Steamed Scallion Buns

Steamed scallion buns (hua juan 花卷) are a Chinese dim sum dish that is popular all over China, especially in the northern region. These delicious flower rolls have a pillowy, light, and fluffy dough layered with green onions which is twisted into it's unique shape, and steamed to perfection. This simple recipe can be served for breakfast, as a snack throughout the day, or a side along with your favorite classic Chinese dishes.

Why You'll Love Steamed Scallion Buns

• Known as Chinese flower rolls for a reason. These steamed scallion buns (hua juan 花卷) get their name from their unique shape. A traditional folding method turns a green onion packed dough into beautifully layered mounds speckled with color.
• Steamed buns have the fluffiest pillowy dough. If you’ve ever enjoyed Chinese steamed buns (also known as bao buns, baozi, or mantou), then you know how the airy nature of these flower rolls are incomparable to anything else. They are literally clouds made of bread.
• They’re easier to make than you think. Although bread recipes generally tend to be perceived as a more difficult task to take up in the kitchen, these bao buns are nearly foolproof. Assembling and shaping the steamed scallion buns might take a little bit of time, but you can feel confident that they’ll turn out just how you imagine — even if you have zero experience making bread.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make these steamed scallion buns, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• all-purpose flour 
• instant yeast 
• granulated white sugar
• salt 
• lukewarm water 
• scallions - also known as green onions, or you can substitute with chives.
• vegetable oil

You will also need a kitchen scale (or measuring cups and spoons), mixing bowl, rolling pin, pizza cutter or knife, and steamer basket over a large cooking pot.

How to Make the Best Steamed Scallion Buns

1. Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients including flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water and stir well to combine until no dry flour is visible in the bowl. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. (Lukewarm water and sugar “wakes up” the yeast and speeds up the fermentation, which helps build up gluten strength).
2. Knead the dough. Transfer the dough onto a clean and lightly greased surface and knead the dough until the dough ball is smooth, about 6-8 minutes. You can rest the dough covered in the mixing bowl for 5 minutes and continue kneading until smooth.

3. First rise. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and let dough rise at room temperature (preferably in a warmer area) for 1 hour until doubled.
4. Make the filling. In a small mixing bowl, add scallions, salt, and oil and stir well to combine. Set aside.

How to Shape Scallion Flower Rolls

1. Roll out the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an approximate 12x9-inch rectangle. Use a silicone brush and brush the scallion filling evenly on top.
2. Fold the dough. From the long side of the rectangle, fold the dough in to the ⅔ mark. Take the other long side and fold it in on top, to form a three-layer rectangle approximately 12x3-inches in diameter.
3. Cut strips. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the rectangle crosswise into 12 even strips (about 1-inch wide). Make sure all the layers are cut through.

4. Stack and pull. Take two strips at a time and stack them up together. Use a chopstick or straw to press down lengthwise in the centre to create an indentation. Hold the two ends and gently stretch it a little.

5. Pinch and twist. Hang the end side over a chopstick (the side without the indentation), and pinch the two ends together. With the other hand, rotate the chopstick in a full 360 degree circular motion to twist the bun into a coil.
6. Repeat. Repeat with the rest of dough strips to form 6 shaped buns

How to Steam Buns

1. Prepare to steam the buns by adding some water into a large cooking pot and placing a fitted steamer basket on top. Lightly oil the steamer basket and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking during steaming.
2. Place the buns into the lined steamer basket and cover with the lid. Set it aside, and let the buns rise for 25 to 30 minutes before cooking. You don't need to wait till the buns double in size, as they will rise further during steaming.
3. Turn the stove on to medium heat and bring the water to a boil. Steam the buns for 15 minutes (covered) over boiling water . Turn off the heat and leave the buns in the steamer for another 5 minutes before uncovering or removing from the steamer. This will help prevent the buns from shrinking due to temperature drop. Serve immediately.

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• 60 Chinese Takeout Recipes at Home
• Green Onion Dinner Rolls
• Savory Chive Pancakes with Sourdough Starter
• Cranberry Pumpkin Steamed Buns
• Scallion Oil Noodles
• Pork Dumplings

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