Japanese Condensed Milk Bread [日式炼奶面包]

Many blogger friends have made this bread long ago which I had listed down to do.  Each have their own way and adding various kinds of dried fruits. All are unique on its own. Honestly, I was at a lost of which to follow. Finally, I made this for my last posting for 2014 and very sorry my friends, since I have no more almond flakes in my fridge, I substituted it with melon seeds.  Turns out nice too.  I omit the icing sugar too cos' I'm cutting down on sugar, hehehe!.  That's better for old folks like my hubby and me.

Thanks to all for sharing their experiences in making this bread.  Texture and taste is good.  Bread is soft, moist and tasty quite similar to the Pull Apart Bread or Monkey Bread.

To name a few who have baked this bread, the recipe is adapted from Sonia, Jozelyn and Jess.

Ingredients

[used 6 inch tube pan - brush with some melted butter and sprinkle lightly with some plain flour]

200 gm bread flour

20 gm castor sugar

3/4 tsp instant yeast

120 ml milk

1 tbsp condensed milk or sweetened creamer

20 gm butter

Filling [mix together and set aside]

20 gm condensed milk or sweetened creamer

20 gm soft butter

Topping

Almond flakes, dried fruits or your choice [I used melon seeds]

Icing sugar for sprinkling [I omit]

1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl [except butter] mix until a smooth dough and add in butter.  Continue to knead till smooth and elastic dough, cover and set aside to rise till double in size [about 30 minutes].
2. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape 8” x 12”. Slice into four equal portions.
3. Use a brush, brush the filling on top of a dough and stack another dough on top, brush the filling on the dough and repeat till all stack up.
4. Cut the dough with filling into 8 equal portions.
5. Arrange the dough into a greased chiffon or tube pan. I left it in the oven to proof for about 1 hour or until double in size.
6. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle almond flakes or your choice of dried fruits  [I brushed with milk and sprinkle melon seeds on top before baking].
7. Bake at a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees C for 20-25 minutes at middle rack or until golden brown.
8. Remove bread from the chiffon pan and brush with some melted butter immediately or once cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar.
   
   
   
   

WISHING ALL DEAR READERS AND FRIENDS 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

STAY HAPPY, SAFE, HEALTHY AND WEALTHY

SWEET POTATO VEGETABLE PAUS

Paus are good substitute for bread as breakfast for my family.  The first thing that comes to mind about paus is, 'Oh, paus are sweet' but it is not so.  It can be savoury, sweet or a mixture.  When looking at some pau recipes, I realised that paus with sweet fillings have less sugar in the skin dough and vice versa.

This is recipe an example but I reduced the sugar in the skin dough by more than 50% even though the filling used is savoury.   It is as tasty and turns out well too.  Moreover, the sweet potatoes do contribute some percentage of sweetness to it. These paus are for home consumption and the health aspect has to be taken into consideration, otherwise we might as well buy them from the stalls.
Made these for my MIL during the recent Winter Solstice Festival together with the Peach Longevity Paus

Verdict - these paus are soft, moist and naturally coloured by orange sweet potatoes.  The savoury filling blends well with the pau skin.  The pau stays soft even on the next day.  

Recipe Source - Y3K Cookbook 'Paus' by Coco Kong [modified]

Ingredients for the Filling

200 gm cabbage - finely shredded

200 gm yambean - peeled and finely shredded

100 gm carrot - finely shredded

100 gm long beans or french beans - finely sliced

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp cornflour + 50 ml water

Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3 tsp light soy sauce

2 tsp mushroom seasoning

1. Heat oil in wok, fry the cut vegetables [except long beans/french beans] together with the seasoning until well mixed.
2. Cover to cook until vegetables are soft then add in the beans.  Fry until cooked through. Taste to adjust seasoning.
3. Stir in thickening and mix well until filling is thick and not too wet.  Dish up and cool before use [can prepare this earlier and refrigerate].

