Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Chocolate and Plain Buns


























As I mentioned before I do not usually make the same bread or buns for my family. I will vary them so that my family, especially my children, are not bored with them. The same recipe can be tweaked by adding colour, for example, adding cocoa powder or pandan juice, by varying the shape and by altering the fillings. Today I made some 2-colour buns - plain and chocolate - to make their appearance more pleasing to the eyes. In these buns I have embedded some chocolate chips to further improve the taste.


Ingredients:

  • Yeast Activation:
    • 150 g/ml warm milk
    • 30 g sugar
    • 1 tsp yeast


  • Dough:
    • 325 g bread flour
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 egg
    • 45 g butter
    • 2 tsp cocoa powder
    • Chocolate chips
    • White chocolate chips


  • Egg Wash:
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp milk
  • Or
    • 10 g melted butter


Method:
  • Activate the yeast. Add  sugar to the warm milk, stirring to dissolve the sugar and then sprinkle the yeast onto it.
  • Once bubbles have formed (after approximately 10-15 minutes), the yeast mixture is ready to be used.
  • Add flour to the bowl of your stand mixer.
  • Add salt.
  • Start the mixer on low speed to mix up the flour and salt.
  • Add the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl.
  • Break the egg into a small bowl (not directly so as to prevent any rotten egg being added) and then add the egg to the mixing bowl.
  • Knead until a dough ball is formed. Once that is achieved, add in the butter.
  • Continue to knead until the butter is incorporated into the dough.
  • Continue to knead until the dough passes the window pane test.
  • Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
  • Grease 2 clean bowls.
  • Transfer 1 portion of the dough to 1 of the clean bowls. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and put a wet towel over the cling wrap.
  • Transfer the other portion to the bowl of the stand mixer.
  • Add cocoa powder to the bowl.
  • Start the mixer and knead till the dough and cocoa powder are fully incorporated.
  • Transfer the dough into the other greased bowl, cover the bowl with a cling wrap and put a wet towel over the cling wrap.
  • Let the 2 dough proof until they are double in size.
  • Slightly flour or grease the table top .
  • Transfer the plain dough onto the table top.
  • Roll the dough out into a long rectangular shape (horizontally).
  • Fold the dough into 3 by bringing the right part onto the centre part followed by the left.
  • Then roll the dough out again into a long rectangular shape (vertically) and fold into 3 again.
  • Do this process at least 6 times (alternating between vertical and horizontal roll-outs).
  • Once this is done, cut the dough into 5 pieces of about 61 g each.
  • Roll these pieces into little balls and cover them with cling wrap.
  • Repeat the same for the cocoa dough.
  • Take a plain dough ball and use a rolling pin to flatten it.
  • Put 2 tsp of chocolate chips in the centre.
  • Pick up the dough, go round and seal it up.
  • Roll it on the table top into a smooth ball and place the ball onto an oiled round baking tray. Repeat this for the other plain dough balls. Leave a space between the dough balls for the cocoa dough balls.
  • Repeat this with the cocoa dough. Fill each cocoa dough ball with the white chocolate chips. Place the cocoa dough balls between the plain dough balls.
  • Cover the baking tray with a towel and let the dough balls proof till double in size.
  • Pre-heat oven to 175 deg C.
  • Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk to form the egg wash. Brush the dough balls with the egg wash just before baking. Or, melt 10 g of butter for use after baking.
  • Bake the dough balls for 20 minutes. (If your oven is very hot and the balls brown too fast, tent them with a piece of aluminium foil.)
  • When done, remove the buns onto a metal rack. (If you had not egg washed the dough, then brush the buns with the melted butter.)
  • Store them when they are completely cooled down.