Puffy Steamed Bread

Directions

1. 1
   Wrap the lid of the steamer with a kitchen towel and tie it up (to prevent condensation from dripping on the the bread).
2. 2
   Bring water to a boil in the steamer.
3. 3
   Put the cake flour, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl and mix together with a whisk.
4. 4
   Add the low fat milk and mix well.
5. 5
   Add the vegetable oil and mix again.
6. 6
   Set the glassine cups in the cocottes, and fill them about 80% full with the batter.
7. 7
   Put the cocottes in the steamer, steam over high heat for 15 minutes, and they're done.
8. 8
   The brown sugar version is delicious too.
9. 9
   If your steamer is too small or you don't have a steamer: Fill a frying pan with enough water to come 1cm up the sides of the cocottes, and bring to a boil.
10. 10
    When the water is boiling, carefully add the cocottes, cover with a cloth-covered lid, and steam over medium-high heat for 15 minutes.
11. 11
    I used a shallow frying pan so the tops of the puffed up breads got stuck to the cloth.
12. 12
    I recommend using a deep frying pan.
13. 13
    These are steamed in a deep frying pan.
14. 14
    Watch the pan to make sure it doesn't boil dry.
15. 15
    Divide the batter into 3 portions and coloring each one differently.
16. 16
    The pink is colored with a tiny bit of red food coloring on the tip of a toothpick, and the green one has 1 scant teaspoon of matcha.
17. 17
    Here I used 170 ml of soy milk instead of the low fat milk.
18. 18
    It's even more moist.
19. 19
    Try using extra rich milk instead of the low fat milk, and increase it to 160 ml.
20. 20
    This version is made with extra-rich milk that I bought in a multi-pack.
21. 21
    The cow on the carton of extra-rich milk is so cute.
22. 22
    You can lightly oil the cocottes and steam the batter in them directly without the glassine cups.
23. 23
    The breads in the photo were steamed in 5cm diameter cups using soymilk in the batter.
24. 24
    They look like cute mushrooms.