Home Made Mexican Bread 墨西哥面包

I have always been very fond of tasting coffee flavoured food e.g. cakes, biscuits, ice cream, desserts etc. with exception for the drinking of it. Ironic is it?

So the idea of incorporating coffee or mocha into my baking project makes it extremely inviting. Love the aroma of coffee permeating the entire house while waiting for the finished product to be out of the oven.

I am rewriting this post after realizing this posting has been left incomplete ever since I start this blog in the beginning of this year.

This picture came from the first batch of baking did on Nov 2013. And since, I could not locate more pictures of my first attempt for the bread,  I decided to relive the baking process and share this wonderful recipe from my 2nd bake yesterday.

Recipe adapted from one of my favourite bread making book 周老师的美食教室“天然手作面包101道. This is very good and informative book if you are a new and self learnt beginner like me :P

This particular book is packed with recipes (plus a free DVD) on the modern technique of making those soft and sweet breads, as sold by the contemporary bakeries, without using softener or improvers. Furthermore, the recipes in this particular book use mostly direct method, no starter or over night dough ...and yet still produces soft airy bread.  I notice the recipes does use more sugar and fat to retain the moisture of the bread, the same rule applies to baking.

Please adjust the portion to at least half of what is written here as I actually used  double dose of this recipe to make bread and cakes for my husband's co workers when they worked late to finish the month end closing.

Mexican Bread
(Recipe adapted 周老师的美食教室“天然手作面包101道)

Ingredients
(A)

300g Milk 
1 Tbsp Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp Condensed Milk
495g High Protein Flour
105g Low Protein Flour
120g Castor Sugar

6g Salt
2 Grade B Eggs

(B)

60g Unsalted Butter

(C) Topping
135g Butter (softened at room temp)
120g Castor Sugar
2 Grade A Eggs
135g Low Protein Flour

(D)
Chopped chocolate chips 

Method

Combine all the ingredients (A) into the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook and mix with lower speed until all ingredients are well combined.

Add (B) butter and continue using the mixer to knead with medium speed for another 15-20 mins. Once you are able to stretch the dough to a thin membrane before breaking, it is considered ready for proofing. I am using the commercial series of KItchenaid stand mixer, hence shorter kneading time.

Transfer the dough to a slightly greased bowl, cover bowl with either cling wrap or cloth. Allow the covered dough to proof in a warm place (under 28 celsius degrees)  for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. 

Test the readiness of the dough with a finger lightly dusted with low gluten or cake flour. The dough is ready when the dough remain indented after the finger pokes into it.

Punch down the dough. Divide dough into 20 equal portions and mould it round. Let it rest for another 10 mins.

Round out each portions into round balls and tuck the ends down. Arrange each dough on baking mats / muffin cups with liners accordingly. Lightly cover the dough with cling wrap and prepare the dough for the second proofing for 1 to 1-1/2 hrs or until double in size.


(Toppings)

In a separate bowl combine sugar and butter and beat until light and creamy. Add in eggs and mix until combined. Slowly and gently fold in the low protein flour until thoroughly mixed.  The texture is like cake batter. Transfer mixture into piping bag and set aside for later use.

Preheat the oven to 185C degrees 20 minutes before baking. 

Pipe the toppings over the bread and decorate with chopped / chocolate chips.

Bake in the middle rack at 185C degrees for 12-13mins.

红谷米高纤面包 Home Made High Fibre Red Yeast Bread

Bought a packet of wheat germ n red rice powder during my last trip home. Contrary to the dry texture it seems, the bread is actually very soft and tasty on the 3rd day. The best part it's preservative free