New Year-flavored red date steamed buns

Ingredients: 250 grams of flour, 3 grams of yeast, some red dates, and appropriate amount of water.

Specific methods:

Step 1: Remove the stems from the red dates, wash them and set aside. The ones I use have suitable dryness and humidity, and they are just right for eating. If you use drier red dates, you need to cook them in advance. Of course, you can also use candied dates, but red dates are customary in the north.

Step 2: Dissolve the yeast in warm water, and then knead the dough. The dough should be moderately soft, not too soft, and naturally not too hard.

Step 3: Knead the dough carefully. After kneading, shape it immediately. In the traditional two-fermentation method, the first fermentation is carried out here, and the operation can only be continued when the dough has fermented to twice its size. But with the one-time fermentation method, you don’t have to wait for it to ferment. Shape the dough immediately after it is mixed. Divide the dough into two, take one part, and divide it into three small dough balls of even size, and then roll these three dough balls into long and uniform strips on the cutting board, as shown in the picture.

Step 4: Take one of them, pinch the interface, dip some water to make it sticky, and then arrange the red dates as shown in the picture. Therefore, the length of this noodle should match the red dates. If the red dates have larger particles, this noodle should be longer. If the red dates have smaller particles, this noodle should be shorter.

Step 5: Make the other two as well and arrange them as shown.

Step 6: Take a pair of chopsticks and pinch inwards from the top and bottom, as shown in the picture.

Step 7: This is a red date steamed bun held with chopsticks. Isn’t it very beautiful? Make the other half of the dough similarly.

Step 8: Heat the water in the steamer, place the red date steamed buns on a grate covered with wet cotton cloth, cover the pot, and ferment until they ferment until they become noticeably bigger, then pick them up. When it is very light, it means that the fermentation is completed. Turn on the steam and wait for 15 minutes.

Step 9: Take a picture of the finished product. This steamed bun is large, extremely soft, and sweet with red dates. It is both beautiful and delicious. The whole family likes it.