An Introduction to Steamed Buns
One dough, two shapes, and a morning of steam. The class to start with.
- How longThree hours
- Group sizeEight people
- Price£65 a place
- When it runsMost Sundays, 10am to 1pm
- Who it suitsNo experience needed
This is the class we run most often, and the one to book if you have never made a bun before. You mix one dough at the start of the morning and it becomes both kinds of bun we sell: the folded ones you fill at the table, and the closed ones you pleat and steam shut.
How the morning goes
We start with the dough, because it needs to rest before it can do anything. While it proves you make two fillings, one meat and one without, and we talk through what makes a filling behave itself inside a bun. Then you divide, shape and pleat, which is the part everyone finds hardest and enjoys most.
The last hour is steaming in batches and eating what you made, standing up, with tea. You will steam your own baskets rather than watch someone else do it.
What you should know before booking
The class is hands on for nearly the whole three hours and you will be standing. We work with wheat flour, soya, sesame and peanuts in the room, so it is not a suitable class if any of those are a serious allergy for you. Tell us when you book about anything else and we will work around it.
If you want to carry on at home without a stacking basket, read steaming without a bamboo basket first. It is what we all did before we had proper kit.
What you take home
- Twelve buns you mixed, shaped and steamed yourself, boxed to carry
- The dough recipe, written out in grams for a home kitchen
- A folding card with the pleat drawn step by step
- A bag of the flour we use, enough for another batch
Booking and changes
Paid in full when you book. Seven days notice to move or cancel with a full refund. Inside seven days we will try to fill the place and refund you if we do. If we cancel, you get everything back.
The other three classes
Before you come
One flight of stairs, no lift, and you will be standing for most of it. Wheat, milk, egg, soya, sesame and peanuts are all in the room. Aprons and boxes are provided. Tell us about anything else when you book and we will work around it.