Red Bean Bun

I did a very unsuccessful bake of 65C bun and was desperately scouting for a great red bean bun recipe since I bought a 1kg ready-made red bean paste.  The picture from Kitchen Corner tempted me to give the recipe a try.  I was glad I did.  While my buns did not look as pretty as the one from Kitchen Corner, I am however glad I succeeded in making it. Buns were soft but looks like they are going to turn slightly harder the next day. I finished baking at 4pm and at 11pm now, the bun doesn't seem to be as soft as there were just now. 

Recipe from Kitchen Corner with exception that I proof the dough in the bread machine and I replaced milk powder and water with just fresh milk.

Bun recipe:

200g bread flour

20g plain flour

25g sugar1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp yeast

25g eggs

115g milk

15g butter

red bean paste (filling)

white sesame (deco)

Method:

1. Mix ingredients with bread machine. After first cycle of kneading, re-run another cycle of dough.
2. Remove once dough is ready. (complete the entire cycle)
3. Divide the dough into 8 portions and round them into small balls. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
4. Fill the doughs with red bean and shape it into a smooth balls. Slightly flatten each dough and use a scissor to cut the edges into petals. Continue to proof for another hour or double in size.
5. Egg wash the doughs then top with some sesame. Bake at 190'C preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Sweet Bread

I saw very good feedback for this recipe posted in Kitchen Caper's forum and decided to give it a try.  First attempt was a failure as dough was too try. After reading through the various comments, I realized I need to add additional water since I used instant yeast instead of dry yeast.  I also replaced some bread flour with cake flour. Result was very soft and fluffy bread.  The only thing I did not do well  was to ensure the rolled up bun is of equal size.

Before sending into the oven

The one on top is egg washed. The one below is without egg washed. Just to see the difference.

Soft and fluffy bread.

Recipe:

2.5 tsp instant yeaast

325g breadflour + 50g Cake flour

105 g Sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

36g Butter

1/2 cup + another 1/4 cup fresh milk

Steps:

1. Put everything into the bread machine to knead (dough function) except butter.  
2. Add butter after 10 mins of kneading.
3. Stop bread machine after first round of kneading.
4. Restart machine and start the entire kneading again. Let it proof in the machine.
5. When ready, punch out gas and let it proof for another 45 mins to an hour (until it doubles in volume).
6. Divide dough into small balls (approx 45g) and let it relax for 20 mins.
7. Flatten and roll into rectangular. Roll from the long side like a swiss roll.
8. Place in a tray lined with baking paper leaving a slight gap in between.
9. Cover, rest dough for another 45 mins or double in size.
10. Bake in preheated oven 180 degrees for 20 mins or until golden brown.

Note: I omitted egg wash and coloring which was called for in the original recipe.

Otah Buns

This is the second time I made this Otah Bun, following the recipe from Happy Home Baking.  I followed the recipe but made use of the bread machine to do most of the kneading and proofing job.  Result - soft and yummy bread.

See how soft and fluffy the bread turns out to be

Soft & Fluffy Rasin Bread

Putting my bread machine to work again and this time again, the fool-proof recipe which I used previously.  Bread remains soft the next day.

See previous post for recipe http://flouratwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/raisin-bread-loaf.html

Raisin Bread Loaf

I chanced upon Do What I Like blog by Florence. She has very nice bakes and her video on the Wholewheat Bread Loaf showing how soft the bread turns out the next day tempted me to try the recipe.  Indeed, this is my first homemade bread that taste very close to commercial bread and it remains very soft even on the next day.  As I do not have wheat flour, I made some changes to the recipe (highlighted in red) and made it into raisin loaf.  Excellent recipe to try if you have been looking for something super soft.

Ingredients:

Sponge Dough:
150g bread flour
100ml water
1 tsp instant yeast

Main Dough:
50g cake flour
70g wholewheat flour / 70g bread flour
25g brown sugar / 25g castor sugar
50ml whole milk
30ml - 50ml water / 40ml
pinch of salt
15g butter

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients for sponge dough together till it formed a dough. Prove for 2.5 hours.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients from Main Dough except butter. (I put everything into a breadmachine, selected white loaf, light crust.  After 10 mins of kneading, add in the butter. Add in raisins after the machine prompts.  Leave the rest of the work to the breadmaker)

Once the mixture is well-mixed add in the butter and knead till a soft dough is formed. I used the bread machine to do this part of the job.
3. Shape the dough into one round piece and rest it for 15 minutes.
4. Punch the air out of the dough and roll it into a flat rectangular shape. Roll it up swiss-roll style. Rest dough for 10 minutes.
5. Repeat step 4 but without resting put the dough into a greased loaf pan. Prove the dough for 45 minutes or till it is 80% full. Once fully proved gently brush the top of the bread with some water and sprinkle some wholewheat flour on it.
6. Bake at 200C for 30 - 35 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan immediately to avoid bread becoming soggy.

