The 1500 year old sourdough that powers Dim Sum (老面)

0:00 - Why Every Char Siu Bao recipe is sort of wrong, ish
1:45 - Laomian is everywhere and nowhere
6:42 - The five Chinese sourdoughs
7:58 - Making fermented rice
10:02 - Making the starter
10:36 - Straight dough
11:51 - Northern style Mantou
14:42 - Flowering Mantou
16:36 - Read the written recipe and the notes, seriously

INGREDIENTS

For Laozao:
Sticky rice (糯米) 200g
Herbal yeast ball (甜酒曲) 1g (0.5% to the weight of dry rice)
Water, 1 tbsp

For the starter:
Laozao from above (未灭活醪糟) 5g
AP flour (中筋面粉) 30g
Filtered water (纯净水) 15g - e.g. bottled water, water from the Brita

For the basic fermented dough (发面面团):
Starter from above (老面/面种) 22.5g
AP flour (中筋面粉) 150g
Water 70g

(Note: in the video we doubled the doubled the quantity in order to make 4 of each kind of Mantou, for 8 total. Feel free to scale all of the quantities up)

For the 'standard' mantou:
Basic fermented dough from above (发面面团), 220g
Salt, 1.5g (or ~1/4 tsp, i.e. 0.7% to the weight of the basic fermented dough)
Sugar, 4.5g (or ~1/2 tbsp, i.e. 2%)
Baking soda (小苏打), ~1.32g (or ~3/8 tsp, i.e. 0.6%)
Water, 5g (~1 tsp). To mix with the baking soda

For the flowering mantou:
Basic fermented dough from above (发面面团), 220g
Salt, 1.5g (or ~1/4 tsp, i.e. 0.7% to the weight of the basic fermented dough)
Sugar, 30g (or ~2tbsp + 1 tsp, i.e. 20%)
Baking soda (小苏打), ~1.32g (or ~3/8 tsp, i.e. 0.6%)
Water, 5g (~1 tsp). To mix with the baking soda

PROCESS, LAOZAO:

Wash rice cooker and lid. Rinse your rice, add water to the requisite line in the rice cooker and soak for half hour, then cook.

Once done, fluff up and let it cool down room temp or 35C. This will likely take ~1 hour.

Shave out 1g yeast ball, press into a powder with back of spoon, then mix with 1 tbsp water. Sprinkle yeast ball mixture onto cooled down rice, mix well. Add room temperature water to loosen up rice if needed.

Cover, let it ferment at a warm and clean place for 36hrs.

PROCESS, STARTER

Take out 5g fermented rice - aim for roughly half liquid, half rice. Mix thoroughly, then mix in the flour.

Cover to fermented for 24hrs. Then the next day, begin feeding it every 24 hours.

To do so, discard 40g and feed it with a mix of 15g water and 30g flour. Repeat every 24 hours. Continue for at least 3-4 days, or until it can double its size within 6-8 hours (ambient temperature around 26-30C). It may take longer if your climate is colder, so be patient and judge by the amount risen.

Once the starter is live and active, you can maintain it just like a western sourdough by either feeding it daily, or keeping in the fridge and reviving it once every one or two weeks.


PROCESS, BASIC FERMENTED DOUGH

Mix the starter with water and break into small pieces. Then mix in flour, and press to combine into a ball.

Cover with plastic bag to ferment till doubled in size and it has lots of small air holes inside, about 6-8 hours.


PROCESS, STANDARD MANTOU

Your fermented dough should be about 220g, give or take. Move to a work surface, add in salt and sugar, roughly knead them in.

Mix the baking soda with water, then smear a bit onto the dough and start kneading. Repletely smear the baking soda mixture till finished and the dough is white and smooth.

Divide into 4 even pieces. Take one piece, press down with bottom of palm, knead towards the center and form into a ball, then pinch the ball close.

Work through the pieces. Put them into your proofing/steaming set up, and let them proof over 30C water for 1.5hrs (or longer, use the finger dent method shown in the video to check if it’s ready).

Take out the rack/steamer with mantou, bring water to rapid boil, put the steamer back, cover and steam on high for 8 mins.

Shut off the heat, let it sit for 2 mins before taking out.

PROCESS, FLOWERING MANTOU

Your fermented dough should be about 220g, give or take. Move to a work surface, add in salt and sugar, roughly knead them in.

Mix the baking soda with water, then smear a bit onto the dough and start kneading. Repletely smear the baking soda mixture till finished and the dough is white and smooth.

Roll it into ~20cm log, cleanly tear at the center to break into two pcs, then tear the two logs into half again, totally 4 evenish pieces.

For the ones on the edge with one 'torn' opening, put the torn side facing up, gently press and shape the bun so that the torn side face upward.

For the ones with two 'torn' openings, pinch close one side, then put the closed side down and gently shape, helping the 'tear' stay upward.

Work through the pieces. Lay a dry towel on your steamer first, then put the mantou onto the dry towel in the steamer. Proof over 30C water for 1.5hrs (or longer, use the finger dent method shown in the video to check if it’s ready).

Take out the rack/steamer with mantou, bring water to rapid boil, put the steamer back, cover and steam on high for 8 mins.

Shut off the heat, let it sit for 2 mins before taking out.