How to ferment flour for making steamed buns
As one of the traditional staple foods in China, the taste and quality of steamed buns are closely related to the fermentation process of flour. Recently, the topic of flour fermentation has aroused heated discussions on major social platforms and food forums, with many netizens sharing their own experience and skills in making steamed buns. This article will combine the hot discussion content on the Internet in the past 10 days to provide a structured analysis of the key steps and precautions for flour fermentation to help you easily make soft and delicious steamed buns.
1. Basic principles of flour fermentation
Flour fermentation uses the action of yeast to decompose the sugars in the flour into carbon dioxide and alcohol, thereby causing the dough to expand and become soft. The fermentation process is affected by factors such as temperature, humidity, yeast activity, etc. The following is the reference data for fermentation conditions:
| Influencing factors | best range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| temperature | 25-30°C | If the temperature is too low, fermentation will be slow, and if the temperature is too high, it will easily kill the yeast. |
| Humidity | 70%-80% | If the humidity is too low, the dough will easily dry out and crack. |
| Yeast dosage | 1%-2% of flour amount | Adjust according to yeast activity |
| Fermentation time | 1-2 hours | Depends on ambient temperature and dough condition |
2. Flour selection and proportioning
The cost-effective flour brands and ratios that netizens have been hotly discussing recently are as follows:
| Flour type | protein content | Suitable for steamed bun type | Recommended brands (hot discussions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| High gluten flour | 12%-14% | Chewy steamed buns | Arowana, Xiangmanyuan |
| all-purpose flour | 9%-11% | Ordinary steamed buns | Wudeli, ancient ship |
| Low gluten flour | 7%-9% | Soft steamed buns | Meimei, Xinliang |
3. Comparison of fermentation methods
According to recent actual measurement sharing by food bloggers, the comparison of the effects of the three mainstream fermentation methods is as follows:
| method | time required | success rate | Taste characteristics | Applicable scenarios |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional yeast fermentation | 1.5-2 hours | 85% | Rich wheat aroma | Regular home production |
| Fermentation of old noodles | 4-6 hours | 70% | Chewy texture | Traditional craft lovers |
| Baking powder aid | 0.5-1 hour | 95% | Soft but lightly scented | Quick production requirements |
4. Solutions to common problems
Based on recent high-frequency questions on Zhihu, Douyin and other platforms, we have compiled the following solutions to fermentation problems:
1. What should I do if the dough doesn’t rise?
Check whether the yeast has expired; increase the ambient temperature to about 30°C; add a small amount of sugar (1-2 spoons) to promote fermentation.
2. How to remedy excessive fermentation?
Add an appropriate amount of new flour and knead again; it can be made into old noodle steamed buns or flower rolls; add 1-2 grams of edible alkali to neutralize the sour taste.
3. The secret to slow fermentation in winter
Knead the dough with warm water (not exceeding 40°C); place the dough in a steamer filled with warm water to ferment; add a small amount of honey to speed up fermentation.
5. Sharing of advanced skills
According to the exclusive tips of the latest video of the food blogger "Mian Dian Lao Wang" (viewed more than 500,000 times):
1. Secondary fermentation method: After fermenting for the first time until it doubles in size, rub and deflate, then ferment for another 30 minutes to make the steamed buns more fluffy.
2. Adding 5% corn starch can make the steamed buns whiter
3. Add a small amount of lard (3% of the flour amount) when kneading the dough to improve the gloss.
6. Criteria for judging fermentation status
| Judgment method | Qualification standards |
|---|---|
| volume change | Increase to 2-2.5 times the original volume |
| finger test | Poke a hole without shrinking or collapsing |
| internal organization | Uniform honeycomb shape |
| smell | Has a light wine aroma without sour taste |
掌握这些面粉发酵的知识和技巧，您就能轻松做出松软可口、麦香浓郁的馒头。建议初次尝试时做好记录，找到最适合自家口味的发酵方案。 Recently popular pasta making topics also include "How to make steamed buns whiter", "Additive-free fermentation methods", etc. We will continue to pay attention to these hot topics in the future.
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