How about Steamed and Baked Buns?

~ Sweet Potato Buns – Made Dual ~

I bought a good kilograms of golden sweet potatoes which looked too fresh and nice in colour to resist, some 2 weeks ago. Without thinking of how I can or would like to use them for, I just grabbed them from the shelf out of “love at first sight”. After sitting in my refrigerator for a 3 weeks (Sometimes, I feel that I am doing a freshness duration experiment on fresh produce from home.), I finally decided that I have the energy to make some buns out of them.

Why do I call it dual-buns? I just realised that I have too big a dough, more than enough for the steam buns (or mantou) sensation that I initially yearn for. Hence, I baked the remaining buns. They turned out to be mini round French buns. Not too bad for a tweaked result!!

Why do I even bother to make buns eventhough I am lazy to do so? Hmm…it appears scary to me to proof time and again how much preservatives are being used in those commercial buns and breads. They do not seem to rot at all!! All my homemade buns containing no preservatives can only last, the most 2-3 days standing at room temperature. Literally, 2-3 days from the day I steam/baked them. Can you now imagine how much preservatives we consume in those buns purchased out there??

Here’s some information on how bread preservatives can be harmful and the types of harmful breads preservatives. Read on  if you need some motivation before starting to make your very own homemade buns!!

Sweet Potato Buns Recipe (Serves many, yield more than 2 dozens) :

1. 400 grams of Pau Flour
2. 200 grams of Sweet potatoes (2-3cm cubed)
3. 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
4. 75ml of Warm water
5. 5 tablespoons of Sugar or your desired amount (optional)
6. A pinch of salt (optional)
7. 1 tablespoon Yeast

AMC Healthy Cooking Method :

1. Mix yeast, brown sugar and warm water in an AMC 16cm Combi Bowl unit, close Hermetic Seal lid and let yeast mixture sit for 20 minutes.
2. Cook sweet potatoes to mashable texture with AMC Pressure Lid on Turbo for 3 minutes.
3. Mix Pau flour with mashed sweet potatoes in an AMC 24cm/28cm Combi Bowl unit. Dig a hole at the center and pour the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Knead mixture until a dough is formed. Close Hermetic Seal lid and let dough sit and rise for 45 minutes.
4. Divide dough into smaller portion that you feel comfortable to handle. Half the dough all the way to your desired bun size. The buns can be rolled to an oblong shape or round shape. Get creative! Who says buns have to be in the conventional shapes?!
5. For Steamed Buns :-
   • Boil 1 cup of water in an AMC 24cm 3.5l Pan Unit on Navigenio heat level “level 3” up to 90°C indicating “Turning Point”.
   • In a quick manner (to avoid escape of too much of the heated steam), remove lid and place steamer with buns onto the pan unit. Dry lid with a kitchen towel (to avoid cooled water dripped onto buns and make soggy) and cover the steamer with lid.
   • Steam for 10-15 minutes, depending on your bun size.
   • Turn off Navigenio and wait for 5 minutes before removing lid to avoid buns from sinking due to sudden temperature dropped.
6. For Baked Buns :-
   • Pre-heat AMC 24cm 3.5l Pan Unit (lid on) with Navigenio heat level, “level 6” up to 50°C or “Meat Window”. Activate Audiotherm on 50°C or “Meat Window” for readiness indication.
   • When Audiotherm beeps, turn off Navigenio & Audiotherm.
   • Remove lid and set pan in up-turn lid.
   • Add buns to pan.
   • Cover pan unit with Navigenio turned upside down. Activate Audiotherm and set 10 minutes to bake.
   • When Audiotherm beeps, turn off both Navigenio & Audiotherm.