It’s time to take a pause and enjoy learning new techniques. This Asian brioche is a mix between the soft milk Japanese bread and the buttery French brioche. It’s not really a braided bread as I made the swirl using the babka bread technique in the picture below
INGREDIENTS:
20g corn starch
250ml milk
50g butter
100g sugar
5g of dry yeast in 2 tbsp of warm water
10g cocoa powder
350g white flour
METHOD:
Mix cornstarch with milk and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly. Then add the butter and put the mixture into the fridge for 1 hour
Add flour, sugar and the rehydrated yeast
Knead until soft
Divide into 2 portions
Add the cocoa powder to one portion and knead it again until well mixed
Cover both doughs with plastic film and put them into the fridge for 12 hours
Next day use the babka technique to create the swirl (from 0:40) The babka way to braid and twist the bread:
Roll out the two 2 portions on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle measuring 15x11 inches. Position the chocolate dough on top of the other.
Use both hands to roll up into a thick rectangle, starting from the long side closest to you and ending at the other long end. Press to seal the dampened end, then use both hands to even out the roll into a thick log. Rest the log on its seam.
Trim about ¾ inch off both ends of the log with a serrated knife. Then use the knife to gently cut the roll in half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam, essentially dividing the log into two long even halves.
Take those two halves and pinch two ends together. Twist the logs around each other two or three times; pinch together the other two ends, creating a simple plait.
Carefully lift the cake into a loaf pan. Don’t worry if there are gaps in the pan since the cake will rise and will eventually look fine. Messy is still delicious. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a wet tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours.
Brush with one egg mixed with milk
Bake for 30 min at 180 degrees Celsius