Red Bean Bread 紅豆麵包

Finally, my bread is soft!!! YEAH!

This was my 4th attempt and finally it tasted like the ones in the Chinese bakery. This is the Japanese style bread ( Tang Zhong 湯種 ).

I followed this recipe . However, for some reason, after mixing everything together, the dough was too wet, so I had to add more flour.

Ingredients of Tang Zhong:

• 1/3 cup bread flour
• 1 cup water

Ingredients of Bread:

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 3 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp + 1tsp milk powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 120 grams tang zhong
• 2 tsp yeast
• 3 tbsp butter

Directions for Tang Zhong:

1. add water and flour together and whisk
2. after they are mixed together, cook low heat
3. stir consistently until thickening (then remove from heat)
4. divided into 2 equal batches (total weight is about 240 grams, and you only need 120 grams for the recipe)
5. cover with saran wrap on the surface to prevent from drying up

Directions of Bread:

1. combine all dry ingredients in a container; combine wet ingredients except butter in the mixer and mix well; add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; knead until dry ingredients and wet ingredients form into a dough, then add butter; knead until dough is smooth and not sticky (you can test the dough by stretching it, it's done when it's thin and stretchy)
2. I left the dough in the mixer and cover with saran wrap, let it proof until the size is doubled. (if you poke the dough in the middle with your finger and the hole doesn't close back up, then it's ready)
3. divide the dough into equal portions / 60 grams each, cover them up with saran wrap and let them rest about 15 min
4. for the round red bean bread, I roll out each portion into a circular shape and put bean paste in the middle and close it up into a round shape; for the loaf of red bean bread, I roll out each portion into rectangular shape and put bean paste on it and roll it up and put in the glass container
5. let them proof again about 40 min and then brush surface with egg wash
6. red bean bread ( bake in oven for 15 min at 325˚F ), loaf of red bean bread ( bake in oven for 35 min at 325˚F )
7. when they are done, cool them down on wire rack