InstructionsReset

1. Heat up milk in a microwave for 30s. Mix in sugar and oil. Test the temperature-- it should be warm. Mix in sourdough starter or discard. I usually use discard straight from the fridge.
2. Combine together flour and baking powder. Mix flour mixture into the sourdough mixture and knead until a smooth and elastic dough forms. The dough is sticky at first but keep working with it ~10 minutes by hand.
3. Cover and let rise for 2-4 hours depending on how active your starter is and the environment. Using discard from the fridge, with a room temp of around 75F, mine is typically ready to go in about 3.5 hours.
4. Prepare your steamer with parchment paper or steaming cloth/liner.
5. Make mantous: Using your hand, flatten the dough onto your work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Take one side and tightly roll into a log. Slice into 8 and place it seam side down on parchment in the steamer. See the notes for more shape options. If you are filling the buns, divide into 10 pieces.
6. Cover the steam basket and let the dough prove for ~2 hours.
7. Add water to a pot and turn your stove on high. Place the steam basket on top and steam for about 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the buns sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
8. Storage: You can freeze the buns once they have cooled. To reheat, just pop it back into the steam basket and repeat the steaming step.