Gold and Silver Mantou

A recipe for Gold and Silver Mantou (金银馒头)! These steamed (silver) and fried (gold) soft buns are paired with sweetened condensed milk for quite the amazing treat.

Mantou (馒头) are soft and fluffy Chinese steamed buns usually made with a basic yeast-based dough.

One of my absolute favorite ways to serve them is to make Gold and Silver Mantou! You get the best of both textures and the presentation is also quite striking.

After steaming, half of the buns are fried in oil until golden to create the alternating colors. Since the Mantou are plain without any filling, they pair wonderfully with a simple sweetened condensed milk dipping sauce.

Forming the Dough

I added milk to the Mantou dough for a bit of extra richness. The dough can also be made with purely water.

Knead the dough well before setting it aside to rise. This will help create a soft, smooth texture and push out any excess air. By hand, this can take around 10-12 minutes or less (around 6-9 minutes) with a dough hook on a stand mixer. If you see any air bubbles, push them out with your fingers.

If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour (only enough to keep it from sticking). Add a little more milk or water if too tough and crumbly.

Only allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. This may take 1 hour in warm kitchens and closer to 2 hours during the winter. Over-proofing may cause the dough to collapse.

Use a sharp knife when cutting the buns to avoid pinching the sides together.

Cooking the Gold and Silver Mantou

I used a bamboo steamer with two levels to steam all of the buns at once.

One steamer basket will hold about 5-6 buns. If you are unable to cook all the Mantou at once, keep the extra in the refrigerator until ready to avoid them over-proofing.

Either line the steamer basket with parchment (I usually keep a few on hand that fit my steamer and have holes to allow steam to come through) or cut out individual squares of parchment about 3 inches (8 centimeters) wide for each separate bun.

After steaming the buns for 20 minutes, remove the wok from heat. Keep the lid on the steamer basket for 5 minutes to prevent a sudden change in temperature. This will help keep the buns from collapsing/wrinkling. Take care when removing the lid to avoid condensation falling onto the bread.

I fried half of the steamed Mantou in oil until golden. I haven’t personally tried it, but What to Cook Today has a version using the air fryer.

When frying, make sure the oil is thoroughly heated before adding the Mantou. If not hot, the buns will soak up excess oil.

The Mantou are best shortly after steaming/frying while still warm, particularly the fried buns.

For the steamed buns, they can be refrigerated for up to three days in an airtight container, then steamed until heated through.

Looking for more Chinese recipes?

Try my:

• Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings)
• Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly)
• Gulou Yuk (Sweet and Sour Pork)

Gold and Silver Mantou Recipe

Adapted from China Sichuan Food

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes

Gold and Silver Mantou

A recipe for Gold and Silver Mantou (金银馒头)! These steamed (silver) and fried (gold) soft buns are paired with sweetened condensed milk for quite the amazing treat.

Course Bread

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword bread, China, Chinese, fried, mantou, steamed, sweetened condensed milk

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 -12 Mantou

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) lukewarm water 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)
• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) lukewarm milk 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Sweetened condensed milk for serving

Instructions

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. Stir briefly to combine and allow to sit until frothy, about 5-10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Slowly mix in the frothy yeast with water and the milk to form a dough.
• In the mixer or on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough well until soft and smooth (10-12 minutes by hand, 6-9 minutes with the mixer).
• Transfer to a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic. Allow to rest until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Once doubled in size, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) wide.
• Fold the bottom third of the dough towards the center, then fold the top third of the dough down towards the center to create three layers.
• Roll the dough out again into a rectangle about 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) wide, adding more flour if needed to prevent sticking. Brush the top with water. Starting at the long side closest to you, tightly roll up the dough into a rope. Pinch the edges well to seal.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the rope into individual pieces about 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) wide.
• Cut out pieces of parchment into 3 inch (8 centimeter) squares. Place an individual mantou onto each square.
• Fill a wok with water, keeping it low enough to not touch the bottom of the steamer.
• Arrange the mantou into two steamer baskets about 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart, then place over the water. Cover the basket and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes, until puffed.
• Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Steam the buns until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes untouched before removing the lid.
• In a small pot, heat about 2 inches (5 centimeters) of vegetable oil over medium heat. Once 350˚F (180˚C), add up to half of the steamed buns, taking care not to overcrowd.
• Fry until golden, turning as needed and pushing them down into the oil to evenly fry all sides. Transfer to a towel lined plate. Repeat until half of the steamed buns have been fried.
• Serve the Gold and Silver Mantou immediately with the sweetened condensed milk as a dipping sauce.