This recipe is a recipe that requires a little more skill and elbow grease than my previous recipe. It also requires more time. It also includes a preferment. If you bake bread, you will know that preferments adds strength and flavour clarity to your dough and gives it that tang. A sourdough starter is a kind of preferment. Other names include biga, poolish, levain, or even pate fermentee. A preferment is a dough that's made separately from your main bread dough with varying amounts of flour, yeast and water and left to ferment. Some will take a few hours to ferment whilst others will take up to half a day or longer. This preferment consolidates with the main dough before the proofing stage.

This recipe has a little more tanginess, chew and has more flavour than the steamed buns without the preferment. For those whose passion is bread-baking, the preferment that I am using is like a biga preferment, with twice the amount of flour to water. For those who know and have a little more time and know-how, you can replace the preferment recipe that I have used with a Biga. My recipe tries to strike-the-balance between flavour and time so you can make this in 5 hours instead of up to two days with the traditional biga. It's also the perfect recipe for someone who wants to get started in the world of preferments.

Steamed buns with preferment

Makes about 30 buns. Time: 30 minutes plus 4 hours proving time.

Method

To make the biga, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix in the milk/water until it is just combined and looks like a loose dough. Cover with cling film and allow to rest for at least 3 hours.

After 3 hours make the main dough by combining the dry ingredients with the oil and milk/water. This will take a bit of time but be patient. If it’s too dry add a teaspoon or two more water /milk. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Combine the preferment with the main dough and knead for 3-4 more minutes until combined. Put the dough in a large oiled mixing bowl. Lightly grease a piece of cling film and cover the bowl. Leave in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in size. This will take about 30 minutes.

Dust the surface of the table with flour, and roll the dough with a rolling pin. With a round cookie cutter cut into the dough, and brush the surface with vegetable oil and fold it in half. Allow dough to prove for a further 20 minutes.

Glaze the surface of the dough with milk and place into a steamer for 10-15 minutes. Your steamed buns are ready for the fillings.