The ill planned re-openings in Southern and Western states and the abdication of the federal government in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic has undone the hard won gains of the State level stay at home orders of March to May, so the eating out hiatus and home cooking festival continue.

Steamed scallion buns

This weekend I tried making Hua Juan, aka steamed scallion buns, aka Flower Buns, aka Mandarin Buns.  These savory buns are a traditional break fast dish in China.  I changed up the traditional recipe by adding garlic sauteed in oil from Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp Hot Sauce. The addition of chili oil gives the buns a slight reddish hue.  The recipe below works really well and makes six buns, which will keep in the fridge for several days.  To re-heat these buns, microwave them for 30 seconds and then pan-fry the bottom of the buns until they are crispy and golden colored.

Dough

• 250 g all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp dried active yeast
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 130 ml lukewarm water

Filling

• 1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 2 tsp oil from Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp Hot Sauce

1. Mix flour, yeast, and baking powder in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed until a very smooth dough forms (about 8 minutes).
2. Saute the garlic in a mix of the cooking oil and Chili crisp oil and pour the hot oil and garlic over the chopped scallions.
3. Dust some flour over your worktop. Roll the dough into a very thin, rectangle shape.
4. Evenly coat the dough with the scallion, garlic, and chili oil filling.
5. From the long side of the rectangle, fold the dough twice making it a three-layer strip. Then cut it into 12 pieces.
6. Stack up two pieces of the folded stuffed dough. Use a chopstick to press the middle line length ways. Hold both ends and
   stretch.
7. Hang the stretched dough on the chopstick. With one hand pinch and hold the two ends. With the other hand twist
   the chopstick 180 degrees.
8. Put the roll on the worktop, press the chopstick then slice it out of the roll.
9. Leave the rolls to rest for around 30 minutes.
10. Place the rolls in a steamer basket making sure to leave ample space in between each roll and steam for 10 minutes.