Pampuchy

Many names, one dish. Pampuchy are simply soft, fluffy steamed yeast buns, traditionally served with sweet sauces and fruit, though they also work beautifully as a side to savoury dishes. Some sources say they can be filled with fruit, drizzled with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (yum!). I didn’t grow up eating them at home, but they’re really not difficult to make – essentially, they’re like doughnuts… just steamed instead of fried ;). They’re light, delicate and best served warm, though reheated in the microwave they still taste just as good. Serve them with my sour cream sauce or simply sweetened cream with vanilla, and don’t forget fruit in syrup from your pantry. To steam the buns, you can use a wide pot with cheesecloth tied over the top, or a metal sieve placed over simmering water and covered tightly with a lid, leaving room for the buns to rise. A steamer works perfectly too and makes things much easier.

Makes about 12 – 14 dumplings.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 500 g strong white bread flour (+ 20 g for dusting)
• 250 ml milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 g butter, melted
• 30 g sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 30 g fresh yeast or 14 g dried yeast

To serve:

• vanilla cream sauce (see below)
• fruit in syrup (e.g. berries)

Sift the flour and mix with the dried yeast (if using fresh yeast, prepare a starter first). Add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough, adding the melted butter at the end. Knead until smooth and soft (the dough may be slightly sticky – try not to add extra flour; a stand mixer with a dough hook is recommended). Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1½ hours).

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Divide into portions of about 65 g each and shape into balls. Place them on a floured surface or cloth, cover and leave to rise again until doubled (about 20–25 minutes). Tip: Since steaming takes up to 10 minutes and you can cook only a few at a time, you can place some of the shaped buns in the fridge to slow down rising.

Pour water into a wide pot (about ¼ full) and bring to a gentle simmer. Tie cheesecloth over the top of the pot. Place the risen dumplings on the cloth, leaving plenty of space between them (they expand a lot!), cover tightly and steam for about 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid during steaming – the dumplings are delicate and may collapse if disturbed or under/over-steamed.

Serve warm with vanilla cream sauce and fruit in syrup.

Ingredients for the vanilla cream sauce:

• 300 ml thick sour cream
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar (or honey/agave syrup, to taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 8 g vanilla sugar

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Enjoy!