Why are the steamed buns not soft?

As we all know, steamed buns are a common type of pasta. They are made in a variety of ways and have rich flavors. They are soft and delicious, and are loved by people. Many people make steamed buns at home. There are certain requirements for making steamed buns. Some people's steamed buns are not soft and the taste is not very good. So why are the steamed buns not soft? Let's take a closer look!

Why are the steamed buns not soft?

There are too many reasons. The yeast may be melted with hot water and scalded to death, or the yeast may be added directly to the flour and not dissolved, affecting the fermentation. Too much sugar may be added and high-sugar-tolerant yeast may not be used. The dough may not be kneaded evenly, resulting in uneven distribution of yeast. The temperature may be too low or the artificial fermentation temperature may be too high, resulting in the dough not fermenting. Or too little yeast may be added, etc.

If the buns are not soft, it may be due to the yeast powder or other reasons. Here are some points:

1. The steamed buns are not well fermented during the fermentation process, especially if the time is not enough. In this case, the steamed buns will not be soft.

2. If there is a mechanical problem in the production process. If a dough press or mixer is used, it may be that the machine is used improperly or the dough is not allowed to rise for long enough after being pressed. In this case, the steamed buns will not be soft.

3. Problems with the production method during the production process. Problems with the production method can also cause the steamed buns to be not soft, such as the water temperature when kneading the dough is too high, which will kill the yeast or cook the flour; too little water, too much flour, etc.

4. The recipe problem leads to a bad taste of steamed buns. Generally, when making steamed buns, not only yeast should be added to the flour, but also auxiliary materials such as baking powder improver, sugar and even lard. These auxiliary materials can improve the taste of the buns and make them soft and solid.

What should I do if the steamed buns I make are not soft enough?

The steamed buns are not soft enough, which is really a big problem. We all see that the steamed buns sold are big and soft, while the steamed buns we make are small and solid, but we can't find the reason. In fact, this reason can be easily solved.

First, let's look at the bread. Why is it fluffy and soft? Because the dough is well kneaded. Sugar and oil are added to the dough. Sugar can stimulate the activity of yeast, and oil can lubricate the gluten. In addition, the dough for making bread must be kneaded into a film. The finer the film, the softer the bread will be.

In fact, the same is true for steamed buns. If we knead the dough for a while longer, although we don't need to pull out the glove film, we still need to knead the dough into a soft and tough dough. Once the dough has gluten, the tension of the steamed buns will increase, the fluffiness can be improved, and the steamed buns will naturally be soft.

If you use a food processor to knead the dough next time you steam buns, the buns will be fluffy and soft, and also have plenty of chewy texture.

It is actually very simple to steam soft steamed buns: there is a method called "steamed seed method" in making bread, and we can also use this method to steam steamed buns. "Steamed seed" is boiled noodles, which can lock more moisture. Use it to mix noodles and knead them directly into smooth dough, then divide them into steamed bun embryos, and then put them in the pot. After one fermentation, you can steam soft big steamed buns.

How to make steamed buns soft

First, the normal ratio of yeast to flour, second, the temperature and amount of water used when fermenting flour. Third, the fermentation time and temperature of flour should be controlled. As long as these points are achieved, the dough fermented with yeast powder will be very soft and elastic, and the steamed buns made will be softer.

1. The ratio of yeast to flour

When we use yeast to ferment flour, we often don't know how much yeast to use, either too much or too little, which results in the flour fermentation not meeting the standard. The dough is either soft or hard, or not fully fermented, and sometimes the dough is over-fermented. Only by using yeast correctly can the flour be fully fermented. So what is the ratio of yeast to flour?

When we normally make fermented dough, the ratio of yeast to flour is 0.5% to 1%. That is, for every 500 grams of flour, 5 grams of yeast is needed to achieve the highest fermentation power. If this limit is exceeded, the fermentation capacity will decrease. Therefore, the amount of yeast must be appropriately controlled according to the fermentation rate of the yeast and the production situation. Too much or too little is not appropriate.

2. The temperature of water used when fermenting flour with yeast

When we use yeast to ferment flour, we often overlook a problem, that is, when adding water to the flour, we do not control the temperature of the water used, which leads to incomplete fermentation of the flour. Because yeast can only reproduce and grow fastest when the water temperature reaches 30 to 35 degrees, too low water temperature will lead to too long fermentation time and incomplete fermentation. If the water temperature is too high, it is easy to scald the yeast, resulting in failure of flour fermentation. Therefore, we must control the water temperature and must use warm water of about 30 to 35 degrees to ferment the flour. The amount of water used is 50 times the amount of yeast, that is, 500 grams of flour requires 5 grams of yeast powder, and 250 grams of warm water needs to be added.

3. Temperature and time of flour fermentation

When we use yeast to make dough, we must place the basin containing the fermented flour in a room with relatively high temperature. Only by maintaining a relatively high temperature can the yeast multiply and grow rapidly, and achieve the perfect state of flour fermentation. The fermentation time is at least about 40 minutes. If the fermentation time is too short, the flour fermentation will not be complete. If the fermentation time is too long, the flour will be over-fermented, and the fermented flour will have a sweet yeast smell. Steamed noodles made with this over-fermented flour will have a bad taste and will lack elasticity.

How to steam buns

Soup base: 25 grams of medium-gluten flour, 130 grams of water.

Main ingredients for the dough: 300 grams of all-purpose flour, 80 grams of water, 3 grams of yeast, 15 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of corn oil.

1. First pour the soup materials into a small pot, heat it slowly, cook the flour until it is gelatinized, stir it for a while and it will feel a little transparent. Now you can turn off the heat and set it aside to cool.

2. Pour the main ingredients of the dough into a large bowl, then add in the cooled soup, and knead them together into a large dough that is not sticky.

3. Place the dough on a kneading board, sprinkle some hand flour, roll it out and fold it, then roll it out and fold it again. After repeating this several times, the dough will become very smooth.

4. Roll up the smooth dough, roll it into long pieces, cut it into steamed buns, and put it directly into the pot to rise.

5. Let it rise to 2.5 times its original size, then steam it over high heat. After 10 minutes, switch to medium-high heat and continue steaming. After another 10 minutes, turn off the heat and simmer for 3 minutes before uncovering the pot.

6. The white, tender, fluffy and soft steamed buns are ready. If you like steamed buns, you might as well try it.

What conditions are needed for dough fermentation?

There are many leavening agents for dough, such as old dough, baking powder, alum, yeast powder, etc. The most commonly used, safer and healthier are old dough fermentation and yeast fermentation. Old dough fermentation is to use a piece of dough left over from the previous fermentation as a starter. This fermentation method is relatively slow and inconvenient to store and carry. Yeast powder is now more commonly used for fermentation. Yeast is also divided into dry yeast powder and fresh yeast. We generally use dry yeast powder, which is easy to store and ferments quickly.

Dry yeast powder is a biological leavening agent and an active organism. Under certain conditions of temperature, humidity, etc., it produces carbon dioxide through its own metabolism. The carbon dioxide makes the dough expand and become fluffy and soft.

Therefore, yeast powder fermentation requires conditions. If these conditions are not met, fermentation will fail or the fermentation speed will slow down.

(1) Temperature and humidity

Dry yeast powder will not ferment if it is sealed and dried. The main body that needs to be fermented is flour, rice flour, etc. The humidity of the fermentation is flour plus water and an environment with a certain humidity. The temperature of the fermentation is the optimal temperature of 30 degrees, which should not exceed the human body temperature, so that the fermentation can proceed smoothly.

If the water temperature for mixing dough or the fermentation temperature is too high or too low, the fermentation effect will be affected. Therefore, it is best to keep the water temperature for mixing dough and the ambient temperature for fermentation between 30 and 35 degrees. This requires:

①: Do not use hot water when kneading dough, as hot water will kill the yeast. The yeast will lose its activity and cannot ferment the dough.

②: Ferment at room temperature in summer. The room temperature is very low in winter. You can put it in special fermentation tools such as bread machines and ovens and use the fermentation function to ferment.

③: If you don’t have any fermentation tools, you can use a large pot, boil some hot water at about 45 degrees, put the bowl containing the dough in it, cover the pot and let it ferment.

(2) Sugar and salt

Adding an appropriate amount of white sugar to the dough can promote fermentation, but the proportion should be controlled below 8%, that is, for 100 grams of flour, the white sugar should not be more than 8 grams, because the high-sugar environment will affect the fermentation, unless high-sugar-tolerant yeast powder is used.

(3) Dissolve the yeast in water first

If you want a better fermentation effect, it is best not to add yeast powder directly to the flour. First, use warm water at about 35 degrees to melt the yeast powder, then mix it into the flour and knead it into a smooth dough. Ferment it at about 30 degrees for 50 minutes. If the temperature is too low, you can increase the temperature according to the method mentioned above, or you can directly ferment it at low temperature, but it will take one night. (--Be sure to knead it more to mix the yeast and dough evenly, otherwise it will affect the fermentation.)

(4) Ratio of yeast, water and flour

Dough with moderate hardness is easier to ferment. Generally, add 1 gram of yeast powder for 100 grams of flour, and add 50 grams of warm water to knead the dough first. If the dough is too hard, you can add about 10 grams of water. Do not add the water all at once to avoid the dough being too thin.