I love the texture of steamed buns. Soft, but supple, with that chewy outer layer that you can pull apart with your hands. While it’s probably bad banners to play with your food, I guarantee you won’t be thinking about what other people think when you start tearing into these gorgeously swirled purple sweet potato mantou rolls! The swirled layers of sweet potato dough and almond milk dough are sweet, fragrant and taste amazing together. It’s quickly become my family’s new favorite.
Why I love this Recipe
- Soft, fluffy and amazingly moist
- Easy to make if you have a stand mixer
- No eggs, no milk, no dairy needed!
- higher in fiber, to keep you fuller longer and rich in antioxidants from the purple sweet potatoes
- lower calorie and lower carb
- makes the best breakfast and snack
Ingredients Used to Make Swirled Purple Sweet Potato & Almond Milk Mantou
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Bread Flour - I used bread flour for this recipe (I use King Arthur Bread Flour most), which I prefer and highly recommend for the best texture and structure. Please read the note on the substitution section below if using other flours.
- Instant Yeast - you can find instant yeast in the baking section near the flours. My favorite is SAF Instant Premium Yeast, which works quickly and consistently produces great results. I recommend using instant yeast over active yeast for this recipe since active yeast (unlike instant yeast) needs to be activated in water, which we don't add until the very end.
- Sugar - I used raw cane sugar, but you can use regular granulated white sugar, or healthier alternatives like coconut, date, or maple sugars which are less processed and more natural. I also sometimes like to use honey powder.
- For yeasted breads, I would not recommend using sugar-free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener or stevia powder since they can cause the bread to not rise properly. If you prefer a lower sugar recipe, you're welcome to leave out the sugar. The bread might taste slightly plain, but it will not significantly impact the shape or texture of the bread.
- Salt - Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Baking Powder - helps to puff up the dough during the steaming process.
- Mashed Purple Sweet Potato – this recipe uses mashed purple sweet potatoes which are a kind of Asian sweet potatoes that have a thicker, heavier flesh than orange sweet potatoes when baked. The dense texture is almost described as a baked russet potato. Purple sweet potato (also called Japanese Purple Sweet Potato or Okinawan Sweet Potato) can be found in most Asian grocery stores.
- Olive Oil - I like using light olive oil since it has a neutral flavor, but you can also any cooking oil of your choice like coconut oil, or avocado oil instead
- Milk of Choice – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe.
Equipment
- I used a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. You're also welcome to use a bread machine, or knead the dough by hand.
More Sweet Potato Recipes (HERE)
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Swirled Purple Sweet Potato & Almond Milk Mantou
STEP 1
Cook purple sweet potatoes, either by steaming them for 30-40 minutes on the steamer or by microwaving them until tender. Here's the shortcut microwave method post for reference!
Mash the purple sweet potatoes while still warm using a fork.
STEP 2
Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
STEP 3
Add the mashed sweet potato , water and the apple cider vinegar to the dry ingredients
Start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute, until all the ingredients are mostly combined.
STEP 4
Add the olive oil next, and continue to knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
STEP 5
Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Set aside and let rise for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
Note: the dough will appear grayish, but the purple color will come back once the steamed buns are heated.
STEP 6
Now prepare the almond milk dough. First by mixing the dry ingredients in the stand mixer, then adding almond milk, kneading 1-2 minutes until the ingredients are mostly incorporated.
STEP 7
Add the olive oil next, and continue to knead for about 10-15 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
STEP 8
Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
STEP 9
Use a rolling pin to flatten each of the dough into a large rectangle, about 18 x 10 inches in size
STEP 10
Place the rolled out almond milk dough on top of the purple sweet potato dough
STEP 11
Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a tight cylinder (like a sushi roll or cinnamon roll). Pinch the ends to seal.
STEP 12
Use a dental floss or a sharp serrated knife to divide the log into 12-16 equal pieces, and place on a piece of parchment square, or a sheet of steamer paper.