Three types of Buns

I was surfing the net for a recipe on open ham bun and found the one posted by Happy Homebaking.  She is simply a talented baker who uses simple tools to create great bakes. Another one that inspires me!  I decided to give her recipe a try and was amazed at how soft and fluffy the bread tastes. 

Always an excitment to see the bread baking in the oven.  

Hot from the oven.  The three types of buns - sausage, pork floss and kaya.. 

Close up shot of each type:

and a close up to show how soft it is

Very much worth trying recipe.  Here is the recipe from HHB:

Ingredients: (make around nine 60g portions)

150g bread flour
150g cake flour
5g active dry yeast
3g salt
125g milk
1 egg
60g caster sugar
50g butter
(1 egg, beaten, for glazing)

Method:

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add in milk, egg and butter. Mix into a dough.
2. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until the gluten is fully developed (see tip below) and the dough is elastic, smooth and non-sticky. It will take about 25 mins to knead the dough by hand. Initially the dough will stick on to the work surface. Do not be tempted to add more flour or even give up kneading! After continuous kneading, the dough will no longer stick to the work surface.

I just put everything into a bread machine (accordance to the sequence of liquid, flour, yeast). Select "Dough" function.  Add butter after 10 mins.  Let the Dough cycle completes and restart the cycle and beat for another 10 mins.

1. Place the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a damp towel or cling wrap to seal in the moisture. Allow the dough to ferment(or proof) until double in bulk. This will take about 1 hr. To test whether the dough has been fully proofed, press a finger into the dough and withdraw quickly. It should leave a deep impression and spring back very slowly. For an insufficiently proofed dough, the impression will spring back instantly.
2. Take out the dough and punch out the gas produced. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. Cover with a damp towel or cling wrap.
3. Divide the dough into 60g portions. Shape and add fillings as desired. Arrange dough in a greased or lined pan. Let the dough proof for the second time for about 30-45mins. Cover with a damp towel or cling wrap.
4. Brush the top with egg wash.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 190 degC. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

If I can do it, so can you :)

White Loaf

I haven't been successful in using my Breville bread machine to bake a decent white loaf.  Plouging through the usual blogs I frequent, I chanced upon this entry by Small Small Baker and her journey to find a "perfect" bread to use with her machine.  It didn't take me long to get my gears going to derive at the following:

Bread turns out soft and fluffy.  Thought the taste differs from commercial bread, this is still worth a try.  Here is the recipe from SSB:

Ingredients (500g loaf)
300g bread flour
1 tbsp butter (about 14g)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
175ml water


Method
1. Lift the tin out of the bread machine, fit the kneader blade then add the measured cold water and butter. Spoon in the flour then add the sugar and salt (make sure the flour covers the liquid completely and add sugar and salt in different corners of the tin). Make a slight dip in the centre of the flour and sprinkle in the yeast.
2. Insert the tin into the bread machine. Shut the lid and set to basic white bread, select size of loaf, and medium crust (I choose light crust). Press start.
3. At the end of the programme, lift the tin out of the machine. Loosen the bread with a plastic spatula then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Butter Bun

I am a silent follower of a couple of blogs and recently saw this Butter Bun in Small Small Baker.  It just look too tempting and since my breadmaker has been sitting pretty for the past one and a half year, I thought I might as well give it a try. Yeah.. first attempt was bad as bun was not properly sealed. This resulted in the bun being "fried" by the melted butter that seeped out of the buns.  I wrote to SSB to ask for tips on how to seal the buns properly and thanks to her notes, I managed to bake some decent buns :)

Mine doesn't look as tempting or delicious as what SSB had baked. See her blog. However, it is still soft and was finished relatively quickly.

Here is the recipe from SSB:

Ingredients (makes 25 mini buns)

Dough:
150g bread flour
15g sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2+1/8 tsp instant yeast (sorry for the funny measurements because I halved the recipe)
90ml water
10g unsalted butter

Filling:
50g butter
10g icing sugar
pinch of salt (I added because I like it a bit salty)

Method

1. Mix the ingredients in the filling. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour so that it is easier to wrap later.
2. Mix all ingredients in the dough except butter and knead until the dough is smooth. (I used the breadmaker, dough function)
3. Add in butter and continue to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic and able to stretch into a thin film without breaking. (I added the butter after about 10 mins and let it knead till the cycle completes. Restart the machine and kneaded for another 10 mins)
4. Place the dough in a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with cling wrap and let proof for about 60 minutes.
5. Lightly knead the dough to punch out the gas. Divide the dough into small balls of 10g each.
6. Slightly flatten the small dough, wrap in the butter fillings and pinch to seal well. Roll the balls round and place them in a greased baking tray 1cm apart
7. Cover with cling wrap and proof for another 40 minutes.
8. Brush the top with egg mixture and sprinkle sugar on top.
9. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 20 minutes.