Two-Color Steamed Buns
I used natural purple cabbage food coloring to make two-tone mantou (Chinese steamed buns) for Anbao, a fun twist on his usual plain white mantou. The little one loved the pretty vibrant color and ate the buns with great enthusiasm.
Ingredients
Red cabbage
360g
Flour
400g
Sugar
40g
High-sugar-tolerant dry yeast
4g
Water
100g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Prepare the main ingredients.
2
Step 2
Wash the red cabbage and cut into small pieces.
3
Step 3
While juicing, continuously push the red cabbage down with the pusher.
4
Step 4
After all is juiced, measure out 100g of the juice and set aside.
5
Step 5
Divide the flour into 2 large bowls, 200g each, then add 20g sugar and 2g dry yeast to each.
6
Step 6
Pour the reserved red cabbage juice into one of the bowls.
7
Step 7
Pour water into the other bowl.
8
Step 8
Knead each into a smooth dough.
9
Step 9
Cover with plastic wrap, place in the oven, and turn on the proofing function. Alternatively, leave in a warm, humid place to rise.
10
Step 10
Remove when the dough has doubled in size.
11
Step 11
Knead each dough again to release the air, then roll into rounds.
12
Step 12
Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a roughly equal-sized rectangle.
13
Step 13
Brush some water on the white dough sheet.
14
Step 14
Cover with the purple dough sheet.
15
Step 15
Roll up tightly and seal the edges well.
16
Step 16
Use a dough scraper to cut into individual bun pieces.
17
Step 17
Place in a steamer, cover with the lid, and let proof for another 30 minutes.
18
Step 18
After the second proof, steam over heat for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit covered for 3–5 minutes before opening the lid.
19
Step 19
The finished buns have a fresh, pretty color, a subtle sweetness, and a soft, delicious texture.
