A steamed bun is a healthy food for people with diabetes or other chronic diseases. Flour, milk, sugar, baking powder, yeast, oil, and sometimes meats are used for preparing tasty food. It is a traditional and staple food in the northern part of China. Generally, a bun does not include a sweet taste. Typically, steamed buns have almost the same appearance as pieces of bread. But you have to know how you will steam buns if you do not have a steamer.
This article will show you how you can steam buns without a steamer.
Related Article: An all-inclusive guide to steaming tamales with or without a steamer
Five ways to steam buns without a steamer
Some may ask, “Can I steam buns without a steamer?” Yes, it is possible to steam buns without a steamer. Several methods of steaming buns, including the rice cooker method, oven method, frypan method, etc., are available for streaming. So you don’t need any streamer.
Rice cooker
When a rice cooker starts heating, it steams the buns and prepares the complete dish.
- Add one and a half cups of fresh water to the rice cooker to cook the buns.
- Now, set the buns inside the rice cooker. Each bun must stay one inch away from the other. Thus, they will not be stuck to each other.
- Turn on the power of the rice cooker.
- Steam the buns for approximately eight minutes.
- Turn off the rice cooker but keep the buns inside the device for another eight minutes. It will prepare the food perfectly.
- Finally, take the buns from the cooker and serve them in a dish.
You can use other methods if the rice cooker method does not provide the perfect recipe taste.
Sieve or colander method
A metal sieve or a colander can be an excellent alternative to a bamboo steamer. There is an easy way of using a colander to steam buns. Now, we are going to show the process.
i) First, you have to take a deep skillet. Fill a few inches of water inside it.
ii) Place the sieve inside the skillet.
iii) Place the buns on a greaseproof paper. Parchment paper or cooking paper can be the best option.
iv) keep the covered bun inside the skillet and cover it tightly. It would be best if you made it airproof.
v) Set the high heat and cook for ten minutes.
vi) Finally, you can enjoy the delicious taste of the steamed buns.
Microwave method
If you want to steam buns and make buns tasty, a microwave can help you much. Significantly, it is a preferred cooktop for almost every kitchen. The heat-control system and even the heating process significantly made the device perfect. But can you steam buns in the microwave? The answer is yes. Moreover, you can easily prepare the bao buns with the device. Just follow the steps.
- First, fill a container with a sufficient amount of water.
- Set the buns on the container and place the container on microwave-safe cookware.
- Now, place the cookware inside the oven.
- Set the temperature and start heating for a sufficient time.
- Finally, turn off the microwave and take out the plate of buns. The recipe is fully completed.
Instant pot method
An instant pot makes the cooking process easier. You can cook almost everything with an instant pot within a short time.
- Warm a sufficient amount of water.
- Mix all-purpose flour with the water.
- Make the dough. You can apply the same amount of flour that you usually use.
- Add a sufficient amount of dry yeast.
- Add 1/8 tablespoon of salt.
- Finally, place the dough inside the instant pot and then start cooking.
Applying the fry pan method
Do you want to steam buns without a steamer? If you have a frying pan, you can easily do this task. The pan method is the easiest and most impressive way to steam buns. A frying pan is less costly than a rice cooker or an oven.
- Take the pan and add some water to the pan’s surface. The water amount should be low because it must not submerge the bun.
- Set the buns on the cookware surface with parchment paper.
- Cover the pan with a glass lid. Observing its condition lets you easily determine whether the dish is ready to eat.
- After 10 minutes of cooking, you can turn off the stove. Now, your dish is ready.
Although cooking a bun with a frying pan is not similar to steaming, you can easily make a delicious bun recipe.
Do not overheat the buns. Otherwise, it will be burnt and black, making the buns look bad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you steam buns over boiling water?
Yes, it is possible. If you get frozen buns, you should take boil water to steam them properly. If you keep your buns in boiling water for 15 minutes, they will be cooked automatically.
How long can I steam buns?
There are some easy ways to steam buns successfully. But you should maintain the proper time duration to steam buns. Significantly, 15 minutes is the best time duration to steam buns properly.
Bottom lines
Don’t worry if you have no steamer in your house. The alternative ways are helpful for your steamed buns recipe. The other pots and pans are so good that you can easily enjoy the proper taste of your bun. Finally, you can use a bamboo steamer to prepare your bun recipe to keep the tradition.