STEP 13
Transfer the buns to the steaming pan and steam the buns for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
How to Store Swirled Purple Sweet Potato & Almond Milk Mantou
- These steamed buns can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge inside an airtight container for 7 days.
- For longer storage, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, re-steam buns in a steamer for about 10 minutes.
NOTE ON SUBSTITUTIONS
- Unfortunately, gluten-free flours cannot be substituted for bread flour in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour can be used instead of bread flour, but will produce softer, less chewy steamed buns.
TIPS
- Weigh your flour for the best results. 1 cup of bread flour = 120 grams / 4.23 oz. This is recommended since scooping the flour directly from the bag can can pack the flour into the measuring cup, and this means you’ll end up with more flour than what’s called for in the recipe. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure the flour by spooning pre-sifted flour into the measuring cup, then using the straight end of the spoon to level the flour across the top to sweep off the excess.
- To make this recipe in the bread machine: add all the dry ingredients into the machine, stir briefly before adding the wet ingredients. The machine can be set for basic. Check the dough for consistency and adjust by adding additional water (or flour) before the end of the first kneading cycle. If you want to add additional nuts or dried fruits, leave them aside, and only them 3 minutes before the end of the second kneading cycle.
Swirled Purple Sweet Potato & Almond Milk Mantou (Chinese Steamed Buns Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
Purple Sweet Potato Steamed Buns Bread Dough
- 2 cups bread flour 240 g, sifted and leveled*
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar read notes** for substitutes
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅔ cup mashed sweet potato 151 g , about 1 medium cooked sweet potatoes***
- ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp water
- ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar (to preserve the purple sweet potatoes color)
- ½ Tbsp light olive oil or melted coconut oil or avocado oil
Basic Almond Milk Steamed Buns Bread Dough
- 2 cups bread flour 240 g, sifted and leveled*
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar read notes** for substitutes
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅔ cups unsweetened almond milk 160 g, warmed to room temperature. I used unsweetened original
- ½ Tbsp light olive oil or melted coconut oil or avocado oil
Instructions
- Prepare 2 separate dough recipes (1)PURPLE SWEET POTATO STEAMED BUNS and (2) ALMOND MILK STEAMED BUNS
Dough 1
- Mix the dry ingredients for the sweet potato dough (bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder ) in a medium mixing bowl.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar to the water, and add to the dry ingredients - along with the mashed purple sweet potatoes.
- Use your hands and knead the dough for about a minute, until all the ingredients are mostly combined.
- Add the olive oil next, and continue to knead for about 10-15 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
- Note: Additional 1-2 Tablespoons of water (or additional bread flour) may be necessary depending on the protein content of the flour, the water content in the sweet potatoes, as well as the humidity and temperature of the kitchen.
- Cover and set aside.
Dough 2
- Mix the dry ingredients for the almond milk dough (bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder ) in a clean medium mixing bowl.
- Pour almond milk into the dry ingredients.
- Use your hands and knead the dough for about a minute, until all the ingredients are mostly combined.
- Add the olive oil next, and continue to knead for about 10-15 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
- Note: Additional 1-2 Tablespoons of almond milk (or additional bread flour) may be necessary depending on the protein content of the flour, as well as the humidity and temperature of the kitchen.
- Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes***
Shaping and Steaming the Dough
- Use a rolling pin to flatten each of the dough into a large rectangle, about 18 x 10 inches in size
- Place the rolled out almond milk dough on top of the purple sweet potato dough
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a tight cylinder (like a sushi roll or cinnamon roll). Pinch the ends to seal.
- Use a dental floss or a sharp serrated knife to divide the log into 12-16 equal pieces
- Place on a piece of parchment square, or a sheet of steamer paper.
- Let rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil water and prepare the steamer
- Transfer the buns to the steaming pan and steam the buns for 15 minutes
- Enjoy!
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