Soft and fluffy pumpkin buns that are delicious and have a lovely shape. Let’s go into the kitchen to immediately make this delicious dish which is very simple and easy to make for the family.
1. Pumpkin Buns
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Preparation
1 hour
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Processing
1 hour
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Pumpkin Buns For 3 people
All-purpose flour or type 8 flour 200 gr (mixture 1) Instant dry yeast that does not need activation 5 gr (mixture 1) Unsweetened fresh milk 140 ml (mixture 1) Sugar 1 teaspoon (mixture 1) All-purpose flour 150 gr (mixture 2) Pumpkin 120 gr (mixture 2) Cornstarch 30 gr (mixture 2) Unsweetened fresh milk 30 ml (mixture 2) Butter 20 gr (mixture 2) Baking powder 1 teaspoon (mixture 2) Sugar 50 gr (mixture 2) Salt 1/2 teaspoon (mixture 2)
How to choose delicious, sweet pumpkin:
In general, you should choose pumpkins that are heavy, firm, and have smooth skin without any spots or blemishes. Additionally, you should select those with a stem length of about 2 – 5 cm because pumpkins with shorter stems may spoil faster.
- The pumpkin has a round shape, naturally cut into relatively even sections, with a hard skin that turns orange or dark green when ripe, yellow flesh, sweet and fragrant taste, and relatively chewy texture.
- For the gourd pumpkin, you should choose mature ones with skin that is a mix of green and orange, hard skin, and lighter yellow flesh compared to round pumpkins. Gourd pumpkins are significantly softer and sweeter, making them suitable for cooking desserts, pureeing in baking ingredients, or making nutritious pumpkin milk for the whole family.
- You should choose gourd pumpkins for sweeter and more delicious cakes.
See details:
Ingredient image
How to make Pumpkin Bao
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Sift the flour
Sift 200g of flour into a bowl until very fine. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 5g of yeast to the bowl. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Tip to check if the yeast is still active:
If not stored properly, the yeast may weaken or die, to check if your yeast is still active, add it to warm water. After about 5 minutes, if you see bubbles rising on the surface, then your yeast is still good to use.
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Mix the dough and let it rise
Slowly add 140ml of unsweetened fresh milk to the bowl, use a flat whisk to mix the flour evenly, then use your hands to knead the dough into a smooth, soft mass that doesn’t stick to your hands.
Tip:
- If the dough is too dry, you can tell by the difficulty in kneading, which feels heavy, you can fix it by adding a little cooking oil or water. If it’s too wet, add a bit of flour and knead the dough evenly.
- Wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 1 – 2 hours until the dough doubles in size. You should cover it with a damp cloth to prevent the dough from drying out.
- Make sure to let the dough rise for enough time; otherwise, the bao will become dense, rise poorly, and won’t achieve the desired softness and fluffiness.
- Also, do not let the dough rise too long compared to the standard time, as the dough will become sour.
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Steam the pumpkin
Peel the pumpkin, wash it clean, let it drain, and then cut it into small pieces.
Prepare a pot of boiling water to steam the pumpkin.
When the water is boiling, add the prepped pumpkin and steam for about 15 – 20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
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Puree the pumpkin
Put the steamed pumpkin with fresh milk into the blender, blend until smooth, then add 30ml of fresh milk, 50g of sugar, and salt, mix well until dissolved or blend for another 1 – 2 minutes until all ingredients are fully combined.
Tip: You should dissolve the sugar and salt completely before adding them to the flour, the flour will be more even and smoother.
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Mix the bun dough
Put 150g of flour, 30g of cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder into a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the flour mixture well.
The main dough after resting for enough time, you remove the plastic wrap, use your hands to press and gently squeeze the dough to release any air bubbles inside.
Gradually sift the mixed flour from above into the bowl of dough.
Then, add the pureed pumpkin into the bowl of dough. Use a spatula to mix the mixture together into a cohesive mass.
Finally, add 20g of butter into the bowl.
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Mix the bun dough
Use a dough mixer to make the dough smooth and even. If you don’t have a machine, you can knead the dough by hand for about 10 – 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
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Shaping the cake
After kneading the smooth dough, divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll into round balls.
Cut a thick thread or string into 40 pieces, about 20cm long, and soak them in a bowl of cooking oil.
- Tip: Remember to cut the strings a little longer than the dough ball for easier tying! The length can be adjusted according to the size of your cake balls.
- Tip for making steamed buns to avoid wrinkled skin: Take a little dry flour and rub it on your hands to prevent sticking, then roll the dough into a long strand and fold it in thirds; repeat this about 3 times. Then flatten it 2 – 3 times and roll it into a round ball.
Arrange 4 strings in a star shape as shown.
Place the dough on top, tie the strings to create grooves for the bun resembling a pumpkin.
Prepare some paper to line the buns, slightly larger than the buns as shown. Once shaped, place the buns on the paper.
