Pandan Coconut Spiral Mantou

Pandan leaves are Malaysian favorite flavoring. It adds flavour to rice and dessert. Additionally, Malaysian delicacies use it as a natural green colouring. They refer to it as Asian vanilla.

Coconut and pandan always go nicely together. The batter for my pandan crepes with coconut filling also incorporates coconut milk. Even western delicacies like coconut pandan panna cotta, coconut pie, and pandan coconut latte use these two ingredients.

Today I am going to use these two ingredients to make a beautiful spiral pandan coconut mantou. This bi-coloured mantou are soft and have a faint pandan coconut flavour in the mouth. The more you chew, the more you bring the fragrant out. When the two colours dough are rolled together, you will see distinct layers of dough. Make some to freeze or refrigerate in the fridge. And it will be as soft and delicious as streaming for breakfast.

The dough can be made using a few different techniques. If you have powerful forearm muscles, you can adopt the traditional method of making and kneading the dough by hand. Alternatively, you might use a dough hook-equipped electric stand mixer, or you can make it with a bread maker. I am using Thermomix to make my dough.   The only difference between any of these techniques is how long and quickly the dough is kneaded. The dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, and that is what matters most.

 

DO I HAVE TO ADD ALL THE WATER TO THE DOUGH?

The common practice is to add a little water if the dough feels too dry. In fact, holding back a little of the water from the recipe, and adding it in incrementally, going by feel rather than measurement, is the preferred way to get a perfect dough.

 

DO I NEED TO WINDOWPANE TEST THE DOUGH?

You are not making bread dough. So, you do not have to do a windowpane test with the dough. As far as the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic.

 

TYPE OF FLOUR TO USED FOR STEAMED BUN

The choice of steamed bun flour is very important. Flour is divided into high-gluten flour, medium-gluten flour, and low-gluten flour. A steamed bun made with high-gluten flour is firmer and chewier which is not preference. White medium-gluten flour is softer. So, it depends on your preference. I am using Hong Kong flour (also known as pao flour). It is like cake flour, which is highly blenched. It is recommended for making Chinese steamed buns.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR FERMENTATION?

It doesn't need to be fermented twice because I'm making mantou. It merely needs to sit on the table for five to ten minutes to relax. Following dough shape, I gave the fermentation 30 minutes. However, the dough begins to rise after 20 minutes. You can see that the dough has already puffed up on both sides. Of course, it also relies on the temperature in your surroundings.

INGREDIENTS

(For coconut milk dough)

300g flour (Hong Kong flour)

70g sugar

½ tsp yeast

¼ tsp salt

150 ml warm coconut milk

1 tsp baking powder

 

(For pandan flovour dough)

300g flour (Hong Kong flour)

70g sugar

½ tsp yeast

150 ml pandan juice (5 pandan leaves, blended with 200ml water)

1 tsp baking powder

 

 

 

METHODS

1. Put 5 pcs of pandan leaves (cut into small pieces) into a blender and pour in 200ml (water will be less after blending in water). Blend pandan leaves into a fine pulp. Squeeze the pandan pulp dry and sieve out the pandan juice into a glass.

2. To make the white dough. In a large bowl of your electric mixer, bread maker machine bowl, or Thermomix mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except oil and beat until all are combined.  If the dough feels too dry, add another tablespoon of water. Once the dough is smooth and elastic add the cooking oil and continue beating until the oil is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic.

3. Leave the dough on the table and cover it with plastic wrap or a bowl, let the dough rest for 5 minutes, to let the dough looks much smoother and well relaxed.

4. While the dough is resting on the table. Make the pandan flavour dough follow exactly the step as the white dough.

5. Roll the two pieces of dough into two large and thin and the same rectangular sizes. Layer the white dough underneath and the pandan dough layer on top. Or vice versa. Brush some water on the overlapping dough, to let the two pieces of dough stick together. Roll the dough to form a log, from top to bottom. Make sure you tuck and roll the dough, so it forms a tight log.

6. Cut the log into a small section with a sharp knife, about 2 inches wide. Placed the streaming paper underneath each dough, then keep it in a bamboo steamer, to let it proof for 30 minutes or double in size. Make sure you are leaving room for rolls to rise, so they do not stick together after rising.

7. Prepare a pot with water for steaming. Turn on the heat and bring the water to a boil. After the water boiled, place the bamboo steamer, and cover it tightly. Steam it at medium heat for 11 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it sit on the steamer for another 5 minutes before opening the lid. This will prevent the steamed buns from deflating due to temperature shock. Uncover the lid and serve it warm.