Steamed rice cakes

This is a really easy Chinese recipe to make. The name of this dish is ‘Bai Tang Gao’ in Mandarin and ‘Bak Tong Gao’ in Cantonese. We have decided to include it not just because of how tasty these cakes are, but also because of their soft and spongy texture that makes them easier to chew and digest while on the bike. Plus, they’re even tastier when cold. To make this recipe you’ll need a bowl to mix all the ingredients together, a whisk, a saucepan, a spoon, plastic wrap, a pot, a casserole or a pan to use as a steamer and a small metal dish (approx. 16 cm diameter). Ingredients: 250 g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) of rice flour 150 g (¾ cups) of sugar 500 ml of water 5 g of dry yeast 20 ml of lukewarm water A few drops of sunflower oil or one that doesn’t have too strong of a taste Preparation: Mix the flour with 250 ml of water in a big bowl. Whisk well and set aside. Place the sugar and the remaining water (250 ml) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a spoon to melt the sugar and wait for it to come to a boil. As soon as bubbles start forming on the surface, remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the liquid over the rice flour and water mixture in the bowl. Blend well and wait until the temperature of the mixture drops down to 35ºC. Meanwhile, mix the dry yeast with 20 ml of lukewarm water, and set the mixture aside for at least 5 minutes before pouring it into the big bowl. As soon as the rice, water and sugar mixture drops to the aforementioned temperature, add the dry yeast dissolved in water and combine. If you don’t have a thermometer to check the temperature you can use your finger: just dip it in the mixture and if you can handle the heat for 10 seconds then it’s good to go. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. After those 30 minutes have passed, add the oil and mix well. Cover again with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1-2 hours. The rising time depends on room temperature: if you live in a cold area you should keep the bowl in the oven next to a containe

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