Cartoon Steamed Buns (Christmas Series) - Original

First, pour milk, sugar, flour, oil, and yeast into a mixing bowl. You can use any tool such as a dough press, food processor, bread maker, or knead by hand. Mix the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Start shaping the little snowman. Divide the white dough into two portions as follows: Head: 14g; Body: 21g. Deflate and roll into smooth balls. Place the head on top of the body and attach them together.

Next, make the little snowman's scarf. Take 18g of white dough and mix it with red yeast rice powder to make a bright red color. I didn’t measure the amount of powder—add more if the color isn’t vibrant enough. Take two 1.5g portions of the red dough, roll them into 5cm-long strips, and randomly add small bits of white dough onto the red strips. Flatten them lightly with a rolling pin, then trim the edges with a knife. Now you have a polka-dotted scarf. Our little snowman is fashionable, right? (≧∇≦)

Now, let’s make the little snowman’s Christmas hat. Take 0.4g of red dough and shape it into a cone. Take 0.2g of white dough and deflate it, then roll it into a strip and lightly flatten it. Brush some milk on the lower part of the red cone, then wrap the flattened white strip around it to form the hat brim. Finally, roll a small ball from white dough and attach it to the tip of the hat.

Once the accessories are ready, assemble the snowman. Brush milk on the surface of the white dough for adhesion, then attach the hat and scarf. Mix 1g of white dough with bamboo charcoal powder to create black dough, then roll it into thin strips. Cut them with a toothpick to form the mouth and eyebrows. For the eyes, roll small black balls and stick them in place. Those three black dots on the snowman’s chest? They’re buttons for the snowman’s clothes, not its belly button, right? (￣▽￣)

Now, let's make the Santa Claus. Mix 39g of white dough with a little red yeast rice powder to create a flesh-pink color. Deflate and shape it into a teardrop form—this will be Santa’s face. If you insist on giving him a round face instead, feel free to do so. Your choice! (￣▽￣)

Next, make Santa’s hat. Take 10g of red dough, deflate it, and roll it flat. Cut in half and use one piece for the hat. Set the other piece aside for later use.

Use the neatly cut edge of the dough to form the brim of the hat. Wrap it around the top of the flesh-colored dough, pressing the ends together. Trim any excess dough, and the basic shape of the hat is done.

Roll a little white dough into a ball and attach it to the tip of the hat. Take 9g of the reserved red dough, deflate it, and shape it into a teardrop for Santa’s body. Attach it beneath the face.

Take two 0.3g pieces of red dough, deflate them, and roll them into strips about 2cm long. These are Santa’s arms.

For the brim of the hat, cut a 1cm-wide, 7cm-long strip of white dough. Use scissors to snip along the edge, creating a fluffy effect for the brim.

Flatten the remaining white dough and use a 6cm diameter wavy round mold to cut out Santa’s beard. If you don’t have this mold, scissors will work just fine. Adjust as needed to shape the beard.

Now, it’s time for the heartwarming assembly process. Brush milk onto the surface, attach the hat brim and beard, and stick on the nose, eyes, and mustache. Roll two white strips for the outline of Santa’s clothes, then use black dough to cut a strip and shape it into a belt. Attach the arms and use a brush to apply a little red yeast rice powder as blush on his cheeks. Voila! Santa is assembled. Give yourself a round of applause! （≧∇≦）

After assembly, proceed to proofing. In colder weather, proof for 1 hour after assembly. In summer, the buns may be ready to steam immediately after shaping. Check the dough’s proofing status rather than relying on the clock, as temperature affects proofing time. Ideally, the buns should proof until they reach 1.5 times their original size, and a gentle press on the surface should bounce back slowly. Steam over boiling water at medium heat for 10 minutes, then let it sit for 5 minutes before opening the lid.

This was my second attempt, using the same method and weight. This time, I added glasses for Santa, added decorations to the hat brim, and left the snowman’s scarf without polka dots.