Gold and Silver Mantou
These Mantou are Worth Their Weight in Gold
Chinese mantou can be separated into two groups – northern and southern. Mantou in northern China are commonly ball-shaped, chewy with a tougher and drier texture, and can be a substitute for rice as a staple food (since they are not overly sweet). In southern China, on the other hand, mantou are smaller and lumpier, with a tender and moist texture that melts in your mouth. These mantou have a much sweeter and milkier taste, and are typically served alongside tea at dim sum.
Gold and Silver Fill the Room
The “golden” color in the dough of these gold and silver mantou comes from a mixture of carrot juice and flour. The finished buns end up having cross-sections with alternating layers of yellow and white, displaying beautifully interlocking veins that are also rich in flavor. In Guangdong, there is even a saying about these buns: “Vast and flowing riches, gold and silver fill the room.” It’s easy to see why this dish is given a warm welcome by Chinese businessmen and women wishing for good luck.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
- 7 ounces (200 grams) carrot
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons (5 grams) yeast
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- sugar to taste
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Mix the yeast, baking powder, and sugar into a bowl, then add in 1/5 cup of warm water and mix to an even consistency. Separate into two portions to ferment and save for later use. Divide the flour into two equal portions.
- Peel and wash the carrots, then blend in a blender and filter out the juice.
How to make Gold and Silver Mantou dough
- Create a pit in one of the portions of flour, and pour in one of the portions of the yeast mixture. Pour in the carrot juice along with 3 tablespoons of water, then stir vigorously until a shiny, yellowish dough is formed. Cover with Saran Wrap and allow to ferment until the dough rises to nearly double its volume.
- Add the remaining yeast mixture along with 2/5 cups of water to the other portion of flour, and stir vigorously until a shiny dough is formed. Cover with Saran Wrap and allow to ferment until the dough rises to nearly double its volume.
- Once fermented, but keeping separated, knead the yellow (with carrot) and white doughs to remove excess air and break apart into small pieces.
How to create Gold and Silver Mantou’s colored layers
- Roll the pieces of dough into flat square-shapes, to be used as the buns’ layered skin. Cover each of the white dough pieces with a layer of yellow dough, and then roll into a long rope, pinching the edges together. Once rolled, cut into smaller, even pieces.
Put it all together
- Add water to a pot, and place it in the steamer; bring to boil under high heat, then place in the buns and lower to medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and wait 3 additional minutes before removing the buns.