Hua Juan (Steamed Scallion Buns)

42 mins Prep Time

12 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Hua Juan or flower rolls are a variety of Chinese steamed buns. Hua Juan is a mainstay Chinese breakfast item, as well as a staple accompaniment to a meal. They come out of the steamer fluffy, soft and slightly chewy with a delicious savoury onion flavour. They are surprisingly quick and easy to make with minimal rising time. They are very similar to steamed buns you may have tried at your last dim sum feast or your local Chinese bakery. When making these, I steamed the buns using a bamboo steamer, but if you don't have access to one, you can also cook them like potstickers in a frying pan. You can also use other kitchen steamers like metal steamers to finish off the buns. This recipe and technique was based on the recipe from Red House Spice blog.

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup (250 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon dried active yeast
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (130 mL) lukewarm water

Filling

2 heaping tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or ground Sichuan pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon neutral oil

Directions

Dough

3 Steps

Step 1

If using a stand mixer, mix flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar and water in the bowl.With the dough hook, knead on low speed until a very smooth dough forms (about 8 minutes).
Step 2

If mixing by hand, mix flour, yeast, baking powder and sugar. Add water gradually. Mix with chopsticks/spatula until no more loose flour can be seen. Combine and knead briefly into a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes (covered). Knead again until very smooth.
Step 3

The finished dough should be medium-firm and smooth; adjust with more water or flour if necessary.

Filling

1 Steps

Step 1

Place scallions, Chinese five-spice powder and salt in a bowl. Pour oil over the scallions and mix.

Assembly

5 Steps

Step 1

On a lightly floured work space, roll the dough out into a rectangle shape (~20 cm × 30 cm). Coat the dough with the filling.
Step 2

From the long side of the rectangle, fold the dough twice making it a three-layer strip. Then cut it into 12 pieces.
Step 3

Stack up two pieces. Use a chopstick to press the middle line lengthways. Take your chopstick and press it in the middle of your stack (lengthwise). Hold both ends and stretch and twist and bring the two ends together and pinch.
Step 4

Here is a video is you find the above instructions hard to follow. Note there is more than one way to fold these.
Step 5

Leave the rolls to rest for around 30 minutes. Well-rested buns should be slightly bigger, but not double the size. (Depending on the temperature in your kitchen this time may vary.)

Steaming Method

4 Steps

Step 1

Line a steaming basket with parchment paper, either one large round piece or individual circles for each bun. Place the rolls in a steamer basket and brush lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Make sure to leave a lot of space in between each roll because they can expand quite a bit. If you have one basket you may have to cook in batches.
Step 2

Fill the steamer pot with cold water. Start cooking over high heat. Turn down to medium-low once the water is at a full boil.
Step 3

Cook 10 minutes from this point on. Serve warm.
Step 4

If you notice the water evaporating too quickly while cooking, add more water to your pot to generate more steam.

Pan-Fried Method

3 Steps

Step 1

Add oil to a frying pan over high heat. Place the rolls into the pan leaving ample space in between.
Step 2

When the bottom of the rolls turn brown, pour in about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water (at room temperature). Cover with a lid.
Step 3

Uncover when the water has completely evaporated. Turn off the heat after 20 seconds or so.