This is my first time to post in this list, so please bear with me :)
I don't own a bread machine and usually just bake bread by hand when I'm at
home. I used to work for a food ingredients company that sells (among other
things) bread improvers for the local baking industry. This recipe was a
favorite of ours and I've scaled it down considerably. I don't know how to
make it in a bread machine, but for those with a hobart mixer, there should
be no problems with it. I've demonstrated this bread many times and people
usually ask me for the recipe. It's very versatile and can be shaped into
almost anything you wish, plus, the dough, although very rich, can
accomodate addition of other ingredients. If there are those among you guys
who want any recipes by weight and by baker's percentage, please feel free
to email me privately.
TAIWANESE BREAD
Bread flour, 500 grams
Ascorbic Acid (optional), 2.5 grams
Iced Water +-, 175 grams
Dry instant yeast, 7.5 grams
Salt, 5 grams
Sugar, 100 grams
Butter, 50 grams
Shortening, 50 grams
Fresh Milk, 30 grams
Egg yolks, 100 grams
1. Using part of the water from the recipe, combine it with the yeast and
50 grams of the sugar. Set aside.
2. Using the dough hook attachment of your machine mix together the bread
flour and remaining sugar.
3. Pour in the yeast mixture, continue mixing at slow speed. Add water and
milk in a thin stream until mixture looks completely wet. Add more water as
necessary.
4. Increase the speed and add in the butter and shortening in pieces until
mixture looks completely lubricated. Add egg yolks then the salt. Continue
mixing at high speed until dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
5. Continue mixing until gluten is developed. Test the dough by getting a
small piece and stretching it, it should not break easily and should feel
elastic. The dough will be VERY sticky.
6. Rest the dough in a large greased bowl (turning dough once to grease
top). Cover with plastic. Do not disturb for about 30 minutes.
7. At this point you can shape the dough into anything you want. For
Filipino Ensaimada: Divide the dough into two. Divide each half into 50
gram pcs. Roll up each dough tightly into a bun. Place in a greased tray,
cover with greased plastic and set aside for 10 minutes. Roll each dough
into a rectangle and slather generously with butter. Cover the entire
surface with grated cheese (edam works excellently) and roll up on the long
side into a thin baton. Coil this baton into a tight cinnamon bun shape and
place in round, greased fluted molds OR in large muffin tins. Butter the
tops and set aside to let it rise until double. This might take between 1
to 2 hours (depending on the temperature of your kitchen - for faster
rising, place inside an empty cabinet).
8. Just before baking brush tops GENTLY with egg beaten with a few
tablespoons of water. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for
approximately 18 to 25 minutes. Tops should be just golden. Because the
dough is so rich the bread will turn brown easily.
9. Remove immediately to cooling racks. Brush with more butter and sprinkle
with a little sugar and more grated cheese.
Happy Baking
Nini Chinjen