Fluffy, soft pink rosebud shaped Mantou Buns complement many Asian dishes; they're essentially bao buns without the filling. Adaptable in shape and color, these rosebud steamed buns are extra special for occasions like Valentine's or Mother's Day, offering a fun variation on our traditional Chinese steamed buns.
Why You'll Love This Rose Bud Shaped Mantou Buns Recipe
This mantou bun recipe is easy to make and requires basic pantry ingredients. The addition of a small amount of pink food coloring creates a beautiful pink color, perfect for celebrating Valentine's Day. These adorable buns are not only visually stunning but also incredibly soft and flavorful.
You can make them plain, or add fillings when shaping them. With no filling they are called mantou buns, with filling they are bao buns!
- Unique and visually appealing: The soft pink hue adds a touch of romance and makes these buns perfect for Valentine's Day.
- Easy to make: This recipe is simple to make, even for beginners.
- Versatile: Enjoy these buns plain, or serve them with your favorite dipping sauces, such as hoisin sauce, black vinegar, or chili oil.
Ingredients Overview
For this recipe, you'll need a few simple ingredients readily available in most pantries. You'll need some all-purpose flour, cornstarch, a smidge of sugar and some instant yeast and baking powder act as leavening agents. I used red food coloring to make my rose buds pink, but you can also just leave them plain.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Rose Bud Shaped Steamed Mantou Buns
Making these Pink Mantou Buns is a straightforward process. Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, activate the yeast in warm water and gently incorporate it into the dry mixture. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, then allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Once risen, shape the dough into smooth balls and let them rise again. Finally, steam the buns until cooked through, and enjoy the delightful results.
Read on as I guide you through the recipe step-by-step and show you how to make your own tasty mantou buns at home!
Step 1: Mix the salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and yeast in a bowl. Add room temperature milk and stir.
Step 2: Add some of the flour and mix with a spoon.
Step 3: Adjust the dough with a little extra flour if it is still too sticky. Roll the dough into a ball an transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to bulk rise for 1 hour.
Step 4: Pinch off about 2 tablespoons of dough and put in a small bowl. Add a little green food color and mix in (wearing nitrile gloves will prevent your hands from staining). Tint the remaining dough with the red food coloring.
Pro Tip
These are even faster to make plain, with not artistic shaping and coloring!
Step 5: Use nitrile gloves when kneading the food color into the mantou dough. Use a fresh set of gloves for each color.
Step 6: Roll out the dough and use a small 1.5" to 2" round cookie cutter to cut out 18 small circles of dough.
Step 7: First, set the bamboo or stainless steamer up so that it is ready when the rosebud shaped buns are ready to steam. Be sure to place parchment paper liners on each level you are using. Set the bamboo steamer over the pot with hot water and set it to a medium heat.
If like many US cooks, you don't just happen to have a bamboo or stainless steel dumpling steamer (and most of use don't), the best work around is a Dutch oven with a collapsible vegetable steamer! Don't forget the parchment paper to set the dumplings on!
Pro Tip
If using a stainless steel steamer, or a Dutch oven, wrap a terry towel around the cover lid, under and over, so the fabric is under the lid and over the buns. Secure at the top where the handle is.
This way any condensation will be absorbed by the towel and not drip on the buns and make them soggy.
Step 8: Overlap three of the dough circles into a strip. Roll the strip of overlapped dough circles into a roll, starting from the short end.
Step 9: Cut the roll of dough petals in to two halves, making two small center rosebuds. Cutting seals the rosebud centers at their base.
Step 10: Cut out six 2.5" round piece of dough. You can also hand shape the circles with small balls of dough.
Step 11: Center one of the two rosebud centers in the middle. Make 6 equal cuts around the rosebud center.
Step 12: Pick up one wedge shape and wrap it around the center bud. You can use a drop of water to help the petal corners to stick.
Step 13: Do the same to the opposite wedge shape. Repeat this process with remaining petal circles and rosebud centers.
Step 14: Make leaves out of the green dough by pinching off small pieces and shaping them. Attach when on the bottom of the rosebuds so they peek out from underneath.
Step 15: Let the buns rest to rise for 30 minutes, then place in a steamer with a parchment paper liner. Turn heat up so water is at a steady simmer. Steam for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove top and serve immediately.
