Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls Recipe (Hua Juan 花卷)

Hua juan or Chinese Flower Rolls (花卷) as some may call it is a variety of bun similar to that of a Mantou. It is extremely soft and fluffy and has a green onion filling that will bring tons of flavor with each and every bite. It’s cheap and simple to make and will be just the thing you’ll need to start off your day.

If you know anything about me, then you’ll know that I absolutely love Chinese steamed buns. They are a family favorite as I been eating them all the time ever since I was a kid.

My mother would always make me steamed buns each month because she knew just how much I loved eating them. They are soft and fluffy and pairs perfectly well with many kinds of food dishes.

And from time to time, she’ll even make a different variety of steamed buns. One of which is the Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷. It is basically the same thing as the regular steamed bun but with a lot more flavor packed inside.

We would typically make these type of special buns during holidays like Lunar New Year where we would usually gather together with my relatives. It is a great bonding experience and is such so much fun to do.

Because of my love for this bun, I want to share with the world just how great these buns really are. I asked my mother to teach me how to make this delicious bun and now I am going to show you all how to make it as well.

What Are Hua Juan (Flower Rolls)?

Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷 is basically a different variety of the Chinese Steamed Bun. If you ever had a mantou before then you’ll know that this is extremely similar to it. The only difference is that for a Hua Juan, it has a slight touch of oily filling with lots of green onion bits in it.

It is also usually shaped differently to show off all the layers and curves this bun usually has. It is a popular bun to have for breakfast or even as a regular meal.

If you are interested learning how to make the more common version of a Chinese steamed bun which is the “Mantou”, then you can click here for the recipe.

Ingredients Used To Make This

Making Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷 is a very simple thing to do as it only uses very few ingredients.

The ingredients you’ll need to make this bun is as followed:

• All Purpose Flour – 4 Cups
• Water – Up to 1 1/3 Cup
• Instant Yeast – 2 Teaspoons or 1 packet
• Sugar – 1 Tablespoon
• Baking Powder – 1 Teaspoon
• Neutral Oil (Vegetable, Canola etc) – 2 Tablespoon
• Green Onion – 3 to 5 Stalks

Making The Hua Juan Dough

Making the dough for Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷 is a simple process. However it does take some time as you will need to let the dough rest for awhile. But other than that, it’s not too bad to make.

The process to make Hua Juan is as followed:

Fill a bowl with about 1 and 1/3 cup water and then pour in your instant yeast.

Then grab a large mixing pot and put in all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and sugar).

Carefully pour in your yeast water into the pot with the dry ingredients. You want to add the water slowly while making sure to stir the ingredients around to combine them.

You’ll only want to add enough water where the mixture can become a dough like substance. You don’t want it too wet as it will be too soft.

Once you have added enough water and your mixture becomes a dough like substance, it is time to knead the dough.

Dust your working surface with some flour and start kneading the dough.

You want to keep kneading the dough until it becomes smooth.

Then place the dough back in the pot and cover it up with a cloth or something.

After you have covered the pot, place it somewhere that is room temperature and let it rest and rise for about 2 hours or so.

I chose the oven as it is my place of choice for letting dough rest and rise.

Once it has rested for about 2 hours, take the pot out and get ready to make your Hua Juan.

How To Shape Hua Juan

Turning the dough into Hua Juan is a pretty simple thing to do.

The process to shape it is as followed:

First prep your work station by dusting it with some light flour.

Then take your Hua Juan dough out of the pot and place it on the table.

Knead it some more just for a few more minutes so that your dough can be super smooth.

You’ll want to grab a rolling pin and start rolling the dough into the shape of a rectangle.

Your dough should be in the shape of a rectangle as pictured below.

Make sure you do not roll the dough too thin. It should still be slightly thick.

Do not worry if your dough turns into an ugly rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Then onto the dough, you’ll want to add just a touch of oil to it.

Spread the oil around all over the surface of the dough.

After that, you’ll want to sprinkle your chopped green onions all over the dough.

After you have finished sprinkling green onions onto your dough, it is time to shape it.

First take the bottom long side of the dough and fold it 1/3 of the way up.

Now fold it one more time to make it look like a flattened burrito.

Now take your knife and get ready to cut this dough into sections.

You want to cut one section thin and one section a little bit wider than the first.

It should look like this.

Your thin section should be about 1 inch wide while your wide section should be about 1 1/2 inch wide.

Place the thin section on top of the wide section.

Grab a chopstick or a thin stick and press down along the middle of both the wide and thin sections.

Now using both hands, grab the ends of the dough and stretch it slightly.

Do not stretch too hard or it’ll rip the dough in half.

Flip the stretched dough over, and place a chopstick or a stick in the middle of the dough.

Fold the dough over so that both ends of the dough touch.

Now using one hand, hold onto the ends of the dough while using your other hand to do a circle twist with the chopstick.

You should end up with something that looks like this.

Gently remove the chopstick.

You should be left with what looks like a Hua Juan Dough.

That’s basically it!

It might seem hard at first if you have never done this before.

But with a little patience and practice, it will get a lot easier I promise!

After making this a few times, you’ll be able to churn out Hua Juan like a pro.

Steaming Your Hua Juan

Once you have made your Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷 shapes, it is time to steam them.

Grab your steaming basket and place your Hua Juan inside.

Do not start steaming yet!

Cover the basket with your hua juan inside and let them rest for about 15 to 20 more minutes. This will let them get a bit bigger in size.

After 15 to 20 minutes have passed, it is now time to steam them.

So turn on the heat to high and steam the hua juan buns for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Once 15 to 20 minutes has passed, turn off the heat and your hua juan is ready to serve.

How To Store/Keep This Bun

Storing Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷 for the future is a very simple thing to do.

Basically you can store them by placing them inside an airtight container or plastic bag and storing it in the fridge for around 3 to 4 days. If you are wanting to freeze it then you can put it in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Just know that this type of bun tends to get hard and firm once they become cold. So if you are wanting to make them soft and fluffy again, all you have to do is simply reheat them in the steamer. Just steam them for a few minutes and they’ll be just like brand new again.

Did you try making my Chinese Steamed Flower Rolls / Hua Juan / 花卷? If so, how were they? I would love to hear all about it down in the comment section below or you can connect with my on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.