北海道牛乳土司（汤种法）Hokkaido Milk Bread (TangZhong Method)

It was snowing while I was taking pictures. Great timing! Snow just seems to fit the scene so perfectly as this bread making technique originated in Japan. If only I had some cherry blossom twigs...ah, oh well. I wish you could smell the fragrance of this bread. Very different from the fragrance of bread in the west.

If you have been to Asia and been in a bakery you will recognize the smell right away. Even if you haven't, I think you will really enjoy this sweet yeast bread.

Hokkaido Milk Bread using the TangZhong method is very popular among Chinese and Taiwanese Bakers. Recipes for this bread have found there way into the Asian bloggisphere and spread like wildfire. No wonder...this bread is exceptionally fluffy and soft and keeps it's freshness for days. Heating the flour in water helps to gelatinate the starch in the flour which helps the dough to absorb more liquid which results in a characteristically softer, more elastic textured bread and will produce a bread with long lasting freshness.  

You will notice in the recipe that the lard is not mixed into the dough until after all the other ingredients have been mixed and formed into a dough. This actually plays a significant role in the texture of this bread. As you mix the lard into the dough it creates many many thin layers of dough separated by layers of lard. This makes the dough so puffy and airy. 

This is not really a sandwich bread (not sturdy enough) but more of a snack bread. Check out these Asian bakery favorite ways to doll up this delicious snack bread.

SESAME ONION CHEESE SNACK BREAD

RAISIN CUSTARD SNACK BREAD

PICNIC SNACK BREAD

Top meat wheels with mozzarella Cheese before baking.

Pictures found at https://blog.xuite.net/darla630430/twblog/365082779-%E9%A6%99%E8%94%A5%E8%B5%B7%E5%8F%B8%E5%90%90%E5%8F%B8

I am really excited for you all to try this recipe for Hokkaido Milk Bread. Hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from 65C湯種麵包 cookbook, written by 陳郁芬著 http://everybodyeatswell.blogspot.ca/2013/10/hokkaido-milk-loaf-tangzhong-method.html

Milk Bread Dough
3 1/3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. milk powder
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 eggs
1/2 cup luke warm whole milk
Roux warm but not hot (recipe follows)
3 Tbsp. lard (at room temperature)

湯種Roux
Adding roux to bread dough is a technique that has been passed around very enthusiastically within the Asian bloggosphere. The Chinese call it the 湯種 tangzhong method and rave about its ability to not only produce exceptionally tender bread but that the bread stays fresh for days.

1/3 cup bread flour
1 cup water

Whisk flour and water for roux in a small pot. put over medium heat and continually whisk until it comes to a boil and then thickens.

This is what it will look like

Making the Dough

Mix the roux, milk and eggs and then stir in yeast. 

Mix the flour,sugar,salt and milk powder together. Give the wet ingredients another good stir then add into the dry. 

Mix until it comes together into a ball.

 Mix 3 Tbsp. room temperature  lard into the dough kneading until you have a smooth but fairy sticky dough. Mixing the lard into the dough after it has already been formed is a wonderful technique that makes the bread so puffy and airy. This step is so key to getting the same textured bread that you find in Asian bakeries. 

Cover and let rest 1 hour in a warm place or until double in size. 

Then divide into three pieces.

Roll the dough out into a long rectangle then fold the two side in. This step just makes the next step easier.

Flip the dough over then roll out again into a long rectangle only about 3 inches wide or as wide as your bread pan.

Optional step for adding a filling: 

 If it is chocolate paste or red bean paste then roll out between two pieces of greased parchment paper. custard can be spread right onto the dough.

 Cut the chocolate or red bean paste sheet into long strips about the same size as the dough.

 Carefully transfer the chocolate or red bean paste sheet to lay onto of the dough.

Roll up the dough.

Here it is shown without a filling. It is done in the same manner as with filling.

Grease a bread pan and place all three rolls of dough in the pan like shown in the photo below.

Cover and leave in a warm place about 40 minutes or until double in size.

Preheat the oven to 350F and then brush the loaves with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. I like to remove the bread twice during baking and brush with more egg wash. This is not necessary though.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

The fun thing about this way of forming the bread and placing it in the pan is that it can then be separated into three mini snack loaves.The texture is incredibly soft and moist. Take a look for yourself.

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