How To Serve These Pink Rosebud Mantou Buns
These versatile buns can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Serve them warm with a drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of sugar. For a savory option, enjoy them with dipping sauces such as hoisin sauce, black vinegar, or chili oil. They also make a delightful accompaniment to dim sum, congee, or stir-fries.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.
- Experiment with different food colors to create colorful buns for other occasions.
- Add a pinch of matcha powder for green buns or a touch of turmeric for yellow buns.
- While traditional Mantou buns are plain, you can experiment with fillings such as sweet red bean paste, savory pork filling, or even a touch of cheese.
Tips for Success
Helpful tips to help you when making this recipe:
- The water temperature is crucial for activating the yeast.
- Overmixing the dough can develop the gluten too much, resulting in tough buns.
- Make sure the water is boiling before placing the steamer basket in the pot.
- Steaming time may vary depending on the size of the buns.
Storage Options
Here is how I store leftovers when making this recipe:
- Store leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freeze cooled buns in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, steam for a few minutes until warmed through.
Related Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! They reheat better though if you let them completely defrost first.
Don't over proof the dough. The mantou buns will continue to rise a bit more while steaming. If you over proof though, they will collapse a little from the over proofed air in them.
The bamboo steamer will give you better results. Because it's a porous natural steamer, it breathers. Stainless steal can create too much condensation.
Use round parchment paper to line the steamer. The round air fryer liners work perfectly!
Bread Recipes From Around The World
Get the Recipe!
Steamed Mantou Buns
Ingredients
- ½ cup Milk
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1¼ teaspoon Yeast
- Vegetable oil
- 1½ cup All Purpose flour use a little more if dough is too sticky
- Red Food color drops as needed, about ½ teaspoon max
- Green Food color drops as needed, about ¼ teaspoon max
- cup All Purpose flour about ¼ cup extra for adjusting dough texture, kneading, and shaping
Instructions
- Place the salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and yeast in a bowl. Pour in room temperature milk and stir. Add some of the flour and mix with a spoon. Gradually add the rest of the flour and knead the dough with your hands. The dough will be a little sticky.½ cup Milk, 2 tablespoon Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1¼ teaspoon Yeast, Vegetable oil, 1½ cup All Purpose flour
- Adjust the dough with a little extra flour if it is still too sticky. Roll the dough into a ball and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to bulk rise for 1 hour.cup All Purpose flour
- While the dough is bulk proofing, set your pan with water on the stovetop. Heat on medium to prepare for steaming. If using a stainless steel steamer, wrap a terry hand towel around the cover lid, under and over. Secure at the top where the handle is. This way any condensation will be absorbed by the towel and not make soggy buns. Add some water in the bottom portion and set on a medium heat.
- Pinch off about 2 tablespoons of dough and put in a small bowl. Add a little green food color and mix in (wearing nitrile gloves will prevent your hands from staining). Tint the remaining dough with the red food coloring. Use nitrile gloves when kneading the food color into the mantou dough. Use a fresh set of gloves for each color.Red Food color, Green Food color
- Roll out the dough and use a small 1.5" to 2" round cookie cutter to cut out 18 small circles of dough. Overlap three of the dough circles into a strip. Roll the strip of overlapped dough circles into a roll, starting from the short end.
- Cut the roll of dough petals in to two halves, making two small center rosebuds. Cutting will seal the rosebud center at the bases so they don't unravel. Repeat with the remaining small circles so you have a total of 6 rosebud centers.
- Cut out six 2.5" round pieces of dough. You can also hand shape the circles with small balls of dough.
- Center one of the rosebud centers in the middle. Make 6 equal cuts around the rosebud center.
- Pick up one wedge shape and wrap it around the center bud. You can use a drop of water to help the petal corners to stick.
- Do the same to the opposite wedge shape. Repeat this process with remaining petal circles and rosebud centers.
- Make leaves out of the green dough by pinching off small pieces and shaping them. Attach when on the bottom of the rosebuds so they peek out from underneath.
- Let the buns rest to rise for 30 minutes, then place in a steamer with a parchment paper liner. Turn heat up so water is at a steady simmer. Steam for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove top and serve immediately.
Notes
- Remove Mantou buns from the steamer as soon as they are finished cooking, 12 to 14 minutes, depending on size and heat variations.
- Do not proof the second time for more than 30 minutes, this will prevent the steamed buns from collapsing or wrinkling on top.
- Don't crowd the mantou buns in the streamer, as they will expand and stick together if you do. Leave at least 1½" between buns.