Ingredients for Pau Skin 

[dough weighs about 600 gm - makes 16 medium size paus]

280 gm pau flour
1 tsp double action baking powder
40 gm icing sugar [original recipe uses 100 gm]
160 gm orange sweet potato [peeled, steamed and mashed]
2 tsp instant yeast
120 ml water [more or less depends on sweet potato paste]
20 gm shortening

1. Mix all ingredients together well [except water and shortening].  Gradually add in the water [stop adding once it forms a rough dough].  Continue to knead until the dough is soft otherwise add a little more water.  The dough maybe sticky and difficult to handle if too much water is added.
2. Knead until well combined, then add in the shortening.  Knead until dough is soft and smooth.  Shape into a ball and cover to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 16 equal portions.  Shape into balls, then flatten each into circles with the edges thinner that the centre.
4. Wrap filling with each dough circles, gather the edges, seal well and shape into pleated or round [use a pincer to create the design] paus.  Place on paper cases.  
5. Leave to proof for 40-45 minutes from making of the last pau.
6. Steam over rapid boiling water for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave paus in the steamer for 2-3 minutes before uncovering.  
7. Serve immediately or cool on wire rack.
   
   

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #19 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

LONGEVITY PEACH BUNS [寿桃包]

New batches of Siew Toh made with the green leaves 

Have been making paus and mi koo like an expert but never tried making peach longevity paus.  This is my maiden attempt in making these Chinese style birthday paus after I bought a new recipe book on paus.

The whole book is on paus and it is this recipe that prompted me to buy.  After reading through, I realised that most recipes needed to be modified a little to suit our taste and preference especially the sugar content. 

Whatever it is, it's still worthwhile to make your own longevity paus cos' the price of it keeps going up.  Made these for my MIL's for Winter Solstice celebration.

Verdict - soft and moist.  Most store bought ones could be quite dry and crumbly.  You can use any filling of your choice like peanuts, lotus paste or red bean paste with 40 gm dried longan [this needs to be soaked, drained and chopped according to original recipe]. I may try this one next time.

Ingredients for Filling

200 gm red bean paste [I used savoury sweet lotus paste with some toasted melon seeds]

- divide into 20 portions and shape into rounds

Recipe Source - Y3K Cookbook 'Paus' by Coco Kong [modified]
Ingredients for Skin Dough

[dough weighs about 600 gm - makes 20 paus]

300 gm pau flour

80 gm wheat flour

1 tsp double action baking powder

40 gm icing sugar [original recipe uses 80 gm]

2 tsp instant yeast

150 ml water [maybe slightly more if dough is too dry]

35 gm shortening

a little pink colouring for sprinkling

a clean toothbrush

Ingredients for Making The Dough Leaves [I omit]

50 gm pau flour

28 ml water

a little green colouring]

• Combine the ingredients in a big bowl.  Knead for 2 minutes until shiny.  Flatten and divide into 40 parts [2 parts per pau].  Use a teaspoon to shape out leaves and a knife to draw out the lines of the vein.  Set them aside.
  
  
  

1. For the Skin - Mix all the ingredients together until well combined [except the shortening].
2. Add in shortening and continue to knead until soft,smooth and shiny.  Shape into a ball, cover to proof for an hour.
3. Divide dough into 20 equal portions.  Shape into rounds.  Flatten each rounds and place a piece of filling on top.  Gather the edges, seal well and press the top slightly point, press the side with the edge of a spoon to form a dent to look like a peach.
4. Place on paper case, repeat the same for the rest.
5. Cover to proof for 30 minutes.
6. Steam over rapid boiling water then over medium heat for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from steamer.  Dip toothbrush into pink colouring and run finger along brush creating a spray of colour on the paus.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Notes:  If using the leaves, dab with a little water and stick them on the pau before placing on the paper cases.
Lost some of the photos which I took after steaming and spraying the pink colouring. The ones with the colouring were taken after reheating at my MIL's place.  Doesn't look as good as actual.  Will update with some photos next time I made these again.

Post Updated on 28 February 2015 - made another batch of this Siew Toh during CNY,  the buns turned out perfect.  This time I used Longan Lotus Paste [store-bought] as filling.  They are awesome.

Gadgets used to shape the leaves

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #19 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Updates on photos of Siew Toh made on 7 February 2017.  The leaves are painted on the bao skin different from the above.  Looks lovely too and less tedious than using flour dough.