Steaming without a bamboo basket
We steamed buns for a year in a saucepan with a side plate in it. It works, with three adjustments.
Written by Ana
A bamboo basket is a nice thing to own and it is not the reason good steamed buns are good. What matters is gentle steam, room around each bun, and nothing dripping on them. You can arrange all three in almost any kitchen.
Build a steamer out of what you have
- The widest pan with a lid you own, two centimetres of water in the bottom.
- Something to lift a plate clear of the water. A metal cookie cutter, a ramekin turned upside down, or three balls of foil.
- A heatproof plate or shallow dish that leaves a finger of gap all the way round the pan, so steam can get past.
- A metal colander sitting in the pan works too, if the lid still closes over it.
Cut squares of baking paper a little larger than each bun and sit each one on its own square. Buns stick to plates with real determination otherwise.
Wrap the lid
This is the adjustment that makes the difference. A metal lid collects condensation and rains it back down, and every drop leaves a wet pockmark on a finished bun. Lay a clean tea towel over the pan, put the lid on over it, and fold the corners up on top of the lid so they are nowhere near the flame.
Low heat, and leave it alone
A rolling boil throws water at the buns and blows their tops. You want a steady simmer that keeps a consistent cloud, no more. Buns need eight to twelve minutes depending on size, and lifting the lid halfway to look drops the temperature enough to make them collapse into wrinkled little faces.
When the time is up, turn the heat off and wait three full minutes before opening. The sudden cold air on a hot bun is what causes the shrivelling people blame on the recipe.
Do not crowd the pan
Buns grow by roughly a third and they will fuse into a single loaf if they touch. Two centimetres between them, and steam in batches. This is slow, which is honestly the main argument for eventually buying a stacking basket, and no argument at all against starting tonight.
If you would rather learn it with someone watching, this is the whole first hour of An Introduction to Steamed Buns.