After shaping, let the buns rest for about 20 minutes, they will rise and become puffy as shown.
Tip: If there are extra long strings, you can trim them for a more attractive appearance of the buns.
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Steaming the buns
Prepare a pot of boiling water to steam the buns; when the water boils, reduce the heat to medium so that the water is gently boiling before placing the buns in.
Cover the pot and steam the buns for about 15 minutes until cooked.
Tip:
- The buns will rise one and a half to two times, so depending on the size of the steamer, arrange the position and quantity of buns for even rising.
- When steaming the buns, it is advisable to use a thin cloth to cover the steaming tray before covering it to prevent water from dripping down and making the buns soggy.
- Do not steam on too low a heat as the temperature will not be high enough, and the buns will rise poorly.
- During steaming, do not open the pot lid as it will cause the buns to deflate easily; also, do not steam the buns for too long as they can deflate, become hard, and the surface can wrinkle, making them less appetizing.
When the cake is cooked, use scissors to cut off the string.
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Final product
Delicious, soft, and fragrant pumpkin buns with the characteristic flavor of pumpkin, their lovely appearance is really attractive, isn’t it? Let’s enjoy them right away!
2. Pumpkin buns with mung bean filling
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Pumpkin buns with mung bean filling For 3 people
Mung beans 150 grams (for filling) Water 200 ml (for filling) Sugar 30 grams (for filling) Salt 1/2 teaspoon (for filling) Coconut milk 15 ml (for filling) Shredded coconut 10 grams (for filling) Cooked pumpkin 225 grams Water 280 ml All-purpose flour 800 grams Sugar 110 grams Yeast 10 grams Coconut oil 1 tablespoon
How to make pumpkin buns with mung bean filling
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Steam the mung beans
Take 150 grams of mung beans, rinse them clean, and soak them overnight for 6 – 8 hours. After that, remove the hulls, rinse the mung beans with water, then drain and mix with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Next, pour water to cover 2/3 of the bottom of the steamer and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, spread the mung beans evenly in the top compartment, reduce the heat, and steam for about 20 – 25 minutes.
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Steam the pumpkin
Similarly, peel the pumpkin, wash it thoroughly with water. Next, cut it into small square pieces.
After that, place the prepared pumpkin in the steamer and steam for about 15 – 20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
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Making the filling
Put 150 grams of steamed mung beans on a non-stick pan with 200 ml of water, 30 grams of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and stir well. You cook the mixture and stir continuously, avoiding letting the beans stick to the bottom of the pan.
Wait for the mixture to become thick, then lower the heat and add 15 ml of coconut milk along with 10 grams of shredded coconut and mix well. Cook until the filling is thick and then turn off the heat.
Finally, roll the mixture into small balls.
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Kneading the dough
Put 225 grams of boiled pumpkin and 280 ml of water into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Add the following ingredients one by one: 600 grams of flour, 110 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of yeast into a mixing bowl, and stir well.
Then, add the blended pumpkin mixture and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into the bowl.
Knead the dough by hand until it becomes smooth or use a dough kneader for about 15 minutes.
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Proofing the dough
After the dough has been kneaded and shaped into a round ball, place it in a large bowl and cover it with a cloth, letting it sit for about 45 minutes.
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Wrapping the buns
After the dough has risen, lightly knead it again. Then, take a piece of the proofed dough, place the mung bean filling in the center, and gradually fold the edges to form a round ball.
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Shaping the cake
You cut the nylon string or thick thread into 16 strands, about 20 cm long, and soak them in a bowl of cooking oil.
Arrange 4 strands in a star shape as illustrated.
Place the dough on top, tie the strings to create grooves for the buns resembling a pumpkin.
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Steaming the cake
You place the steamer on the stove. Put the steaming part on top, line with a layer of parchment paper, then place the pumpkin buns inside, cover the lid, and steam for about 15 minutes until cooked.
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Final product
The vegetarian pumpkin buns have a sweet filling, and the skin is made from flour combined with the fragrant sweetness of pumpkin, along with the creamy taste of mung bean filling.
Additionally, the distinctive feature of this dish lies in its incredibly beautiful appearance. It is very suitable for breakfast for vegetarians or can be frozen very conveniently.
Tips for successful execution: Do not use baking soda as a substitute for baking powder
How to store buns for a long time:
- Let the buns cool completely, place them in a box or sealed bag, and store them in the refrigerator refrigerator.
- When eating, you can steam them again or microwave in microwave for about 1 minute (depending on the microwave power and the size of the buns). If using a microwave, you should place the buns in a bowl with a lid or covered with plastic wrap to prevent the buns from drying out.
- Additionally, you can also store the buns in the freezer. Before eating, thaw them in the refrigerator and then steam or microwave them, and they will be very delicious.
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Delicious and easy-to-make pumpkin buns, right? Wishing you success!
*Refer to the images and recipes from the YouTube channel Sukie’s Kitchen& Tiktok BẾP CHAY XANH
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