Fun with Piglet Sweet Potato Mantau 制作小猪番薯馒头的乐趣

Mantou is a traditional Chinese steamed bun. Do you agree that the shaping of mantou into mini piglet made the mantou more tastier and nicer？

馒头是华人的传统蒸包，你是否同意把馒头捏成迷你的小猪型，让馒头更添美味和美感呢？

Sweet potato mantou is one of our favourite bao. These rose mantou are too pretty to be eaten too. Aren't they?
番薯包是其中一种我们喜爱的蒸包，这玫瑰型的馒头也美丽得让人舍不得吃下。是不是啊？

Girls, these sweet potato mantou are pretty soft and tasty. Instead of normal mantou roll shape, mom made it into piglet shape for fun.

孩子，这些番薯包非常松软及美味，与其把馒头揉成普通的形状，不如弄成小猪模样，这让馒头更添玩味。

Girls, say hello to our little friend-piglet mantou.
孩子，让我们向可爱的朋友-小猪馒头打招呼。

This cute character makes any food a lot more fun to eat and enjoy.
这可爱的造型会为任何食物添上趣味，享用时也更有芳味。

Mom shaped the mantou into croissant shape too.
妈妈也把馒头揉成羊角或新月形型。

Mom spent an afternoon making sweet potatoes mantou. It took a little practice but it was enjoyable.
妈妈用一个中午的时间制作馒头，这需要一些耐性然而过程很愉快。

The ingredients are 500 grams of sweet potatoes, 650 grams of pau flour, 200 grams of full cream milk, 130 grams of castor sugar, 80 grams of corn oil, 8 grams of dried yeast, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
材料是500克甜番薯，650克包粉，200克全脂牛奶，130克细糖，80克玉蜀黍油，8克干酵母粉，1茶匙发粉及1/2茶匙盐。

Dad purchased two orange-fleshed sweet potatoes from the wet market. First peel off the skin of sweet potatoes. 
爸爸从菜市买了两条橙色肉的番薯，首先我们为甜番薯削皮。

Then slice sweet potatoes into cubes.
然后把甜番薯切成块状。

Transfer 500 grams of sweet potatoes to a metal plate. Then steam until tender.
把500克的番薯移到金属盘，然后蒸到松软。

Transfer steamed sweet potatoes to a medium plate and mash with spoon.
把蒸熟的番薯移到一个中型盘上，然后用汤匙压碎。

Pour 200 grams of full cream milk into a bucket of bread machine.

把200克全脂牛奶倒进面包机的桶里。

Then pour 80 grams of corn oil into the bucket.

接着在面包桶里倒入80克玉蜀黍油。

Add the sweet potatoes puree into the bucket.

把番薯肉加入面包桶里。

Place sugar on the left side of the bucket.
把细糖放置在面包机的左边。

Place 1/2 teaspoon of salt on the right side of the bucket.

把1/2 茶匙的盐放置在面包桶的右边。

Pour 650 grams of pau flour inside the bread machine.
把650克的包粉倒入面包机里。

Do not forget to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
别忘了加入1茶匙的发粉。

Make a well in the center of the flour.
在包粉中间弄一个井。

Sprinkle the dry yeast into it.

撒下干酵母粉。

Then cover with flour.
再用包粉盖上。

Set the bread machine on the dough setting and press the start button. The whole process takes one and half hour.

在面包机上设定面团操作，然后按开始的按钮。整个过程需要一个小时又30分钟。

After one and half hour, take the dough out of the machine. Press out air bubbles inside the dough. Use some pau flour to knead. 

一小时30分钟后，把面团从面包机拿出，挤出空气。用一些包粉揉捏。

Reminder. Mom uses half of  the dough to make piglet mantou only. The whole dough weighs 800 grams.
（提醒）妈妈只是用一半的面团制作小猪馒头，整个面团的重量为800克。

Divide the dough into 20 portions. About 40 grams. Roll each portion into a smooth round.
把面团分成20个部分，每个面团大约40克，把每个部分揉成柔滑的球状。

Cover the dough with a damp towel and side aside to rest. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes or until the dough doubles the size. 
用一条湿布盖住面团，然后放一边让它静休，让面团静休45分钟或直到它双倍膨胀为止。 

After proofing, shape the mantou into piglet.
当发酵后，把馒头整形成小猪状。

Gently flatten a round dough and shape it into oval.

轻轻地辗平一个球状面团然后整形成椭圆形。

Cut out 3 small round balls (for the ears and tail). 1 medium round ball (for the knouts) .

割出三个小圆形（小猪的耳朵和尾巴），1个中圆形（小猪的鼻子）。

 

Attached 2 small round balls to where the pig ears are located.
把两个小圆球放置在小猪的耳朵位置上。

Place a medium ball on the center of each dough. Flatten slightly to make a piglet's nose.
放置中圆球在面团的中间，稍微弄扁以做小猪馒头的鼻子。

With a chopstick, put 2 indentation for the snout.

用一支筷子，在小猪的鼻子上钻两个缺口。 

Flatten a small dough to make piglet’s mantou tail.
弄平一个小圆球·，以作小猪馒头的尾巴。

Mom uses black sesame seeds for the piglet‘s eyes.

妈妈用黑芝麻当作小猪的眼睛。

Finally steam the mantou over boiling water for 12 to 15 minutes.
最后在滚热的水上蒸熟馒头，大约12-15分钟。

Mantou are always best when served warm from the steamer.
馒头最好的滋味就是刚才蒸竹篮里热烘烘出来。

Girls，next time you may try porcupine. Just need to make some snips on the mantou.

