A giant steamed wheat bun from Fuyang (Yingzhou), Anhui, shaped like a bolster pillow and weighing 1–3 kg, with a golden, lightly crisp crust enclosing snow-white, layered crumb that stays moist and chewy for days. A living culinary relic of the 1140 CE Song-dynasty defence of Shunchang; Anhui provincial intangible cultural heritage since 2016.
The Fuyang Pillow Bun traces its origin to the Song dynasty Battle of Shunchang (1140 CE, the tenth year of the Shaoxing reign). When Jin general Wuzhu led more than 100,000 troops against Shunchang Prefecture (modern Fuyang), the people of the city supported General Liu Qi's Army of the Eight Characters — numbering fewer than 20,000 — in a desperate resistance. Locals dismantled doors and window frames for city defences and steamed enormous wheat buns — as large as pillows — as portable provisions for the troops. Soldiers could shave off a slice when hungry and use the firm bun as a pillow when exhausted, so the bread came to be called 'pillow bun'. The tradition passed down through the Yingzhou region ever since. In 2010 the technique was inscribed on Fuyang City's second batch of intangible cultural heritage; in 2016 it was elevated to Anhui Province's fifth batch.
Tap the golden crust and it rings hollow; pull it apart and the white crumb separates into soft, fibrous ribbons with a faint natural sweetness from wheat. Dense and satisfying without heaviness, mild enough to partner any dish — it is a meal in a slice.
The bun's legendary durability comes from three factors working together. First, low hydration (roughly 50% flour to water) produces a tight gluten matrix with few free water molecules, keeping water activity low enough to inhibit microbial growth for two to three days at room temperature. Second, a long cool fermentation with old starter accumulates organic acids (lactic and acetic) that further suppress spoilage and contribute the mild tang. Third, steam cooking gelatinises the surface starch layer into a firm, semi-permeable skin that acts as a moisture barrier, preventing the dense crumb from drying out while sealing the crust into its characteristic golden firmness.
Variations
Smaller 'travel buns' (20–35 cm long) are sold as gifts and souvenirs. Some households roll sesame paste or scallion-and-salt filling between the layers before shaping. A sweet version folds in red-date paste.
On the Palate
Where Fuyang Pillow Bun sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
7 steps · 30 min
- 1180 min
Dissolve old starter in warm water; add flour and knead into a smooth, firm dough (about 50% hydration). Cover and ferment at room temperature for 2–3 hours until doubled in volume.
- 210 min
Turn out the risen dough onto a floured surface; sprinkle a little dry flour over it and knead vigorously for 10 minutes to expel gas and tighten the gluten network until the cut surface shows no bubbles.
Watch outKnead hard until the cut face of the dough shows no bubbles at all — trapped gas leaves holes and a slack crumb instead of the dense pillow texture.
- 310 min
Roll the dough into a large rectangle; fold into thirds, then roll again; repeat 3–4 times to build a multi-layered structure.
- 430 min
Shape the layered dough into a rounded rectangular loaf resembling a bolster pillow, pinching the seams firmly underneath. Place on a cloth-lined steamer; proof for 30 minutes.
- 575 min
Steam over high heat for 60–90 minutes, maintaining vigorous boiling throughout. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
Watch outKeep the water at a hard boil the whole time and never lift the lid — a drop in steam mid-steam collapses the loaf.
- 610 min
Turn off the heat and leave the bun in the covered steamer for 10 minutes to set the shape and prevent the crust from collapsing from the sudden temperature change.
Watch outLeave it in the covered steamer off-heat for ten minutes before opening — the gradual cooldown sets the crust so it won't wrinkle from the cold shock.
- 710 min
Remove the pillow bun and cool on a wire rack; the crust will turn golden and slightly crisp as moisture evaporates. Slice or tear to serve.
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