Sweet Corn Bread 玉米面包

Another lovely bread recipe using 'starter dough / sponge dough'  method. 

Having this prepared in advance and added into the final dough ingredients provides better baked volume and structure to the bread. This method had been widely adopted by bread maker prior to the availability of bread improvers, which, I resisted using until today.  Usually I will prepare several 'sets' of the required sponge dough and store in the fridge for several days, but not any longer than that.

As for the extra buns, I would normally store them in the freezer immediately once it cooled, to retain the freshness and reduce aging of the dough.  Thaw the buns several hours before reheating , I prefer to thaw the frozen bread at room temperature overnight (kept inside the microwave oven or anywhere safe from pets / pest.  You may heat the bread under the steamer (which my hubby likes) or leave for 5-10 mins in a heated oven (preheat at 140C degrees for 10 mins then turn off the heat).  

玉米面包

Sweet Corn Bread
(Recipe credit to Alex Goh's Magic Bread)

Ingredients 
(A)
80g Bread Flour
55g Boiling Water

(B)
350g Bread Flour
50g Chicken Floss
50g Castor Sugar
4g Salt
10g Milk Powder 
6g Instant Yeast

(C) 
150g Cold UHT Milk
2 Egg Yolks

(D)
60g Unsalted Butter

(E)
150g Creamy Corn (canned type)

(F) Optional
Chicken Floss
Mayonnaise


Preparation

Sponge Dough Method.  Mix boiling water and flour from (A) until well blended to form a dough.  Cover and set aside to cool or store in the fridge overnight before using.

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

Add (D) butter and continue using the mixer to knead with medium speed for another 20-25 mins to form an elastic dough.  Once you are able to stretch the dough to a thin membrane before breaking, the dough is ready for proofing.

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 each dough into 10 equal portions and mould it round. Let it rest for another 10-15 mins.

Round out each portions into any preferred shapes on baking mats or by placing the shaped dough into greased baking mould.   Tuck the ends down. Lightly cover the dough with cling wrap and prepare the dough for the second proofing for 1 hr or until double in size.

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

Apply egg wash over the dough. Decorate the buns with mayonnaise toppings, chicken floss

or canned corn and bake in the middle rack at 185C degrees for 15-23 mins or more (depending on the size of dough / mould used).

Enjoy.

Chocolate Strawberry Bread ......sinfully rich and decadent

Made these along with the batch of Mexican breads for my other half's sales team last week since they would normally stay back to work overtime during the closing week of each month. Making almost 40 buns and a batch of 20 light cheese cupcakes for the team as overtime snacks.

Indonesians love cheesey or chocolate flavored in their desserts. This could be easily observed from  the pastries and cakes sold all over the country. I am more of a fan towards coffee or mocha flavored desserts than chocolate or cheese flavored ones.  Last year when I randomly went around the neighborhood bakeries looking for coffee cake but only managed to get something close ie. Vanilla sponge cake with coffee buttercream. This is after going through several bakeries.

I still have leftover chocolate ganache from the recent strawberry chocolate chiffon cake hence I decided to use it on coating the bread as well. As expected, the bread were all taken up within minutes.

Recipe as follows......

Chocolate Strawberry Bread

Ingredients

(A)

200g Milk Water
50g Strawberry Puree 
330g Bread Flour
70g Cake Flour
70g Castor Sugar

4g Salt
1 Grade A Egg

(B)

40g Unsalted Butter

(C) Glazing / Ganache
100g Dark Chocolate (chopped)
100g Milk Chocolate (chopped)
100g Whipping Cream

(D)
Chocolate Rice

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. 

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 10-12 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.

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

Bake in the middle rack at 185C degrees for 14-15mins.

(Chocolate Glaze / Ganache)

Place a heatproof saucepan over medium low heat for a few minutes. Remove saucepan from heat when the cream is about to simmer.  Add the chopped chocolate into the cream
mixture and gently stir a spatula or wooden spoon to distribute the chocolate through the cream until the mixture melted and turn creamy.

Allow the chocolate ganache to cool and thicken to spreadable consistency before using. 

Make sure the bread has completely cooled down before applying chocolate glazing and  topping.