Free Web NovelChapter 1125: Chapter 457: Mantou Sandwich—What Kind of Eating Method Is This? Zhen Wensheng: You’ll Regret This!
While Lin Xu was busy in the kitchen, Han Shuzhen, Shu Yun, and Zeng Xiaoqi went to the rooftop terrace to start exercising.
Getting some exercise early in the morning not only wakes you up but also prevents cold hands and feet.
While they exercised, Shen Guofu dutifully jumped rope on the other side of the terrace.
To encourage old Shen to exercise more, Han Shuzhen specially bought a batch of electronic jump ropes that can be connected to mobile phones, and each middle-aged competitor like old Shen, old Huang, and Xie Baomin got one.
These jump ropes can record the daily jumps and upload them online, allowing users to rank and compete with friends.
Under such circumstances, the middle-aged folks clearly put in more effort.
They actively exercise every day, after all, men’s damn desire for victory makes them unwilling to be outdone.
It’s said that now Tan Yajun and Chen Yuejin have joined in, turning from competing in billiards skills to competing in jump rope data.
Initially, Shen Guofu had set a rule that the loser invites others for drinks, but Han Shuzhen forcefully abolished it.
Exercise well and don’t use competition as an excuse to scam food and drinks.
Downstairs, after letting the dough relax a little, Lin Xu kneaded it once, made it smooth, rolled it into a long strip, and then divided it into dough pieces about thirty grams each.
Today, they were steaming not small buns but big buns, so the dough center had to be larger.
Otherwise, the bun wouldn’t be hollow enough to hold more food.
Once the dough pieces were divided, they were rolled into small balls and dipped in peanut oil with chopsticks, allowing the oil to coat each dough piece.
Then they were taken out and left on a tray to dry.
Soaking them like this before stuffing into the bun prevents the dead dough and leavened dough from sticking together. After steaming, the dough center can be easily removed, forming an empty bun.
The dough center for the empty buns can be made from dead dough, leavened dough, half-leavened dough, or half-hot dough.
However, leavened dough tends to stick together, comparatively, dead dough makes it easiest to remove the center, giving a better hollow effect.
With the dough center prepared, the leavened dough was also almost ready.
Lin Xu placed the dough on the countertop, kneaded it to release any air, and also made the dough smooth.
After kneading, he rolled the dough into a long strip and divided it into fifty gram pieces.
Once everything was divided, he pressed the dough pieces down, rolled them into thick sheets, filled them with oil-coated dead dough, and used the peach pinching method to close the opening.
The so-called peach pinching is a common stuffing method in Chinese pastry.
The specific approach is using the tiger mouth position of the right hand to gradually wrap the filling with the dough, commonly used for wrapping Lantern Festival snacks, dim sum, and various stuffed pastries, all employing the peach pinching method.
Once the opening was closed and excess dough was pinched off, the next one was wrapped.
After all the empty buns were made, they were shaped into round buns.
Then the excess dough and leftover leavened dough were combined and turned into several slender and tall high-pile buns.
Having prepared it all, these buns were placed on the oiled steaming rack, ready for a second proofing in the steam cabinet.
Whether buns or dumplings, they shouldn’t be steamed immediately after being made; they need to be proofed for a while to let the dough relax and to release the gluten’s tension.
This makes the steamed goods tastier.
If you steam them directly after wrapping, especially with a strong fire, the steamed buns or dumplings can easily be dense.
Because the dough’s gluten isn’t released, combined with the yeast being steamed to death immediately, it can’t rise fluffily.
After fifteen minutes, Lin Xu added water to the steam cabinet and started steaming.
The steam continued for twenty-three minutes, waited for the steam cabinet to trip off, and then steamed passively for another two minutes. Upon opening the steam cabinet, a pleasant aroma wafted out.
The home steam cabinet was a bit small, and these buns took up most of the space.
Lin Xu carefully took the steaming tray out, and Shen Jiayue, who had just finished exercising, couldn’t help but exclaim:
"Wow, these plump white buns look so tempting."
Lin Xu took the buns off the steaming rack, placed them on the countertop, and gently sliced their sides with a small knife, immediately releasing a gush of steam.
Pinching the ends of the opening with his hands, the entire bun opened its ’mouth,’ revealing its hollow center, with a small dough ball inside - the stuffed dead dough center.
He took out each dough center, and the beans in the pot were ready, along with the half-thawed pork.
Lin Xu chopped the meat into cubes and cut the dried green beans into small sections.
As he was busy, Shen Guofu walked in, saw the prepared meat cubes, dried green beans, and dead dough lumps on the table, and curiously asked:
"What’s Xiao Xu preparing? Fried dough lumps?"
Fried dough lumps?
What dish is this, fried dough lumps?
Just as Lin Xu was about to ask, Shen Guofu muttered:
"In my childhood, the fried dough lumps from the halal stall were my favorite. Stir-frying dough lumps with mutton fat, that flavor is beyond words."
Stir-frying dough lumps with mutton fat?
Can’t make that now, but today we can make fried pork cubes and dough lumps.
Lin Xu said with a smile:
"I’ll make it in a bit, you can taste if it’s like the childhood good taste."
"Sure... I was going to eat a bun as a snack first, but since you’re making fried dough lumps, I’ll wait and see if it tastes like my childhood."
He used a vegetable knife to slice the dead dough into pieces, then cut into strips before dicing it.
After slicing everything, prepare scallion and ginger and other seasonings, and start stir-frying.
Pour oil into the pan, heat it, then add pork cubes for stir-frying. When the surface is slightly golden, add scallion, ginger, and dried chili segments, stir-fry again, then add Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, and a small spoon of salt.
