Hua Juan (Steamed Spring Onion Flower Rolls) with Chilli Oil
Fluffy twisted steamed rolls layered with spring onion and sesame oil, served with a spoonful of fragrant chilli oil.
Made with Chinese chilli oil and Basic bread dough. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £2.14 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Roll your ready made bread dough (see the base recipe) after its first rise into a rectangle about 40 by 30 cm. Brush the whole surface with the sesame oil.
- 2
Sprinkle over the salt, white pepper and spring onions, leaving a 2 cm bare strip along one long edge.
- 3
Roll the dough up tightly like a Swiss roll, starting from the long edge opposite the bare strip. Pinch the end to seal.
- 4
Cut the log into 8 even pieces. Take one piece, press a chopstick firmly down the middle of the cut side to make a groove, and fold the ends underneath so it looks like a twisted flower. Repeat with the others.
- 5
Place the rolls on small squares of baking paper in a steamer basket, spaced 3 cm apart. Cover and leave for 20 minutes to puff slightly.
20 min - 6
Boil water in the pan below, then steam the rolls for 15 minutes over a medium heat. Turn off the heat and wait 3 minutes before lifting the lid.
15 min - 7
Mix the soy sauce into the chilli oil in a small bowl to make a dipping sauce and serve alongside the hot rolls.
Tips
- Wait 3 minutes after turning off the heat before opening the lid. Sudden cooling makes steamed bread collapse.
- Press the chopstick right down so the layers separate and the flower shape holds.
- Rolls made from yeast bread dough are chewier than traditional Chinese steamed bread, which uses low gluten flour, but they are delicious in the same way.
Storing and freezing
Cool and keep for 2 days in the fridge, or freeze for 1 month. Re-steam for 8 to 10 minutes from chilled, or 12 minutes from frozen, until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I bake these instead of steaming?
You can, at {t200} for 18 to 20 minutes, but they will have a golden crust and a different bread texture. Steaming gives the characteristic soft, white, fluffy result.
Do I need a bamboo steamer?
No. Use a metal steamer, or put a heatproof plate on a rack inside a large pan with a tight lid. Make sure the lid is wrapped in a tea towel so condensation does not drip onto the rolls.
Is the chilli oil very hot?
It is fragrant with a slow heat. Use a little at a time, and stir the sediment from the bottom. Check the base recipe for how to make it milder.
More made with chinese chilli oil
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.