Braided Milk Bread

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Posted by Kirbie / 4 comments » / Bread, Recipes

I love challah breads. When Christine’s recipes made a variation on the tangzhong bread and created a braided version of a walnut raisin bread, I really wanted to try making a braided version of milk bread.

Next time I’m going to try making a double braid, but this time I only made a single. The bread was yummy and soft and fluffy as always. I’m absolutely addicted to make bread with this tangzhong method, as it always produces such fluffy bread. I had some problems with my braiding skills. Next time I need to roll out the dough ropes to be more smoothe and even before I start and I need to make my braids tighter. I also had problems tucking in the dough at either end of the bread.

Christine’s recipes made two braided breads, but I opted to make one giant one so that there would be more of the soft, fluffy inside of the bread.

Milk Bread (adapted from two of Christine’s recipes here and here,which she adapted from the 65 degrees book)
Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2½ cups bread flour
3tbsp+2tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
½ cup milk
120g tangzhong (click here for making tangzhong)
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)

Directions
1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center. Add in all wet ingredients: milk, egg and tangzhong. Fit the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer and begin mixing on medium speed and knead until your dough comes together and then add in the butter and continue kneading. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth, not too sticky on the surface and elastic. I kneaded the dough for about 18-20 minutes. Each mixer may vary.

When the dough is ready, you should be able to take a chunk of dough and stretch it to a very thin membrane before it breaks. When it does break, the break should be form a circle.

2. Knead the dough into a ball shape. Take a large bowl and grease with oil. Place dough into greased bowl and cover with a wet towel. Let it proof until it’s doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
3. Transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Roll out into ropes.

4. Braid the three ropes together, tucking the ends inside. Put braided dough on baking sheet and put plastic wrap on top. Let dough sit and double in size, about 40 minutes.
5. Beat an egg and brush egg mixture on top to create shiny eggwash finish.
6. Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes.

Posted by Kirbie on January 13, 2011

4 Comments »

tags: braid, braided, challah, milk bread, tangzhong

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4 Responses to “Braided Milk Bread”

1

Eva — January 14, 2011 @ 11:56 am

I love making breads with the tangzhong method too! Yours came out really fluffy!( :
- Kirbie replied: — January 14th, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
  
  Thanks! I love making breads with tangzhong too! I like ones that make big loaves because you have more fluffy bread and less of the outside crust.
2

Michelle — January 14, 2011 @ 5:03 pm

this milk bread that you keep making looks so freaking delicious, i really want to make it!!! i’ve just had so many bad results in trying to make bread… one day!
- Kirbie replied: — January 14th, 2011 @ 10:18 pm
  
  Aww. I’ve had bad results when working with the active yeast. But this instant yeast seems to be working better for me. You should definitely try it. This bread is really addicting..And I got it right on the first try and I’m not much of a bread baker, so I’m sure you’ll do fine.