Einstein said “Imagination is More Important Than Knowledge” For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

I have been thinking of making this flower rolls for eons. Last year my friend came to my house and noticed my spring onions growing wild! Too many of them. She recommended I made spring onion oils. I am not a big fan cause I do not like the ‘brownish’ looking spring onions after. I’ve never needed to buy spring onions ever for years. They just grow all through winter in my garden which is a South facing little micro climate area in Hertfordshire. I am really lucky!

I lost the use of my bamboo steamer a few years back as I kept it in the shed and it went mouldy. It’s very difficult to buy one of bamboo the size I wanted until recently. I bite the bullet and got a new one few months back as they are expensive! Hubby was ‘you’ve not use your bamboo steamer yet’ few few times already and I pretended to ignored him 😀 I know he is hinting for my special ginger parcels. 😀

Today I have made spring onions (scallions) and lap cheong flower rolls. This idea been in my head a long time but I just needed to find out how to make the green of the spring onion remains fresh looking even after baking!

My boy on the other hand do not like to eat spring onions and won’t touch lap cheong (Chinese sausage) and he requested for ham and cheese. so I made some ham and cheese for him too!

While I was cutting the ham I remembered I have some pineapple I was saving for rojak but hey ho I will use it for him to make him a happy boy. So the Hawaiian Flowered roll is born!

My mind was in over drive thinking of all the combinations possible both sweet and savoury now that I have decided I want to use this combination of flours and liquid ratio. It gives me a soft roll and I much prefer steamed rolls to baked really. I find steamed boa/rolls much softer and less dry than bread. Easier on the palate

I tweaked my char siew bao recipe a bit and viola this flower dough roll is born. For the steps to making this dough please refer to https://www.julieolive.co.uk/2020/07/28/easy-char-siu-baozi/ to see how to make the dough.

Use the my fours to liquid ratio as a guide and experiment. I have done a few suggestion here and hope you enjoy it.

Having more liquid makes for a softer boa/roll but the shape would not look as good but eats better.

Having less liquid gives you a better looking bao/roll but do not taste as soft just ecstatically pleasing to the eye.

TIP – To keep your spring onions and chives green even after baking you first soak them in 2 litres of cold water + 1 tsp of baking powder for 30 minutes before slicing for use. In this way your spring onions will still look just plucked from garden even after baking. Refer to my pic 😀

TIP – To eat the next day all you have have to do is microwave it 30 seconds.

Flower rolls Huā Juǎn/花卷 with lap cheong – Special

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Ingredients

Ingredient A

250 g Low gluten flour
2 pkt 7g yeast
200 ml Tepid water

Ingredient B

200 g Low gluten flour
1 tsp Baking powder
60 g Castor Sugar
60 ml Vegetable oil
2 to 3 tbsp Full cream milk to bind
half tsp Ammonia powder (optional)

Ingredients for the flower rolls (optional)

Flavoured oils
Spring onions or Chives
Chinese sausage or minced pork or ham
Salt & pepper seasonings

Instructions

Ingredients A

Blend ingredients A and let it rest till double. In colder days it takes 2 hours and in warmer days an hour in the UK or faster if you zap your microwave then put dough inside for the warmth or place near radiator in winter.

Ingredients B

After Ingredients A is ready add in Ingredients B and knead well. Then rest for half an hour till doubled in size.

Instruction

Flour your surface and roll dough out into a rectangular shape.
Brush with your chosen flavoured oil
Add the topping of your choice.
TIP – Place a cling film on top of your chosen toppings and gently press so they goes into the dough lightly.
Roughly eyeballed your dough in your minds' eyes and divide into 3 parts.
Fold the top third down and the bottom third up. (Please find a YouTube video as I had forgotten to take pics) However when I make again and remember to do so I will update
Slice the rectangular dough into 2 halves. ~ Cut one half into half and portions (refer to pics)
Place one slice on top of another and press down with a metal chopstick if you have. (I prefer to use stainless steel)
To make the 'flower' shape please refer to YouTube or look very closely at my pics – kekekekekeke

Steaming

After resting your shaped rolls/buns let them rest for 30 minutes before steaming.
Heat steamer water to rapid boil before steaming.
Place your ready shaped rolls/bun to steams turning the heat to medium towards low. Steam for 10 minutes.