Matcha Wreath Bread
Matcha Christmas Wreath Bread! It’s absolutely perfect for this holiday season to share with our loved ones. I made these wreath breads in a mini version so that you can mix and match with your filling and can be easily shared with others as a gift. One of my favorites is definitely the matcha almond filling! Make sure to use good quality culinary grade matcha powder for the pure matcha flavor and color.
Makes 4 mini wreath bread
Ingredients:
For Tangzhong:
20g bread flour
100g whole milk
For the dough:
335g bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
1 egg
125g whole milk, warmed
All of the tangzhong, cooled to room temperature
50g unsalted butter, softened
For the matcha filling
100g salted butter, softened
50g granulated sugar
1 beaten egg, room temperature
50g all purpose flour
70g almond flour
1 tbsp culinary grade matcha powder
Steps:
1. To make the tangzhong, mix the milk and flour in a pot. Over a medium heat, cook the mixture until it forms a thick paste (make sure to keep stirring while cooking). Set aside and let it cool to room temperature.
2. In a mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment, add in all of the dough ingredients except the butter. At the lowest speed, mix the ingredients until they roughly come together to form a dough. Increase the speed to medium level and continue kneading for about 10 minutes until the dough starts to look smooth.
3. Add in the softened butter and continue kneading for another 10 minutes, until it passes the window pane test*.
4. Shape the dough into a round ball, and place it in a bowl covered and let it proof at a slightly warm area (about 78F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Once proofed, punch the dough to release air. Divide into 4 and shape them to a ball, cover and let them rest for about 15 minutes.
6. To make the matcha paste: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and pale yellow in color. Gradually add in beaten egg and mix until well combined. Add in flour, almond flour, matcha powder and mix until well combined. Set aside.
7. For each dough, roll it out to a rectangular shape, about 20cm long and 15 cm wide. Spread the matcha paste over the dough. Roll it up from the long end. Pitch the end of the dough to cover the seam. Roll the dough (in a log form now) until it’s about 35-40cm long.
8. Slice the dough right in the middle lengthwise . Place them to form a ‘X’ and braid the dough. Attach the 2 ends of the dough to form a round wreath. Place it on a lined baking sheet. Repeat for all the dough. Cover them and proof again until doubled in size (about 80 minutes)
9: Preheat the oven to 350F. Once proofed, brush the dough with some egg wash. Optional: Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the dough. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Once baked, let the bread cool on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
11. Slice and enjoy it with a cup of matcha latte!
* Window pane test is very crucial in bread baking process because it helps determine whether the dough has built up enough gluten. To do this test, take a small piece of dough, stretch the dough out as wide as possible - if it doesn't break and able to create a very thin, almost transparent film, that's when it passes the window pane test.