Satisfaction guarranteed...

Chocolate Swirl Bread

It never occured to me that one day i'll attempt a complicated looking bread like this. This chocolate swirl bread looks completely store-bought! However, on friday, i chanced upon this recipe on a japanese website and tot to myself, hey, this doesn't look as complicated as i tot it'll be! and it looked so delicious on the website that i can't resist trying it out and see for myself if i can really do this. Except for the fact that it's gonna take up a few hours before this bread can be baked and eaten, the ingredients are easily available. The end result is so satisfying. Bread is really soft and fragrant. This is definately a keeper! (and i expect repeat requests for this bread to come from the kids!)

Here's the recpe for those who wans to give it a try too. Makes 1 loaf.
What you need
For the chocolate paste
For dough

• 20gm cake flour
• 50gm sugar
• 1 egg white
• 80gm milk (warmed)
• 25gm cocoa powder
• 10gm butter

• 300gm bread flour
• 12gm milk powder
• 5gm dry yeast
• 5gm salt
• 24gm sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• Water (water + egg yolk = 210gm)
• 18gm butter

What to do
For chocolate paste

• Mix sugar and cake flour into the egg white until smooth. (no need to beat)
  Add coca powder into warm milk and sitr till powder is incorporated into milk.
• Add egg white mixture into the warm milk (using a small pot) and stir over low fire till thicken (paste like). Then add in butter and mix till incorporated.
• Leave paste to cool and then roll into a 14x14cm square (using plastic wrap).
• Keep in fridge.

For dough

• Mix all the dough ingredients tog. Knead for 8 mins and add the butter. Knead until you get a smooth dough. Leave to poof at room temperature until 1.5 times size and then place dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Take out dough after 1 hour, roll it out to 25x25 square. Place the 14x14cm rolled out chocolate paste in the middle of the dough. Fold in 4 sides of the dough to cover the chocolate and seal the seams tight.
• Roll out dough to 45x21cm. Make 3 folds (like folding a letter) and place dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Take dough out from the fridge and repeat the step above (roll out and then 3 folds). Rest it for 10 mins.
• Finally, roll dough to 14x30cm. Make a cut in the middle (along the 30cm side) but do not cut thru', leave about 3cm uncut at top end, then twist and plait the dough.
• Place plaited dough into the bread mould and let it poof at room temperature until dough expanded to 80% of the mould.
• Bake at 190C for 35-40mins in a preheated oven.(preheat oven at 200C)