Braided Raisin Walnut Bread (Tangzhong Method)

Sky is the limit when experimenting with the tangzhong method. Up to now, I dare to say that I nearly bake every bread with tangzhong. Yes, I confess I’m really addicted to baking this super soft and fluffy tangzhong bread. Tangzhong is absolutely a reliable method to help me bake all kinds of Asian buns and breads. Many of my friends who are bake lovers continue to experiment it with different fillings. Raisins and walnuts are wonderfully good pairings. Why not try these two ingredients in my tangzhong bread baking? The trial was a big success. The two big raisin and walnut loafs were gone quicker than I thought.

Braided Raisin Walnut Bread (Tangzhong Method) (Printable recipe)

Ingredients of Tangzhong:

• 25 gm bread flour
• 125 ml water

Ingredients:

• 350 gm bread flour, sifted
• 55 gm sugar
• 5 gm salt
• 56 gm whisked egg
• 7 gm milk powder, optional
• 125 ml milk
• 120 gm tangzhong (refer to this recipe for making tangzhong)
• 5 to 6 gm instant dried yeast
• 30 gm butter, at room temperature
• 90 gm dried raisins, or to taste
• 2 to 3 Tbsp rum
• 90 gm walnuts

Method:

1. Mix raisins with rum well. Cover and place at room temperature overnight.
2. Place walnuts in a pre-heated oven at 180C (356F). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until hot enough but not brown. Remove from oven. Use a clean towel or wear a pair of plastic gloves to rub off the outer skins. Roughly chop into pieces, or leave it if you want more chunky texture.
3. Add all ingredients (except butter) into a breadmaker, first the wet ingredients (milk, egg, tangzhong), then followed by the dry ingredients (salt, sugar, milk powder, bread flour, yeast). (Note: I used to make a small well in the bread flour, then add the yeast into it.)
4. Select the “dough” mode (refer to the manual of your breadmaker to select the kneading dough programme). When all ingredients come together, add in the butter. (Note: my breadmaker has an alert function to remind me of adding fruits or nuts. If your breadmaker doesn’t have any function like this, just put in the raisins and walnuts when the butter has been absorbed well.) Knead until the dough becomes elastic. Then let the dough complete the 1st round of proofing, about 40 minutes, best temperature for proofing is 28C, humidity 75%, until double in size.
5. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. Deflate and divide into 6 equal portions. Knead into ball shapes. Cover with cling wrap, let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
6. Roll out each portion of the dough by hand, one by one, into a long tube shape, about 24cm long.
7. 7.Use 3 portions to braid as follows: Take the left dough to cross over the middle piece. Cross the right piece over to the middle (as picture shown). Repeat these steps until you reach the end. Pinch ends and tuck both ends underneath. Repeat the same process with the other 3 portions. Place two loafs on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with cling wrap and let proof for about 45 minutes, until double in size.
8. Brush whisked egg on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C (356F) for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the loafs are golden brown. Let the breads cool on a wire rack completely.

Notes:

• It’s better to remove the skin of walnuts before use, otherwise you’d taste a bit of bitterness.
• If you feel troublesome to remove the skin of walnuts off, here’s a great video showing a quick and easy way: How to Remove the Skin from Walnuts [chow.com]

Other tangzhong bread recipes:

• Japanese Style Bacon and Cheese Bread (with detailed steps of making tangzhong)
• Japanese Style Coconut Custard Buns
• Hong Kong Style Sausage Rolls
• Apple Custard Buns
• Japanese Green Tea Bread with Red Bean Fillings
• Nutella Cream Horns
• Hokkaido Milk Toast (Japanese style)
• Pai Bao (排包 Hong Kong Sweet Buns)
• Pineapple Buns (For Pig Pig’s Corner)