As a child I did not like Chinese food very much, I belonged to that minority that hated Chinese rice, however the few things that gave me pleasure from that cuisine were the bread. Making them is very simple, the complicated part is leaving one for later, much less for tomorrow.
For Chinese restaurateurs time is valuable (and for whom not?) so in this opportunity the ingredients are few and the time of fermentation of the dough is an hour and a half. Now it's time to get down to business.
Ingredients:
4 cups (1/2 kilograms) of wheat flour (preferably bread or all purpose).
5 spoonfuls of sugar.
1 and 1/2 cup of water.
1 spoonful of salt.
2 spoonfuls of butter or oil.
1/2 spoonful of dry yeast.
Preparation:
Very easy, in a container or on the table place the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and yeast), consider that the salt affects the elevation of the dough so you integrate it separated from the yeast. In the middle of the dry mixture make a hole, like a volcano, and there add the wet ingredients (oil or butter and water). Now you are ready to knead.
Mass after integration of ingredients
Kneading is simple, take the dough and manipulate it as if you were washing a piece of clothing by hand, turning it over and repeating the movement for 15 minutes. Rest the dough for 10 minutes and manipulate it again for another 15 minutes or until you see how easily it comes off the table and out of your hands.
Rest the dough for 10 minutes and then cut it into 12 or 15 equal parts. Each part should be flattened into small discs, then rolled up from the outside in and finally shaped into a round shape. Place them next to each other relatively close in a tray or bowl, so that they grow upwards rather than sideways.
Flattening of the dough
Roll from the outside to the center of the circle
Round shape prior to fermentation.
As you may have noticed, the dough of this type of bread is fermented only once per hour and a half to two times after placing the breads on the tray. Generally the fermentation is done inside the oven, off, with the bread covered by a cloth or kitchen towel.
Baking:
Once the breads have risen in size, the process of baking them begins, but first the oven must be preheated for 20 minutes. Each oven has its own handles but generally the ideal temperature for this process is between 150 and 200 degrees. Put the breads in the hot oven and leave them there between 16 and 20 minutes or until you observe that the glass of the breads obtains a toasted or dark color. There you can remove them and taste them alone, with coffee or butter, enjoy!
All photos are from the author.
Carlos D. Pérez Guerrero / 