For my ultimate bake of 2025 I made a decision to attempt one thing I’ve wished to for a while. I like chestnuts, after we had been children, my mother and father would purchase them and we’d roast them. We needed to shell them which wasn’t enjoyable however actually isn’t that tough, but it surely was so price it since chestnuts are simply yummy. So for this Hokkaido Milk Bread I’ve added chestnuts two methods. Some are added as inclusions, chopped. Nearly all of them had been cooked in milk after which blended. I used this “chestnut milk” because the hydration for the tangzhong. Now the chestnut milk is definitely fairly thick and creamy so I ended up having so as to add an additional 20 g of milk to the dough because it appeared too dry. The components I’ll publish under is the one reflecting the additional milk I’ve added and never my authentic components. I’m actually happy with the looks of this loaf. I’ll slice it tomorrow and see if I can style the just about 200 g complete of chestnuts which might be on this loaf.
For one 9x4x4” loaf
Chestnut Milk
150 g chestnuts (roasted and peeled)
250 mL entire milk (250 g)
So complete weight 400 g.
“Chop chestnuts into small items; place in a saucepan with milk. Carry to a low boil over medium warmth, stirring incessantly; scale back warmth and simmer, stirring sometimes, till chestnuts are softened.
Switch chestnut combination into blender and purée, staring on low after which growing to excessive, till silky easy”
Directions
Levain
Combine the levain substances in a jar or pyrex container with area for no less than 300% progress.
Press down together with your knuckles or silicone spatula to create a uniform floor and to push out air.
At a temperature of 76-78ºF, it usually takes as much as 10-12 hours for this candy stiff levain to be at peak. For my starter I usually see 3-3.5 instances improve in dimension at peak. The levain will scent candy with solely a gentle tang.
Tangzhong
In a sauce pan set on medium warmth, stir the chestnut milk and entire wheat flour till blended. Then cook dinner for a number of minutes till properly thickened, stirring repeatedly with a spoon or heat-resistant spatula. Let cool within the pan or, for sooner outcomes, in a brand new bowl. Theoretically it ought to attain 65ºC (149ºF) however I don’t discover I have to measure the temperature because the tangzhong gelatinizes at this temperature. You possibly can put together this the evening earlier than and refrigerate it, be sure that it’s coated to forestall it from drying out.
If you happen to plan on utilizing a stand mixer to combine this dough, arrange a Bain Marie and use your stand mixer’s bowl to organize the tangzhong.
Dough
Within the bowl of a stand mixer, add the chestnut milk (think about holding again 10 g of milk and including later if that is the primary time you’re making this), egg, tangzhong, salt, sugar and levain. Combine after which break up the levain into many smaller items. Subsequent add the flour. I like to make use of my spatula to combine till there aren’t many dry areas. Enable the flour to hydrate (fermentolyse) for 20-Half-hour. Combine on low velocity after which medium velocity till average gluten improvement this may occasionally take 5-10 minutes. You could need to scrape the perimeters of the bowl in the course of the first 5 minutes of blending. Subsequent add room temperature butter one pat at a time. The dough might come aside, be affected person, proceed to combine till it comes collectively earlier than including in additional butter. It would be best to test gluten improvement by windowpane throughout this time and cease mixing so as to add the chopped chestnuts once you get a superb windowpane. You need to be capable of pull a superb windowpane, not fairly pretty much as good as a white flour as a result of the bran will interrupt the windowpane considerably. Combine till the chestnuts are properly integrated.
To develop by hand, soften the butter and add it with the moist substances.
On the counter, form the dough into a decent ball, cowl within the bowl and ferment for 4-6 hours at 82ºF ending bulk fermentation as soon as the dough has risen 30-40%.
You possibly can subsequent place the dough into the fridge to sit back the dough for about 1.5 hours, this makes rolling the dough simpler to form. Keep in mind, if you happen to achieve this the ultimate proof will take longer. Alternatively, you are able to do a chilly retard within the fridge in a single day, nonetheless, it’s possible you’ll discover that this will increase the tang in your bread.
Put together your pans by greasing them with butter or line with parchment paper.
Evenly oil the highest of the dough. Scrape the dough out onto a clear counter high and divide it into 4. I prefer to weigh them to have equal sized lobes. Form every tightly right into a boule, enable to relaxation 5 minutes. Utilizing an oiled rolling pin roll every ball out after which letterfold. Flip 90* and utilizing a rolling pin roll every out to no less than 8”. Letterfold once more from the perimeters so you could have a protracted slim dough. Then utilizing a rolling pin, roll flatter however preserving the dough comparatively slim. The rationale to do that further letterfold is that the shorter fatter rolls when positioned within the pan is not going to contact the perimeters of the pan. This permits the swirled ends to rise throughout ultimate proof, that is solely achieved for look sake and isn’t essential. Subsequent roll every into a decent roll with some stress. Organize the rolls of dough inside your lined pan alternating the route of the swirls. This could enable a larger rise throughout proof and within the oven.
Cowl and let proof for 4-6 hours at a heat temperature. I proof at 82°F. You will have longer than 4-6 hours if you happen to chilled your dough for shaping. I proof till the highest of the dough involves inside 1 cm of the highest fringe of the pan. At this level the dough ought to have risen 130-140% in complete from the beginning of bulk fermentation.
Preheat the oven to 350F and brush the dough with the egg-milk wash. Simply previous to baking brush with the egg-milk wash once more.
Bake the loaves for 50 minutes or till the inner temperature is no less than 190ºF, rotating as wanted to get even browning. Protect your loaf if it will get brown early within the baking course of. After 50 minutes take away the bread from the pan and bake an additional 10 minutes by putting the loaf instantly within the oven on the rack with the oven turned all the way down to 325ºF.
