Matcha Azuki Hokkaido Milk Bread

Bread is already part of our life, so why not try something new. This matcha bread will be great to pair with a matcha latte.

Ingredients:

Tangzhong:

• 3 Tbsp. water
• 3 Tbsp. whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. bread flour

Plain Dough:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 2 3/4 cups (about 350 g.) of bread flour
• 1 tsp. iodized sea salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 2 large eggs, divided
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. cold water (for egg wash)

Matcha Dough:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 2 3/4 cups (350 g.) of bread flour
• 1 tsp. iodized sea salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk (also called milk powder)
• 3 Tbsp. matcha green tea powder
• 2 large eggs, divided
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. cold water (for egg wash)

Filling:

• 1 cup koshi an (fine sweetened red bean paste, divided)

Instructions:

1. To make the tangzhong, whisk 3 tablespoons of water, 3 tablespoons of whole milk, and 2 tablespoons of bread flour together in a small saucepan until there aren't any lumps. Heat the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste and lines form on the bottom of the pan. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool to room temperature.
2. To make the plain dough, heat 1/2 cup of whole milk to about 110°F or lukewarm to touch (I heated it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to do this). Next, sprinkle the yeast over the milk and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes (the milk mixture should start to foam).
3. Meanwhile, sift the bread flour, salt, sugar, and baker's special dry milk together in a large bowl. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the cooled tangzhong and one large egg.
4. Once the yeast has been activated, gently whisk it. Pour the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a loose, shaggy dough. Then use your hands to knead for 4 to 5 minutes or until the dough forms a somewhat smooth ball. Add the butter into the dough, one tablespoon at a time, kneading in completely after each addition. After all the butter has been incorporated, knead for 4 to 5 more minutes or until a smooth, elastic ball has formed.
5. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Set in the fridge while making the matcha dough.
6. To make the matcha dough: repeat steps 1 through 4, sifting matcha into the bread flour-sugar mixture for the dough. Once matcha dough has been made and placed in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, remove the plain dough from the fridge and set both out to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until well doubled.
7. When the dough has doubled, turn both balls out and punch each down. Cut each ball in half and roll each half out into a 6-inch by 16-inch rectangle. Spread a 1/2 cup of koshi an (red bean paste) on the plain dough halves then top with the matcha halves. Roll each stack up, matcha side in, lengthwise, then place into a greased loaf pan.
8. Cover pans with plastic wrap or damp towels and let rise for another hour or so, or until puffy. Halfway through rising time, preheat the oven to 350° F. When the dough is puffy (you can test this by pressing the dough gently with one finger; if the indentation bounces back slowly but remains it's ready), brush with an egg wash (the second large egg whisked with one tablespoon of cold water).
9. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the loaves are golden-brown and sound hollow when tapped. If the tops of your loaves start to brown too quickly, simply cover with foil. Let loaves cool on a wire rack and slice, serve, and enjoy!

This recipe is made by Alana Kysar from Fix Feast Flair

This recipe is a part of our "Top 10 Bread and Dough Recipes with Matcha" that can be downloaded here.