Polish steamed buns are known by many names. Pampuchy, pyzy, pączki na parze and kluski na parze are the popular ones that you must have heard of already.
Steamed buns are also popular in other countries. For example, the Vietnamese and Cantonese cuisines have their version of the recipe and it is called a ‘Bao’. In Japan, they stuff theirs with meat or vegetables and call it ‘Chuka-man’.
In essence, the Polish steamed bun is made of steamed dough. The yeast in the dough gives it a nice soft texture. One that makes it an excellent accompaniment for both sweet and savory food.
The Polish steamed buns recipe uses simple ingredients like flour, milk, yeast, eggs and butter. Way back when supermarkets were not around and finding ingredients was harder, these steamed buns served as a way for Polish people to make a novel dish with easily accessible and cheap ingredients.
Polish Steamed Buns Recipe – Pampuchy, Pyzy
Part I – Knead The Dough
Use a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tsps. of instant yeast, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of sugar. Mix it well so that all the ingredients are incorporated evenly with the flour. Add in ½ cup of warm milk, 1 egg and 2 tbsps. of soft butter.
Make sure that the milk is warm to touch. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast and the dough will not rise.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. This can be done using your hands or with a food processor. Kneading the dough helps activate the gluten in the dough which gives bread its texture.
Part II – Cover The Bowl With A Clean Kitchen Cloth.
After kneading the dough, place it in the center of the bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth. The cloth will prevent the dough from drying. Wait for 1 -1.5 hours for the dough to rise.
Part III – Roll Out The Dough
Use a clean flat surface and roll out the dough. It is important to note the thickness of the dough when doing this. Ideally, it should be around ½” thick.
Part IV – Use A Cookie Cutter To Cut Circles
Cut circles in the dough. Use a cookie cutter to do this. If you do not have a cookie cutter, do not worry. You can use the mouth of a glass. The dough should give you around 15 – 20 circles.
Part V – Cover The Circles With A Clean Kitchen Cloth.
Once the circles have been cut, cover them with a clean kitchen cloth to prevent the dough from drying. Leave them for 30 minutes. The buns will rise again.
Part VI – Steam The Buns For 10 Minutes
Use a steaming basket to steam the buns. You will however need to steam them in parts because the buns won’t all fit in the basket. To prevent the remaining buns from overgrowing, place them in the fridge. Remove them as required.
Polish Steamed Buns Recipe Frequently Asked Questions.
My Dough Did Not Rise. What Have I Done Wrong?
Always check the expiry date on the yeast packet before use. Old yeast is one of the key reasons why the dough does not rise.
The dough should be kept in a warm place to rise. Ideally, this will happen between 1 – 1.5 hours. If the area where the dough is kept has drafts, this may delay the process.
Another important thing to keep in mind is the temperature of the milk used. Warm milk helps activate the yeast. If the milk is hot, it can kill the yeast. In order to make sure that the milk is at the right temperature, check it by placing a drop on your wrist. If it is too hot, wait before starting the recipe.
My Polish Steamed Buns Collapsed When Steaming. What Did I Do Wrong?
One of the key mistakes that people make is lifting the lid while steaming the buns. This lets out the steam and causes a drop in temperature which in turn causes the buns to collapse. Once you place the buns in the steaming basket, close the lid and wait for 10 minutes. Do not open it before that.
Are Polish Steamed Buns Sweet Or Savory?
The real beauty of Polish steamed buns is that they can be served with both sweet and savory items. For a sweet dish, pair the buns with jam or jelly. If savory food is what you are looking for, pair these steamed buns with a meaty stew.
Polish Steamed Buns Recipe - Pampuchy, Pyzy
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of warm milk
- 2 tsps of instant yeast
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsps of soft butter
- ½ tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of sugar
Instructions
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Do it using your hands in a bowl or in a food processor.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen cloth and wait for about 1-1,5h for the dough to grow.
- Roll out. the dough to ½'' (1 cm) thick.
- Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut the circles from the dough. You will get about 15-20 steamed buns from this recipe.
- Cover the circles with a clean kitchen cloth and wait for about 30 minutes for the buns to grow even more.
- Steam the buns for 10 minutes. If you are using the steaming basket, you will probably need to steam them in parts. When one part is steaming, place the other in the fridge to make sure the buns don't overgrow.
Notes
Don't lift the lid when the buns are steaming because they may collapse.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
17Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 75Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 87mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
