Today’s recipe is for some leavened goods: steamed cocoa buns.
Soft, fragrant, and tasty cocoa buns cooked by steaming. This type of cooking makes the buns spongy and as light as clouds, an easy and quick bread dough to make with the addition of cocoa for that extra touch.
They are great filled with orange marmalade or red fruit jam for a delightful breakfast or a super snack.
Preparing them is not difficult, but you need a steamer for cooking, as it is this cooking method that gives the buns their unmistakable texture.
Now let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: About 10
- Cooking methods: Steam
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for the Steamed Buns
- 2 cups cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp tsp dry yeast
- 1 tbsp tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp tsp salt
- 2 tsp tsp sugar
- 2/3 cup cups water
Tools
- 1 Scale
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Steamer
- 1 Pastry Board
Let’s Make the Steamed Cocoa Buns Together
In the bowl of the stand mixer, put the water with the yeast and sugar, then mix a little. In another bowl, mix the flour and cocoa, then gradually add it to the water and mix at low speed.
When the flour is almost fully absorbed, add the salt, let it mix a bit, then add the oil and let it incorporate everything.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and work it for a minute with your hands, form a ball, and let it rise for three hours in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Now that the dough has risen, cut it into pieces of about 1.75 oz each and form balls by rolling the piece of dough on the work surface under the palm of your hand, then place them on a tray, a board, or the same work surface.
Put water in a pot and turn on the heat, when it starts to boil, turn it off and place the steamer, making sure the water doesn’t touch. Arrange the buns in the steamer and cover with a lid. Let them rise with the heat off for a good half hour without ever removing the lid. If you use a steel steamer like me, place parchment paper under the buns.
Now that the cocoa buns have risen, turn the heat on to the lowest setting and cook for 30/35 minutes without ever removing the lid.
After the time has elapsed, the steamed cocoa buns are cooked and ready to be enjoyed hot or cold. Take a picture of your steamed cocoa buns and post it on social media tagging me (a curly who bakes instagram and facebook) and let me know how you ate them.
A Curly’s Advice
If, like me, you’re curious to see what happens during proofing and cooking, use a glass lid, but make sure it’s the right size so as not to let the steam escape.
For the more indulgent, it’s possible to add chocolate chips to the dough.
