Coco Swirl Steamed Buns

中文菜谱: 可可双色馒头卷

When I was a child, my mom always handed me a little piece of dough when I volunteered to help out in the kitchen.  I got creative with it, turning it into a bunny, a daisy flower, or whatever I could think of.  They were not at all vivid or pretty judging from an adult’s view point, but my mom was so happy to see my little creations.   Well, that might be the very starting point of my interest in cooking.

I did these coco swirl buns before.  What is different is that I use a pasta roller this time, so that the rolls are smoother and better looking, I think. 

For white dough:

2 cups of bread flour
2/3 cup + 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
2/3 to 1 teaspoon yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
flour to dust

For coco dough:

2/3 cup bread flour
2 tablespoon coco powder
1/3 cup + 1 to 2 teaspoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 to 3 tablespoon sugar
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
flour to dust

Directions:

Microwave the milk for 25 to 30 until lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast with milk.

Add bread flour, sugar and salt for white dough to stand mixer bowl (I use KitchenAid Professional 600, good reviews on amazon); whisk well; add milk and yeast, along with vegetable oil.  Turn on the mixer.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.  That may take 8 to 10 minutes at speed 2. 

I knead the coco dough with hands.  In a large bowl, add bread flour, coco powder, sugar, and salt; mix well; add milk and yeast, along with vegetable oil. Whisk with hand until flour and milk come together.  Transfer the dough to a board dusted with flour; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cover both dough with plastic wrap.  Proof until they double in size.  It takes 60 to 80 minutes. 

Dust a kneading board with flour.  Punch down the dough, gently knead them into a ball again.  Cover them and let them rest another 10 minutes. 

With the pasta roller running on stand mixer, run the dough sever times.  The thickness for white dough is 1, 3 for the coco dough.

Place the coco dough sheet on top of white dough sheet, and roll from the long end like a sushi roll.

Don’t they look nice and smooth?

With a sharp knife, cut them into 2 inches wide rolls.

Line the bamboo steamer with little parchment paper (you can find this on amazon) squares.  Bamboo or stainless steel steamers are available in Asian grocery store or amazon.

Place one dough roll on each parchment paper square.

Cover the proof the rolls for the second time.  It takes about 25 to 35 minutes.

Heat a large pot with water over high heat.  Place the bamboo steamer on top of a large pot filled with water.  Steam over high heat until the water boils.  Reduce to medium heat and steam for another 8 to 10 minutes. 

Aren't they cute?

I just love the looks.  And the taste is great too. O(_)O~