Late night Sunflower seed Matcha Milk Bread (One rise)

This late night bread is baked using a single rise method requiring less than 2 hours from start to finish. The bread has a rich texture thanks to the dairy products and eggs, has a tender crumb and thinnest hint of crust. It is best eaten on its own or with a thin layer of coconut jam (kaya). Pre-slice the bread when the bread has cooled well. Store in a Ziploc and freeze to preserve freshness or consume with a 2 days for maximum enjoyment.

Wet ingredients -

1 cup  milk ( room temperature )

2 T whipping cream

2 eggs

Dry ingredients -

½  tsp salt

4 T fine sugar

5 T milk powder

1 T matcha powder

4 cups bread flour

1/2 plain flour

3 t instant yeast

Optional-

Handful toasted sunflower seeds, coarsely chopped

Combine dry ingredients.

Combine wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

Knead on low for at least 20 minutes or until dough comes together.

Knead on a floured top.

Divide to 2 halves and transfer to a greased/dusted Pullman bin, uncovered.

Leave to rise until 80% risen.

Place a low baking rack with a steaming plate of water.

Bake the bread in a preheated oven (180C) at 180C for 35 minutes.

Drop the bread on a hard surface to loosen the bread from the tin.

Remove immediately and cool well before slicing.

Hokkaido Milk Buns

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I bought a packet of cooking cream recently and had a continuous supply of creamy pasta, creamy mac n cheese and even creamy sauce that I couldn't bear to eat anything with cooking cream again.

But of course, this recipe is the thing to solve my excess cooking cream problem. The buns turned out so well that I proceeded to make a second one 2 hours after that. That's excessive indeed but no one was complaining.

Makes 8 buns. Credits KAF with modifications.

Roux:

43g water

43g full cream milk

14g bread flour

Dry ingredients:

298g bread flour

11g instant yeast

50g fine sugar

½ tsp fine salt

14g milk powder – full cream

Wet ingredients:

113g cooking cream

1 egg

57g unsalted butter

Method:

To make the roux, combine water, milk and flour in a sauce pan.

Cook over medium heat , stirring continuously until it starts to form lines with the whisk , at about 60C.

Remove from heat instantly and continue to stir on a cool surface or wet cloth.

Leave to cool.

Add wet contents. Mix.

In a mixer, combine dry contents.

Add wet contents.

Mix at low until gluten forms and pulls off the mixer wall.

Form a ball on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer to an oiled bowl and leave to ferment in a warm place, covered.

Dip a finger in flour and poke a hole in the risen dough.

Proceed to the next stage when the hole springs back halfway.

Meanwhile, grease a Pullman and flour the inside.

Remove excess flour. Set aside.

Divide the dough to  8 small dough balls, about 86g each mini  dough.

Use fingers as a cage and roll to shape the buns.

Arrange buns in the Pullman.

Leave to rise in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 180C.

When the buns are risen about slightly double the height, brush the top of the buns with cooking cream.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 32 mins on a raised rack.

Buns should be tanned.

To remove buns, drop the Pullman a couple of times.

Invert and remove the buns.

Upright the buns, cool further.

Enjoy warm. As for me, I am filling it with leftover cream cheese from my previous carrot cake and eat it for like a burger!

Keeps well for 1 day. Freeze the buns to keep longer than that.

Enjoy!