Mantou (steamed buns)
Vegetarian
饅頭 · mán tou
Soft, fluffy, plain white steamed bread rolls — the everyday staple of northern China, eaten with savoury dishes or dipped in condensed milk.
Mantou (steamed buns) is a Chinese bread from China, ready in about 2 hours 10 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and dried yeast. It serves 10 and is rated intermediate to cook.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 205
Method
Step 1
Dissolve the yeast and sugar (opens in a new tab) in the water. Mix with the flour, salt and oil and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, fairly firm dough.
- 12 min
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels Step 2
Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- 60 min
Step 3
Knock back and knead for 5 minutes until very smooth — this gives the buns a fine, even crumb. Roll into a log and cut into 10 pieces.
Step 4
Set each piece on a square of baking paper in the steamer (opens in a new tab), cover and leave to rise for 20–30 minutes until puffy.
- 25 min
Step 5
Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait 5 minutes before opening the lid so the buns don't collapse.
- 20 min
- high heat
- Steamer (opens in a new tab)
Start the steamer from cold water for extra-fluffy buns, adding 5 minutes.
About this dish
- Origin
- Northern China, China · Well documentedAlso popular in TaiwanMore food from China
- Dish
- Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
- Cooking method
- Steamed
- Taste
- mild, sweet
- Diet
- Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style - Good for
- Freezer-friendly · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead · Child-friendly
- Cook more with
- All-purpose flour · Dried yeast · Sugar
- Techniques
- Boiling · Steaming · Kneading · Fermentation
Allergens
- Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
- Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
205 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 81 g · recipe makes 10
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 11%
- Carbohydrate 81%
- Fat 8%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 205 kcal | 255 kcal |
| Protein | 5.4 g | 6.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.9 g | 50.8 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 39.4 g | 48.9 g |
| Sugars | 2.6 g | 3.3 g |
| Added sugars | 2.5 g | 3.1 g |
| Fibre | 1.5 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 1.9 g | 2.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.2 g | 0.2 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 60 mg | 75 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.2 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 58 mg
- Calcium
- 10 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 0 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 157 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the steamer lid wrapped in a tea towel so condensation doesn't drip onto the buns and leave pockmarks.
- Leftover mantou freeze well; steam from frozen for 10–12 minutes.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the lid straight after steaming, which makes the buns wrinkle and shrink.
Serve with
- Fry slices and dip in condensed milk, or split and fill with braised pork.
Storage
- Keep for 2 days in an airtight bag, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating
- Steam for 5 minutes (10 from frozen) until soft.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 25 min
Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).
First rise (bulk) · about 1 h
About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.
Rest · about 5 min
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
Final proof · about 25 min
Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.
Bake · about 15 min
Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).
- Start to finish: about 2 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
The dough
| Ingredient | Role | Weight | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Flour | 500 g | 100% |
| Water | Water | 260 g | 52% |
| Sugar | Sugar | 25 g | 5% |
| Neutral vegetable oil | Fat | 14 g | 2.7% |
| Dried yeast | Yeast | 5 g | 1% |
| Salt | Salt | 2 g | 0.3% |
- Total flour
- 500 g
- Hydration
- 52%
- With milk, eggs…
- 52%
- Wholegrain
- 0%
Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.
- Stiff dough (under 55% hydration) — firm, easy to roll; typical of bagels, pretzels and many flatbreads.
- Salt 0.3% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
If something goes wrong
Dense, heavy loaf
Likely causes
- Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
- Under-proofed
- Old or dead yeast/starter
- Too much wholegrain flour without extra water
What to do
- Knead to the windowpane stage
- Proof by the poke test, not the clock
- Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
- Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
Gummy or wet crumb
Likely causes
- Under-baked
- Sliced while hot
- Hydration too high for the flour
What to do
- Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing
- Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
Spreads flat / no oven spring
Likely causes
- Over-proofed
- Weak shaping (no surface tension)
- Oven not hot enough
- Too much water for the flour
What to do
- Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
- Shape tightly so the skin is taut
- Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
- Lower hydration or use bread flour
Collapsed or sunken middle
Likely causes
- Oven door opened too early
- Too much leavening or sugar
- Under-baked centre
- Over-proofed yeast dough
What to do
- Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
- Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
- Test the centre before removing
- Proof less
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Crust too hard or thick
Likely causes
- Baked too long at too low a temperature
- No steam at the start
What to do
- Bake hotter for a shorter time
- Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
- Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust
Big holes or tunnels
Likely causes
- Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
- Air trapped while shaping bread
- Uneven proof
What to do
- Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
- Degas gently and shape tightly
- Proof covered in an even, warm place
Dough didn't rise
Likely causes
- Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
- Kitchen too cold
- Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
- Starter not active
What to do
- Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
- Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
- Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
- Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)
Likely causes
- Too warm
- Too much yeast
- Left too long
What to do
- Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
- Use less yeast or a cooler proof
- Set a timer and check early with the poke test
Dry or crumbly
Likely causes
- Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
- Over-baked
- Too little fat or sugar
What to do
- Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
- Check 5 minutes early
- Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source
Reviews & corrections
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