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These homemade pumpkin steamed buns are a healthy and filling snack. This recipe is super easy and you really can't go wrong! The subtle pumpkin flavor is not overly sweet and the buns come out extra airy and fluffy. I used a kabocha squash and used roughly half for this recipe. Other handy tools to make prep fast and easy include a Kitchen Aid for kneading and a 2-tiered steamer to cook all my little buns at one time.
I've made this recipe a few times now and learned some things:
- If not using a freshly steamed pumpkin, I would recommend heating up the pumpkin puree so that it's warm. The heat and sugar will help activate the yeast.
- The dough needs to double in size before proceeding to the next steps. Otherwise these come out really dense. I found putting the dough in a warm room helped.
- I found the 2nd rest time in warm steamer helped make these buns extra fluffy, if that's also your taste preference. The buns will expand in size so be mindful of spacing when placing these in the steamer. They should be at least an inch apart to allow for the extra rise. The buns will expand more after they are steamed.
- I recommend lining each bun with parchment paper. This prevents the bottoms from getting soggy when cooking. They can also stick to the steamer and distort the shape when taking them out.
- These buns are great when reheating as well. Simply put a damp towel over them and heat in the microwave for 25 seconds.
This recipe can yield 8 - 12 buns, depending on how you divide them and your preference on having big or small buns.
Hope you enjoy!
Ingredient
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2 tablespoons granulated sugar
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pinch of salt
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300 g all purpose flour
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250 g pumpkin, pureed
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2.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
Instructions
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Cut pumpkin into small pieces. Remove seeds and any strands. Steam pumpkin pieces for 20 minutes or until soft. Remove peel, mash pumpkin pieces until smooth and pureed.
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In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and pumpkin. Knead for 6-8 minutes until dough is soft and smooth. If using a Kitchen Aid, use the hook and on speed 4.
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Cover dough and let it rise for 40 mins or until doubled in size. Dough should be placed somewhere warm.
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Knead dough back into a soft and smooth ball, around 5 minutes. Roll into a log and cut into 8 equal pieces for large sized buns. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces for smaller buns.
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Line each bun with a piece of parchment paper and place in a steamer.
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Add warm water to steamer and let buns sit in steamer for 40 minutes.
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Turn on stove and steam buns for 15 minutes. Let buns sit for 5 minutes, then remove, plate, and serve!