Chewy, Cheesy, Bacon Bread (serious) | Chinese Cooking Demystified

Cheesy Bacon Bread! While it might not be the first thing you think about when you think about Chinese food, these sorts of chewy, Asian style breads are everywhere in China these days. Great chance to teach you a bit about how to make milk bread, as well.

0:00 - Chewy, Cheesy, Bacon Bread
0:30 - Does China have Baked Goods?
0:46 - Wave 1: Hong Kong style Bakeries
1:10 - Wave 2: Taiwan style Bakeries
1:37 - Wave 3: Western style Bakeries
3:09 - Flour Variable 1: Ash Content
5:05 - Flour Variable 2: Water Absorption
6:04 - Tangzhong - Chinese vs Japanese
7:19 - High Level Overview
7:40 - Make the Tangzhong
7:53 - Mix Everything together, Knead Intensely
10:15 - The Windowpane Test
11:02 - Bulk Ferment
11:44 - Roll and Shape
13:47 - Proof
14:04 - Bake
14:52 - Is this Western or Chinese?

INGREDIENTS

Use whatever sort of high gluten/low ash flour you can find, but our recommendation would be to use a 00 flour. Caputo's Chef Pizza Flour should work great, if that's a brand that's convenient enough for you to source.

The 'dough ingredients' will be:

* Tangzhong - 50g 00 flour mixed with 60g hot, boiled water
* 00 flour, 150g
* Instant yeast, something osmotolerant (i.e. able to survive sugary environments), 3g
* Sugar, 16g
* Salt, 2g
* Water, 50g; plus another 20g of additional water for adjustment (we used 70g in all)
* Heavy cream, 30g
* Honey, 10g
* Butter, 20g

Then besides that, we'll be spreading on the bread:

* Bacon (use back bacon or Canadian bacon), 4 strips, two for each side of the loaf
* Sheet cheese (like, Kraft singles), 3 sheets, one and a half for each side of the load

During baking, we'll sprinkle on:

* Shredded cheese, ~1/4 cup (we just shredded out sheet cheese)

And finally, we'll brush with a bit of melted butter.

PROCESS

Make the Tangzhong by combining that 50g of flour with the 60g of hot boiled water, then forming it into a rough ball. Let it cool down completely.

Once cool, add all the 'dough ingredients' to a stand mixer EXCEPT for the butter and that 20g of additional water for adjustment. With the hook attachment, combine on speed 1. Observe how much water the dough is absorbing. If it still looks dry/like it can handle more liquid, add the additional water for adjustment one teaspoon at a time. We used the entire amount.

Knead the dough at medium speed/speed 4 on your stand mixer. Knead for 5-6 minutes, check the gluten development. If it can begin to stretch a bit and be able to form a thick sheet, add the butter.

Continue to knead the dough at medium/speed 4 for 5-6 minutes. Check the gluten. If you can pull it into a film that is vaguely transluscent, you can continue.

Knead the dough on high/speed 6 for 1-2 minutes. Perform the windowpane test. It should be as see-through as a latex glove, and if you poke a hole it should break cleanly.

Shape the dough into a rough ball. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and bulk ferment. It should double in size, ~1.5 hours in a hot climate.

Weigh and divide the dough into two even pieces. Roll the dough into a ~1cm thick sheet. Roll into a log. Repeat with the second piece. Cover, rest for 30 minutes.

After resting, press down on the dough, then roll it again into a ~1cm thick sheet (for reference, ~30cm long, ~6cm wide). Lightly press/pinch the edges. Lay over the cheese and bacon. Roll inwards, tightly pressing with each roll. Once rolled into a log, pinch closed the sides. Repeat with the other piece. Place in a lightly oiled loaf pan. Proof until it reaches ~70% up the loaf pan, ~1.5 hours.

Bake for 35 minutes at 180C. 15 minutes into baking, sprinkle over a bit of cheese. Remove the bread and place on a rack. Lightly brush with melted butter, let cool down completely. Best the following day.

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Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ
Found via My Analog Journal (great channel): https://youtu.be/GHaL5H-VYRg