孩子，下回尝试做刺猬的馒头，只需要在馒头上加上很多剪口。

Girls, it was fun making these piglet mantou. These adorable piglet Chinese steam mantou are super delicious.
孩子，制作小猪馒头太有趣味了，这些华人的可爱蒸馒头实在美味。

Japanese Sweet Potaoes Mantou 日本紫薯馒头

Sweet potatoes are our favourite. Mom has been looking for sweet potatoes mantou recipe quite some time but did not satisfied with the result.

番薯是我们的挚爱，妈妈一直在找寻合适的馒头制作食谱，但是始终找不到成果满意的食谱。

Finally this recipe worked so well. The mantou comes out so soft even when it is cool. It was surprising. 

最后修正了食谱后，有了意想不到的成果，馒头冷却时还很松软，这真叫人惊喜。

Mom bought these Japanese purple sweet potatoes from wet market. It costs mom RM7 for 600g. Really love the natural colour of the mantou. No need to add any food colouring into it.
妈妈从菜市买这些日本出产的紫色番薯，600克的价格是马币七零吉，很喜欢紫番薯的自然颜色，完全不需要加加添任何食物色素。

Rinse and peel the skins of the sweet potatoes. Cut them up into bite size or smaller cubes. Steam sweet potatoes until soft. Turn off the heat and keep the potatoes in your steamer to stay warm.

把紫番薯冲洗干净然后削皮，接着切成块状。把紫番薯放在锅里蒸熟，熄火后仍旧留在蒸炉里以确保紫番薯保持其温度。

The ingredients are 400g purple sweet potatoes puree , 500g pau flour, 170ml milk, 110g sugar, 65g corn oil, 10g instant yeast, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
要准备的材料是400克紫色番薯泥，500克的包粉，170毫升的牛奶，110克的白糖，65克的玉蜀黍油，10克的发酵粉，1茶匙的发粉和1/4茶匙的盐。

Place all wet ingredients into the bread maker, then add the dry ingredients on top. Girls, with the help of bread maker, mom can make mantou with passion and serve with pleasure.
把所有湿材料放进面包机，然后把干材料放在上面。孩子，面包机是妈妈的好助手，有了它，妈妈可以热衷于制作馒头，快乐于分享馒头。

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add 10g instant yeast to the well.
倒入干材料，在包粉上挖一个井，在洞里倒入10克的发酵粉。

The bread machine will mix and knead your dough. The dough should be about doubled in size after one and half hour in the bread maker.
面包机会混合和糅捏你的面团，1小时30分钟后面团会在面包机里双倍发大。

Girls, pay close attention to the texture of the dough. Try adding a little bit more flour while kneading if the dough is too sticky. If it is hard, add a little more milk.
孩子，留意面团的结构，加入一些包粉搓揉如果面团太粘手。同样的，如面团太干燥，就加一些牛奶吧！

Divide the dough into 24 equal portions and form them into balls. Cover the dough with a clean towel. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

把面团分成均匀的24 部分，然后揉成球形。在面团上盖上干净的布，让面团休息15分钟。

Girls, mom use kitchen scale to weigh the dough portions so that mom can get the same size mantou.

孩子，妈妈通常用枰来量面团，这样我们就能拥有相同质量的馒头。

Roll out the dough until it becomes water dripped shape.
把馒头捏成水滴型。

Flatten the the dough from the base towards the triangle using a rolling pin.
用杆面杖辗平面团，把面团从底端卷向三角形的一端。

Cutting along the center of the dough and fold in.

在面团中间剪开，然后把两边折进。

Girls, mom shaped the mantou into croissant shape. Do you like it? Mom likes the croissant shape than the normal roll because it adds character to the mantou.
孩子，妈妈把馒头揉成牛角型，你们喜欢吗？妈妈喜欢牛角型馒头多于普通型的馒头因为牛角型让馒头更独特。

Or you prefer the flower shaped mantou? It is beautiful to look at and wonderful to eat.
或者你喜欢花型的馒头呢? 它们外表看起来美观，内在也很扎实。

Place each shaped mantou on the steamer rack. Bring a pot of water to boil. Transfer the steamer rack into the pot. Steam over medium heat for about 8 - 10 minutes.

把已经定型的馒头放进蒸笼里，然后把一锅水煮沸，再把蒸笼放进锅里, 中火蒸至8-10分钟。

Dear girls, give it a try. Spent your time in the kitchen, plus a huge dose of patience. If you know how to make your own mantou, you will not buy the packets of frozen pre-made steamed mantou from the supermarket anymore.
亲爱的孩子，尝试做馒头吧！花一些时间在厨房，用一点耐心，倘若你会自己制作馒头，那么你不需要到百货市场购买工厂包装的冷冻馒头。

Girls, instead of normal mantou roll shape, you also can shape mantou into croissant shape. It is fun.
孩子，除了普通的馒头造型，你其实可以做有趣的牛角造型，这为你带来种种乐趣。

Mantou typically paired with a warm glass of soya bean milk and Chinese tea. It is a good waking up in the smell of freshly steamed mantou. Why not have a try on making mantou on your own? 
馒头和一杯温热的豆奶和中国茶是最佳拍档。在馒头新鲜的奶香味中醒来，确实是一件奇妙的事。为何不尝试自己动手制作馒头呢？