Chinese Steamed Buns With Scallions (hua Juan)

These homemade Chinese steamed buns with scallions emerge from the steamer puffed and bouncy, feathery light in texture with a nice chew and an onion-y flavor permeating every bite. Hua Juan are mainstays of Chinese breakfasts and snacks, fluffy white vehicles to be eaten on their own or stuffed with countless fillings from barbecued pork to egg custard. This recipe is surprisingly simple to make and so, so delicious.

Shortly after opening Cynthia McTernan’s A Common Table , I found myself reading about Chinese steamed buns, mainstays of the country’s breakfasts and snacks, fluffy white vehicles to be eaten on their own or stuffed with countless fillings from barbecued pork to egg custard.

The recipe looked simple and surprisingly familiar, not unlike making a brioche roll: knead together a slightly sweet yeasted dough, let it rise, punch it down, divide, shape, and … steam! Unlike a brioche bun, steamed buns are, well, steamed.

Lured by a photo of spiraled knots, I made the scallion buns, which emerged from the steamer puffed and bouncy, feathery light in texture with a nice chew and an onion-y flavor permeating every bite. My family, or, I should say, Ben, me and two of the four children (50%, hey, I’ll take it) gobbled them up. I served them with okonomiyaki , a favorite, and a soy dipping sauce, which we used for both the buns and the cabbage pancakes.

I haven’t had a steamed bun quite so good since many years ago now, when I found myself in San Francisco trying to get into the Slanted Door for lunch. Deterred by the hour-long wait, I headed instead to Out the Door, the Slanted Door’s takeaway outfit, and before long found myself, pork bun in hand, strolling the streets just as happy as ever.

I still dream about that bun: the warm, springy bread; the sweet barbecued pork nestled inside. It was perfect. Never would I imagine being able to make something even remotely similar at home. With this new knowledge of steamed-bun making in hand, I feel confident that pork bun of my dreams is closer to becoming a reality. As always, I’ll keep you posted.

Here’s a steamed-bun-making play-by-play: Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.

Add warm milk and oil.

Form into a dough ball.

Knead until smooth and elastic.

Let rise until doubled, at least 2 hours.

Divide into 12 pieces, then roll each into 4×6-inch ovals.

Gather some scallions.

Slice them finely, then mix with oil and salt.

Make slits in the ovals and top with the scallion mixture. Then …

…twist into knots.

After 30 to 40 minutes of resting, the buns are ready to be steamed.

After 15 minutes in the steamer …

Description

From Cynthia Chen McTernan’s A Common Table

As always, a digital scale is recommended when measuring flour for bread.

This is really nice with Okonomiyaki (Cabbage Pancakes), and it would wonderful aside Red-Cooked Pork Belly and Simple Cucumber Salad as well.

for the dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cups ( 375 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder (optional)

for the buns:

• 1 cup finely sliced scallions, from 8 to 10
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

for serving:

• sea salt, optional
• soy dipping sauce, I like this one , optional

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Remove pan from heat. Let cool till 100ºF to 110ºF. Stir in the oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, milk powder (if using), and salt. Add the milk-oil mixture to the flour bowl, and stir to form a dough ball.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Return dough to bowl and let rise in a warm spot for at least 2 hours or as as long as 24 in the refrigerator.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the scallions, oil, and salt. Cut out twelve 6-inch square pieces of parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface.
5. Turn dough out onto prepared work surface. Punch down to deflate. Using a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape each roughly into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll each into a 4×6-inch oval. Working with one oval at a time, slice ribbons lengthwise into the oval, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top of the oval intact. Brush or spoon about 1 tablespoon of the scallion mixture across the dough. Pick up each end of the oval, gently pull outward, then twist into a coil. Then, twist the coil into a knot. Place the knot on a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining ovals until all 12 knots are shaped. Let rest 30-40 minutes.
6. Prepare a steamer basket. If using a wok with a bamboo insert, bring 2 inches of water to a boil, being sure water does not touch the bottom of the steamer basket. If using a pot with steamer insert, fill with water, again being sure water does not touch the bottom of the steamer basket, and bring to a boil.
7. Place 3 to 4 scallion knots with parchment paper into steamer. Cover. Reduce heat so that water is just simmering. Steam for 15 minutes.
8. Serve warm sprinkled with sea salt, if you wish, or a soy dipping sauce.
9. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in a steamer or microwave (about 15 seconds).

• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Bread
• Method: Steamed
• Cuisine: Chinese

Description

From Cynthia Chen McTernan’s A Common Table

As always, a digital scale is recommended when measuring flour for bread.

This is really nice with Okonomiyaki (Cabbage Pancakes), and it would wonderful aside Red-Cooked Pork Belly and Simple Cucumber Salad as well.

for the dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cups ( 375 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder (optional)

for the buns:

• 1 cup finely sliced scallions, from 8 to 10
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

for serving:

• sea salt, optional
• soy dipping sauce, I like this one , optional

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Remove pan from heat. Let cool till 100ºF to 110ºF. Stir in the oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, milk powder (if using), and salt. Add the milk-oil mixture to the flour bowl, and stir to form a dough ball.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Return dough to bowl and let rise in a warm spot for at least 2 hours or as as long as 24 in the refrigerator.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the scallions, oil, and salt. Cut out twelve 6-inch square pieces of parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface.
5. Turn dough out onto prepared work surface. Punch down to deflate. Using a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape each roughly into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll each into a 4×6-inch oval. Working with one oval at a time, slice ribbons lengthwise into the oval, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top of the oval intact. Brush or spoon about 1 tablespoon of the scallion mixture across the dough. Pick up each end of the oval, gently pull outward, then twist into a coil. Then, twist the coil into a knot. Place the knot on a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining ovals until all 12 knots are shaped. Let rest 30-40 minutes.
6. Prepare a steamer basket. If using a wok with a bamboo insert, bring 2 inches of water to a boil, being sure water does not touch the bottom of the steamer basket. If using a pot with steamer insert, fill with water, again being sure water does not touch the bottom of the steamer basket, and bring to a boil.
7. Place 3 to 4 scallion knots with parchment paper into steamer. Cover. Reduce heat so that water is just simmering. Steam for 15 minutes.
8. Serve warm sprinkled with sea salt, if you wish, or a soy dipping sauce.
9. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in a steamer or microwave (about 15 seconds).

• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Bread
• Method: Steamed
• Cuisine: Chinese

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2018/10/26/steamed-scallion-buns/

I have had this apple cider-cooked farro recipe in my to-make file ever since tearing it from the November 2014 Bon Appetit . The recipe notes mentioned the apple-cider-boiling technique hailed from Charlie Bird, a restaurant in NYC, which meant nothing to me, but which sounded interesting all the while.

Over the years, I’ve seen this farro salad pop up on various blogs and food sites, and when I read in Ina Garten’s latest book, Cook Like A Pro, that Melissa Clark had written about the salad it in The Times in December 2013, things started to make sense. Sometimes I feel I live under a rock.

In any case, this salad has many admirers, me now included. Like many grain salads, it is endlessly adaptable to tastes and preferences as well as to what’s in season. Unlike many grain salads, this one begins, as noted above, by cooking the farro in a well salted mix of apple cider and water. As the farro cooks, it absorbs the flavors of both the salt and the cider, and it emerges slightly sweet and very well seasoned.

Ina has made some tweaks of her own to the recipe, including having you dress the warm farro with the dressing, which perhaps maximizes absorption, and she ups the amount of lemon juice as well, which I think is nice. Given the season, I’ve omitted the tomatoes, and after spotting Chioggia beets at my little co-op, I used them, peeled and uncooked, in place of the radishes—they are so pretty! Other changes, such as adding dried currants plumped in vinegar ( a Zuni Cafe move ), are noted in the recipe below.

Ina says she could happily eat this salad for lunch every day. I would agree, adding that it makes a lovely dinner as well aside a bowl of soup with a hunk of bread on the side.

PS: 10 Favorite Ina Garten Recipes .

Here’s a play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.

Cook the farro in 1 cup cider, 2 cups water, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and a bay leaf or two.

Cook 25 to 30 minutes or until the farro is done, adding more water as needed.

Meanwhile make a dressing with fresh lemon, olive oil, and salt.

Whisk it together.

Toss the dressing with the warm farro and let it cool for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and slice some beets or radishes.

Pile your vegetables (arugula, scallions, herbs, beets — whatever you are using) and chopped pistachios into a large bowl.

Toss it together.

Serve.

Description

Melissa Clark popularized this recipe when she wrote about it in The Times in 2013. Ina Garten included an adaptation of the recipe in her latest book, Cook Like a Pro , and when I saw it in there, I had to make it immediately. It is as delicious as promised and endlessly adaptable. Here are a few changes I’ve made:

• Omitted the tomatoes, though I would certainly include them if it were summer.
• Used raw, peeled Chioggia (candy cane) beets in place of the radishes.
• Used scallions in place of parsley and mint, though the herbs would be lovely additions/substitutions.
• Added 1/4 cup Zante currants soaked in 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar — the first time I made this, I found myself missing the sweetness of something like a currant or golden raisin. Totally optional.

A few other notes:

• Farro: Pearled farro will cook in 25-30 minutes; if you are using un-pearled farro, the cooking time may be much, much longer. So, be sure to look at the package and adjust cooking time and liquid amounts as needed.

• If you don’t have apple cider, you can simply cook the farro in water, but the cider does lend a subtle and nice sweetness to the cooked farro.

• If you are sensitive to salt, consider reducing the amounts suggested both when cooking the farro and making the dressing. I am a salt fiend and did not find this too salty, but a handful of commenters on The Times recipe noted that they found the salad too salty.

• 1 cup pearled farro, see notes above

• 1 cup apple cider

• 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1 to 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup Zante currants, optional

• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, optional

• 1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts

• 2 cups arugula leaves, plus more to taste

• 2 cups sliced scallions or a combination of herbs such as basil, parsley, and mint

• ⅓ cup thinly sliced radish or peeled beets

• shaved parmesan cheese, to taste, optional

• freshly cracked black pepper to taste

• Maldon or other flaky sea salt, for finishing, optional

1. In a medium saucepan, bring farro, apple cider, 1 to 2 teaspoons salt (see notes above), bay leaves and 2 cups water to a simmer. Simmer until farro is tender and liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes—simmer it gently and pay close attention after 20 minutes, because the water begins to evaporate quickly. If all the liquid evaporates before the farro is done, add more water as necessary. Drain farro, if necessary, or transfer to a large bowl if very little water remains in the pot. Discard bay leaves.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and another teaspoon salt (or half a teaspoon if you are sensitive, see notes above). In a small bowl, pour the vinegar over the currants, if using.
3. Pour the lemon dressing over the warm farro and let stand for at least 15 minutes to cool. Add pistachios, arugula, scallions or herbs, radishes or beets, and soaked currants, vinegar and all. Season with pepper to taste. Toss. Add flaky salt to taste, if necessary. Shave parmesan over top, if using.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes