The application of 3D printing in the food field has received a lot of attention, and 3D printing can be used to make food that is easy to chew. Steamed buns are a traditional Chinese food, and no one has yet used 3D printing to make easy‐to‐swallow buns. In this study, rice flour and yeast were added to flour to improve its printing properties and textural properties, the effects of water addition on these properties were also studied. According to the results of preliminary exploration, a response surface with chewiness and cohesiveness as the response values was designed. When the water content was 64%, the addition of rice flour was 25%, and the addition of yeast was 0.36%, the chewiness of the optimal solution was 4.941 N and cohesiveness was 0.66, which were considered acceptable. It provides a new idea for developing steamed buns that meet the needs of various groups of people.
Novelty impact statement
As a traditional Chinese food, the commercial value of steamed buns is gradually increasing. The steamed buns made by 3D printing were similar in shape to traditional steamed buns but smaller and easier to chew and swallow. It can be considered easy‐to‐swallow food. This study also provides new ideas for the development of easy‐to‐swallow foods.