Why is there a hard core in steamed buns? What should I do if there is a hard core in steamed buns?

As we all know, steamed buns are a common type of pasta. They are soft and delicious, and come in a variety of flavors, including brown sugar buns, corn buns, pumpkin buns, etc. They are very popular among people, and many people make them at home. So why do steamed buns have a hard core? Let's take a closer look!

Why is there a hard core in steamed buns?

1. The dough is not kneaded evenly

If you often make leavened pasta at home, you should know the most important operation procedure, which is "kneading the dough". When we knead the dough, we must knead the dough evenly, and the kneading time and strength must be just right, especially when kneading fermented dough. Because when we use flour to ferment dough, we may not knead the fermented dough evenly because we do not use enough strength, so after the dough ferments, there will be some lumps of dough that have not been fully fermented. This requires us to knead the dough to exhaust after the dough is fermented and mature, especially when making steamed buns or dumplings, we have to knead and wake up the dough more than three times. Only after multiple kneading and waking up can the fermented dough be completely integrated, so the steamed buns we make will not have a hard core.

2. Wrong method used when fermenting flour

Nowadays, when we make steamed buns at home, we basically use yeast as a fermentation starter, but many people also use old fertilizer to make dough. In fact, the hard core in the steamed buns basically appears when we use old fertilizer to make dough. Because when we use old fertilizer to make dough, it is very likely that we did not soak the old fertilizer thoroughly, resulting in incompletely melted old fertilizer lumps mixed in the flour during the fermentation process, which leads to the appearance of hard cores in the steamed buns. However, when using yeast as a fermentation starter, this kind of hard core in the steamed buns rarely occurs. If the yeast ratio we use is normal and the dough kneaded during the dough making process is relatively smooth, then there will be no hard core in the steamed buns.

3. The temperature of steaming buns

Even if we knead the dough evenly and smoothly when it is rising, and knead the dough until it is fully risen before making steamed buns, if the heat is not well controlled when steaming the buns, the buns will have a hard core. When we steam the buns, we must put the buns in cold water and let the buns gradually heat up as the water temperature rises, so that the buns can be heated evenly. We should always use high heat to steam the buns, and the steaming time should be about 20 minutes, so that the buns will be steamed well. If the fire is too low, or hot water is added to the pot, the buns may be steamed undercooked, resulting in incomplete maturity inside, and a hard core. Therefore, the heat of steaming the buns is also very important.

What are the techniques for steaming buns?

1. The dough must be well fermented

Fermenting the dough is a technical job and is also the most critical step in making steamed buns. The degree of dough fermentation varies depending on the temperature, water temperature, time, and the amount of old dough. The best dough fermentation is when the dough expands to more than twice its original volume and has obvious honeycomb when torn by hand or cut with a knife.

2. The amount of soda ash must be moderate

The dough made from old dough must be mixed with soda ash and dissolved with warm water on the day of steaming, so that the yellow spots (i.e., spots on the face) of the steamed buns will not appear. Generally speaking, 10 jin of dough should be mixed with at least 65 grams of soda ash in summer, 40 grams in winter, and 45-55 grams in spring and autumn. If there is too much soda ash, the buns will become hard and yellow with a distinct alkaline odor, which is very irritating to the stomach; if there is not enough soda ash, the buns will become dark green and have a sour taste, and will stick to the teeth when eaten. In serious cases, they will still be raw.

3. The dough of the steamed buns should not be too soft

Since the dough needs to be proofed twice, it is affected by water vapor during the proofing process, making it softer and softer. If the dough is too soft, it will easily deform after proofing.

4. Knead more

As the saying goes, the key to making steamed bread white is kneading. When adding lye water to the leavened dough, you need to knead it more. Generally speaking, you need to use enough strength, knead it while rolling it up, then push it out with a rolling pin, roll it up again and knead it again, for at least 15 minutes. When making the dough, you also need to use the same method to knead it for more than 10 minutes.

5. The steamed buns must be proofed

Since the internal structure of the dough is destroyed during the process of adding alkali and kneading the dough, the dough needs to be proofed before it can be put into the pot for steaming. The steamer steamer is used to blow hot air over the raw dough layer by layer and then stacked up to let it proof naturally. This is also affected by the temperature and room temperature. The proofing time is at least 30 minutes in winter and 20 minutes at most in summer. Open the lid of the pot and use the back of your hand (not the palm of your hand, which will easily leave fingerprints and cause the steamed buns to have dead pieces) to gently tap the surface of the raw dough to make sure it is elastic.

6. Steaming must be done with hot water

After proofing, the size of the steamed buns has become larger, and the alkali added during proofing is also evaporating. If cold water is used for steaming, the top layer of the steamed buns will be "bloated" and lack alkali, and sometimes they will become raw. Hot water and high heat can steam in the shortest time, and start timing.

7. Stop the fire and don’t open the lid of the steamer in a hurry

Generally speaking, the number of layers of steamers determines the time from steaming to stopping the fire. An 8-layer steamer takes up to 30 minutes. After stopping the fire, remove the outer cloth of the steamer first, and then open the lid of the steamer after 5 minutes, otherwise the top layer of steamed buns will shrink, commonly known as "ghost-pinched buns". Only by mastering this point, which is also the last step, can you steam white and fluffy steamed buns.

Homemade steamed buns

1. Dissolve the yeast in boiling water, pour it into the dough and start kneading the dough until there is no raw dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest.

2. Put the dough on the chopping board, turn it over and knead it for a while until it becomes strips.

3. Cut the long strips into dough pieces of different sizes.

4. After the dough is cut, put it in the steamer to let it rise again. Boil water and turn off the fire to beat the steamed buns. Make sure each bun is covered with steam until it evaporates. Don't beat it for too long, or the buns will die. So just let them stick to the steam. After the buns are beaten, put them aside and let them rise naturally. After they rise, put cold water in the pot and steam them for ten minutes.