Pumpkin Steamed Bun

When I saw this recipe at http://happyflour.blogspot.com/2012/02/pumpkin-two-tone-steamed-buns.html, I knew I had to make this. Steamed buns especially the plain ones like "man tau" is one of my favourites. Some people don't understand why I would like plain steamed buns with no fillings because they feel it lacked  flavours. But that's my whole point of savouring the softness and the subtle sweetness of plain bun itself. Oh, well, different individual has different taste.

So, here are the pumpkin buns, just out from the steamer!
(Not sure why it cracked a bit, maybe too hot?!)

Ingredients:

Plain dough:

• 35ml warm water
• 3/8 tsp active dry yeast
• 75g plain flour
• 15g cane sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 4g oil

Pumpkin dough:

• 1 tbsp warm water
• 3/8 tsp instant yeast
• 65g plain flour
• 10g cane sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 25g pumpkin flesh (steasmed and mashed)
• 3g shortening
• 1 tsp water

Preparation:

Plain dough:

1. Mix yeast and lukewarm water together, set aside for 10-15mins.
2. Sift flour and baking powder onto a clean surface. Add in sugar, mix till combined and make a well in the centre.
3. Pour yeast mixture and shortening into the centre of the well.
4. Stir in flour and knead with your palm till a smooth and soft dough is formed. (You may need to add some flour if the dough is sticky.)
5. Cover and set aside to rest for 40 minutes.

Plain dough, expanding...

Pumpkin dough:

1. Mix yeast and lukewarm water together, set aside for 10-15mins.
2. Sift flour and baking powder onto a clean surface. Add in sugar, mix till combined and make a well in the centre.
3. Pour yeast mixture, mashed pumpkin, water (add water first, if you find that the dough is dry then add in some more water very little bit at a time) and shortening into the centre of the well.
4. Stir in flour and knead with your palm till a smooth and soft dough is formed. (You may need to add some flour if the dough is sticky.)
5. Cover and set aside to rest for 40mins.

Pumpkin dough, expanding...

Method:

1. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for a while.
2. Flatten the plain dough, wrap in the pumpkin dough and seal it.
3. Roll out the dough into oblong shape. Flatten it, position the oblong shape vertically. Roll up the dough like a swiss roll.
4. Cut the dough into 4 equal portions and place it on a square (6x6cm) grease proof paper.
5. Cover and let it rest for 30mins.
6. Preheat steamer, bring water to a rapid boiling.
7. Arrange buns on steaming rack with some gap in between buns for expansion.
8. Steam buns over medium heat for 10mins.

After shaping, proof for another 40 minutes...