Jiaodong Big Steamed Buns 胶东大饽饽

Jiaodong Big Steamed Buns (胶东大饽饽) have a documented local version in Tanxitou Village (滩西头村), Zeku Town (泽库镇), in Weihai’s Nanhai New Area (威海南海新区). China Shandong News describes maker Wang Haiyan’s (王海妍) buns as soft and pleasant to eat, with a touch of sweetness.

An inherited starter and hand finishing

Wang uses a traditional starter passed down through her family. Once the dough has risen, it goes through a dough press before being kneaded by hand. She explains that this combination gives the dough a more consistent firmness than the entirely manual preparation she previously used.

Wooden moulds and iron pots

Wooden moulds called bobo kezi (饽饽磕子) give the buns decorative forms. Wang lists fish, peaches, ingots, lotus leaves, lotus seedpods and the twelve zodiac animals among the designs. The shaped buns rest to rise again before steaming. Her household uses large iron pots, which she associates with the wheat fragrance of the finished buns.