Spiced Ham and Scallion Rolls

Method

1. 01

   Step 1

   Add sugar and yeast to flour and mix well. Then pour in warm water and stir with chopsticks until it resembles cotton wool. Knead it into a smooth dough and let it ferment in a warm place.

   

2. 02

   Step 2

   When the dough is almost ready, chop the scallions into small pieces, dice the ham, and prepare the five-spice powder, baking soda, and salt.

   

3. 03

   Step 3

   Add a pinch of baking soda to the chopped scallions and mix well. This will keep the scallions bright green after steaming and prevent them from turning yellow. However, don't add too much baking soda, or your scallion rolls will look like Dalmatians.

   

4. 04

   Step 4

   When the dough has risen to 2 2.5 its original size, and the inside of the dough has a honeycomb-like structure when you break it open, it is ready. There is no fixed time for this; you can only observe the state of the dough.

   

5. 05

   Step 5

   Sprinkle some dry flour on the work surface, take out the dough and knead it repeatedly to remove air bubbles. Cut it open with a knife; the cut surface should be flat and mostly free of air bubbles. This step is crucial; the dough must be kneaded thoroughly to ensure a smooth surface after steaming the scallion rolls, so don't skip it.

   

6. 06

   Step 6

   Roll out the kneaded dough into a large round sheet about 0.5 cm thick. Since my work surface and steamer are not very big, I divided the dough into two portions. You can adjust this according to your own situation.

   

7. 07

   Step 7

   Brush peanut oil evenly on the surface of the dough, then sprinkle with an appropriate amount of five-spice powder and salt. If you don't have five-spice powder, you can use thirteen-spice powder; it will taste just as good.

   

8. 08

   Step 8

   Sprinkle evenly with chopped green onions and diced ham. The exact amount depends on your personal taste; add as much as you like!

   

9. 09

   Step 9

   Then gently roll up the dough sheet from bottom to top into a long strip, then tuck the edges in and set it down.

   

10. 10

    Step 10

    Place the rolled strips into a steamer, cover and let them rise again until they have increased significantly in size. Steam over high heat 20 minutes with cold water. After turning off the heat, wait 3 5 before opening the lid.

    

11. 11

    Step 11

    Look! The smooth, plump, white spiced ham and scallion rolls are ready!

    

12. 12

    Step 12

    Even after cutting it into small pieces, the scallions remain bright green and haven't turned yellow at all!

    

13. 13

    Step 13

    Have you learned how to make this beautiful and delicious scallion roll with distinct layers? If you like it, try it out!