Pumpkin Mantou

As I wanted to share some of my rich Chinese culture in conjunction with autumn, I decided to adapt my mum’s traditional oriental Asian steamed buns recipe and develop it so it fits a more Western style and palate. These pumpkin mantou 馒头 are the Chinese version of dinner rolls. Unlike baozi, they are normally without filling. They can be eaten plain or sandwiched with stuffed meat and is also great for dipping into gravy or curry sauce.

These pumpkin mantou are as soft and as pillowy as those store-bought ones. But these ones are better because they have no preservatives, are nutritious....and made with lots of love! I must admit that I am still a novice in making mantou. Although my mantous were far from perfect, I felt elated when my family devoured the whole batch within a day.

This pumpkin mantou recipe is very easy to make. It requires lesser effort in kneading and proofing time than making bread. The size of the dough for this recipe is quite small and can be handled easily. I kneaded it with my hands, but of course, you are free to do it with either bread maker or kitchen mixer (with a dough hook).

Choose pumpkin that is bright in orange, an indication of ripeness and sweetness. Different type of pumpkin will yield different level of sweetness and flavour. So, adjust the amount of sugar that best suit your palate. You will also have to pay careful attention to the amount of water added to the dough. It is much affected by the concentration level of pumpkin puree. Some puree are more diluted than the others. To be safe, add water little bit by little bit to the dough, and knead it until it is soft and smooth

IF YOU EVER GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY, DO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND/OR TAG @FRUITYEMZ AND HASHTAG #FRUITYEMZ ON YOUR INSTAGRAM POST! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL YOUR YUMMY CREATIONS 🙂