dough pieces, press and shape each piece inward to create a richly layered bun base.

Let the buns rest for twenty minutes. Steam over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and steam for fifteen minutes after the water boils.

Cover and let sit for five minutes before removing from the steamer.

When torn open, the buns should have rich layers and a chewy texture, with a full-bodied wheat aroma due to the absence of yeast.