Staple foods are one of the two main foods in life, the other being rice. Starch foods are the most widely distributed in China, almost all the people in the country eat starch foods, and they are most popular in the north because wheat is produced in the north, and rice is relatively scarce. Therefore, people in the north are very skilled in making starch foods, and they are proficient in various leavening and proofing techniques. Among them, leavening is one of the most critical steps in making starch foods, and a large part of the final texture and taste of starch foods depends on this step. Let’s take a look at the techniques of leavening and steaming, and I hope everyone can understand them.

1. Choosing flour technique for steaming leavened dough:

Traditional Chinese pastries generally use all-purpose flour with a protein content of 9%-12%, and flour sold on the market without special specifications can be regarded as all-purpose flour.

2. Adding water and flour technique for steaming leavened dough:

Mix the dough with warm water, add water in stages during the flour kneading process. According to the ratio of 500 grams of flour to about 50% warm water and 1% yeast, a small amount of sugar can be added. To make the food more fragrant and nutritionally richer, you can add 2 eggs.

3. Adding yeast technique for steaming leavened dough:

If using yeast powder for fermentation, it is necessary to add baking powder, half the amount of yeast powder, so that the dough will be soft and fluffy.

4.

Kneading technique for steaming leavened dough

Knead slowly, if the dough sticks to your hands, wet your hands with a little water before kneading and it will not stick. Achieve the ‘three lights’ (dough light, bowl light, hand light), and the dough will be easier to knead.

5. Proofing technique for steaming leavened dough:

The first proofing: cover the dough with a damp cloth and place it in a warm, sealed space to ferment to twice its size. The time is about 1-1.5 hours, which can be extended or shortened according to the temperature.

6. Second proofing technique for steaming leavened dough:

Heat the water at the bottom of the steamer to 35℃, place the steamer inside, cover the lid, and wait for 40 minutes.

Points for attention in the technique of steaming leavened dough:

If the distance between the steamed pastries is too close, brush a little oil on the possible contact areas to prevent sticking.

Do not frequently open the lid of the steamer during the steaming process, and do not open the lid immediately after turning off the fire.