hokkaido milk loaf... soft, fluffy & therapeutic!!

I am crazy about baking breads these days!! =) I have been surfing around for yummy recipes which I know the family can enjoy as breakfast & as well as tea time snacks. So when I came across this soft Hokkaido bread recipe which seem very popular among bloggers, I knew I have to give it a go. 

I know that most of us don't have the habit of baking breads at home as it is so convenient to buy it from bakeries & malls. Why go through all the trouble to bake a bread when you can just easily grab yummy breads at stores? Well, I personally think homemade bread is much healthier in a way you can control the use of chemicals & is much nutrition. For me, its not just the final product that I relish; it is also the process of making a soft fragrant bread from natural ingredients such as flour, water, yeast etc. I find baking very therapeutic & its great accomplishment for me to see my love ones enjoying the bakes.


So if you haven't experienced the wonderful aroma of baking bread in the oven, you are missing something. I know bread making seems quite intimidating, especially for novice baker. Do not fear!! I am just a novice baker & if I can do it so can you!! =P lol Hope the recipe below helps!! Enjoy!!

Hokkaido Milk Loaf (makes 3 mid-sized loaves)

(adapted from Angie's Recipes)

Ingredients:

•Dough•

270gm bread flour

30gm cake flour

4gm instant yeast (1tsp ~ 3.1gm)

15gm full cream milk powder

40gm caster sugar

5g salt

1/2 egg

125gm fresh milk

75gm whipping cream (heavy cream)

•Filling• (optional)

raisins/chocolate chips

Method:

1. Grease the bread pan.

2. Attach dough hook attachment.

3. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients & knead (KA speed 4) until window pane stage or till dough looks very 

    smooth, not sticky & leaves the bowl.

4. Cover and let it proof for 60 mins or till double in size.

5. Take out the dough & press out the gas produced during proofing. Divide into 3 portions. 

   (you can use all 3 portions of dough for plain milk loaves or mix in different fillings for each portions of dough).

6. Shape dough round & rest for 10 to 20 mins.

7. If making plain milk loaf, just roll out dough (longish oval) & roll up like a swiss roll.

    Place side by side into the greased pan (I used 270x150x70mm loaf pan).

8. If with fillings, roll out dough (longish oval), spread raisins/chips & roll up like a swiss roll. 

    Place into greased pan.

9. Let dough rise until 2/3 full. Preheat oven at 150C (fan) or 170C.

10. Brush on egg wash if preferred & bake for 40 mins or till pan sounds hollow when tapped.