Cookbook

Book to maintain a personal collection of recipes.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

For one baking tray:

• flour 250g
• water (lukewarm) 125ml
• salt 1 tsp
• sugar 1 pinch
• dry yeast 1/2 pkg (~3.5g)

Instructions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the water and mix.
3. Knead the dough for about 5-10min.
4. Let the dough rest for about 1h at a warm place (~30C).

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

For one baking tray (pizza dough):

• tomatoes 4 medium sized
• tomato paste 2 tsp
• onion 1/2
• garlic 1 glove
• salt 1 tsp
• pepper 1/2 tsp
• italian herbs mix (dried) 2 tsp
• fresh basil
• olive oil

Instructions

1. Chop tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil leaves.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil and start frying onions.
3. After onions are nicely fried, add tomato paste and garlic.
4. After a short time add tomatoes and all the remaining spices.
5. Cook until sauce reached desired consistency.

Mantou (馒头)

Ingredients

For 8 mini buns:

• flour 150g
• salt 1 tsp
• water (lukewarm/warm) 75ml
• dry yeast 1/2 tsp
• sugar 1 pinch

Instructions

Activate the yeast

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water.
2. Add the dry yeast and set aside for 5min.

Prepare the dough

1. Mix flour and salt.
2. Add the water with the activated yeast.
3. Knead the dough for 5-10min.
4. Let the dough rest for about 1h at a warm place (~30C) until it doubles in size.
5. Knead the dough for another 5-10min and make sure to remove all air inside.
6. Roll the dough and cut buns into the preferred size.
7. Place the buns in the steamer and let them rest for 20min.

Steam the buns

1. Start with cold water and high heat.
2. Once steam rises reduce to medium heat and steam for 20-25min.
3. Turn off the heat and let the buns rest for 5min before opening the lid (else they could collapse).

Corn Mantou (馒头)

Ingredients

For 10 mini buns:

• flour 200g
• corn flour 10g
• egg 1
• boiling water
• dry yeast 3-4g
• sugar 10g

Instructions

Prepare the dough

1. Slowly add boiling water to the corn flour and mix until all the flour is lightly moisturized.
2. Let mixture cool down.
3. Add flour, egg, sugar, yeast.
4. Knead the dough for 5-10min.
5. Let the dough rest for about 1h at a warm place (~30C) until it doubles in size.
6. Knead the dough for another 5-10min and make sure to remove all air inside.
7. Roll the dough and cut buns into the preferred size.
8. Place the buns in the steamer and let them rest for 20min.

Steam the buns

1. Start with cold water and high heat.
2. Once steam rises reduce to medium heat and steam for 20-25min.
3. Turn off the heat and let the buns rest for 5min before opening the lid (else they could collapse).

Dumpling Skin (饺子皮)

Ingredients

For 20 wrappers:

• flour 150g
• water (lukewarm) 75ml

Instructions

Prepare the dough

1. Slowly add water to the flour and constantly stir to mix it.
2. Knead the mixture until all flour is absorbed.
3. Put the dough in a freezing bag and let it rest for 10min.
4. Knead the dough for 5-10min until it becomes soft.
5. Put the dough back into the freezing bag and let it rest for 1h.

Roll the wrappers

1. Split the dough in half and put one half back into the freezing bag.
2. Roll the other half and split into 10 pcs (~11g each).
3. Form small disks and roll the wrappers using a rolling pin.

Chili Oil

Ingredients

• canola oil 500ml

• bay leaves 2 pcs

• star anise 5 pcs

• cinnamon 1 stick

• sichuan pepper 3 tbsp

• garlic 3 cloves

• red chili flakes 100g

• salt 1 tsp

Instructions

1. Put oil and all ingredients (except chili flakes & salt) in a heating pot.
2. Heat up the oil to ~110°C and keep constant heat for ~45min.
3. Prepare chili flakes in heat resistant pot.
4. After infusing the oil, pour it through a strainer over the chili flakes.
5. Stir to roast the flakes equally and add the salt.
6. Let the oil cool down and store in fridge.

When using stronger pre-roasted chili flakes, the oil temperature should be reduces before pouring over the chili flakes.

Handmade Noodles (手工面)

Ingredients

For one bowl:

• flour 150g
• water 75ml
• salt 1/2 tsp
• backing powder 1/2 tsp

Instructions

Prepare the dough

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Slowly add water and stir to moisture all of the flour.
3. Knead the dough for 5-10min.
4. Wrap the dough using cling wrap and let it rest for 1-2h.
5. Knead the dough to remove all air.

Make the noodles

1. With a rolling pin flatten it to ~2mm.
2. Dust both sides of the dough with a good amount of flour.
3. Carefully fold it into ~3-4 layers.
4. Cut off noodles with the desired thickness.

Depending on the thickness, noodles take ~2-3min to boil.

Steamed rice

Ingredients

For 1 bowl:

• rice 1 cup
• water
  • short grained rice 1:1 -> 1 cup

Instructions

Prepare the rice

1. Rinsen the rice until the water turns clear.
2. Soak the rice for ~10min.
3. Remove the water used to soak the rice.
4. Add 1 cup of water into the bowl with rice.

Steam the rice

1. Place the bowl in the steamer with cold water and close the lid.
2. Turn on high heat until the water starts to boil, then reduce to medium heat.
3. Steam for ~20min, then turn off heat and let rest for 5min before opening the lid.
4. Put green scallion on top.

Steamed egg

Ingredients

For 1 bowl:

• egg 2 pcs
• salt 1 tsp
• water same amount as eggs
• stock same amount as eggs
• sesame oil few drops
• green scallion hand-full

Instructions

Prepare the egg

1. Beat eggs and salt.
2. Add in water, stock and sesame oil.
3. Beat mixture until combined well.
4. Fill through strainer into the bowl for steaming (try to remove all small bubbles on the surface).

Steam the egg

1. Place the bowl in the steamer with cold water and close the lid.
2. Turn on high heat until the water starts to boil, then reduce to medium heat.
3. Steam for ~10min, then turn off heat and let rest for 5min before opening the lid.
4. Put green scallion on top.

Abbreviations

• tsp teaspoon
• tbsp tablespoon
• pcs pieces