Matcha Swirl Brioche Bread

This bread is so relaxing to look at... The matcha flavour is subtle but perfectly balanced with the natural milky and buttery brioche flavour. It honestly doesn't need anything else. I would definetly spread some strawberry or apricot jam over a brioche bread slice but this one, is just gooood on its own. Although... a cup of tea or coffee would actually enhance the experience ;-)

Recipe

How much time do you need?

• Preparation time: 1 hr 20 min

• Cooking time: 40 min

• Proofing time: 2 hrs

• Total time: 4 hrs

Material:

• Loaf pan

• Spatula

• Standing mixer (or your hands)

• 2Lts bowl

• Small bowls

• Small whisker

• Cutlery

• Kitchen towels

• Cling wrap (film)

Ingredients

For the bread starter:

• 25 grs bread flour

• 60 ml whole milk

• 60 ml water

The starter will make the crumb softer and fluffier

For the bread dough:

• 320 grs bread flour

• 55 grs white sugar

• 3 grs teaspoon salt

• 1 egg (at room temperature)

• 125 ml warm whole milk (15 secs in microwave if it was refrigerated)

• 60 grs unsalted butter, at room temperature (20 secs in microwave if it was refrigerated)

• 1 packet active dry yeast (8 grs)

• 1 tablespoon matcha powder (to be used in half of the final dough)

Method:

Make the starter:

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour, milk and water. Bring to a simmer, whisking continuously until mix has thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into a small heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool slightly. It should reach at least ~30°C before using it.

Make the bread dough:

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt, and mix well. Add the egg, milk (~30°C) and cooled starter mix (~30°C or less, otherwise you risk killing the yeast). Knead the mixture until it comes together, and continue for another few minutes. Add butter and knead for another 10 to 15 minutes until the dough becomes uniformly smooth. It's always better to knead this dough with a standing mixer as the step of integrating the butter can be tricky. You can use your hands if you don't have a standing mixer. You might think 'it's not coming together, it's not coming together!!' but be patient, it will do.

When you have obtained a smooth and not too sticky dough, divide the dough into two parts. Roll one portion into a smooth ball and place it in a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

Dissolve the matcha powder in 2 tablespoons of water and incorporate it into the other dough piece, kneading until you achieve a uniform light green colour. If you are using a standing mixer, mix on medium speed until combined. Stop the mixer, scrape down the dough using a spatula a knead for another minute. Repeat until the colour is well distributed and the texture of the dough is consistent. Form the dough into a smooth ball, and place into a buttered bowl then cover with plastic wrap.

Allow the doughs to rise, covered, until they have at least doubled in size, about 50 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature ~25 degrees C. If you are living a cold place or you’re in the middle of winter, you can create a 'homemade proofing area':

• Use the oven with the door cracked open, the light will create an environment of around 25 to 30 degrees C.

• Use an old-fashioned incandescent bulb. They heat up the surrounding area really quick, also reaching temperature of around 25 to 32 degrees C.

Butter well a 30 cm loaf pan.

Once the doughs have doubled, remove each dough ball from its bowl one at a time and punch it down to release the air. Portion each ball of dough into 4 equal parts, forming the parts into smooth balls and then covering all of the dough with plastic wrap to keep it moist.

Take a light dough ball and roll it out into a small rectangle, taking care not to allow any air to become trapped inside. Next take a green dough ball and roll it into a small rectangle, as long as the light one. Place the green one on top of the light one and fold it twice into the middle and then roll it like a log and place it in the baking pan (see sequence in below pictures). When all dough is rolled, cover the loaf pan in plastic wrap (very lighlty, you don't want that the film sticks to your dough), set a sheet pan on top and set aside to rise for another 50 minutes. Halfway through the proof, preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

Before proofing:

One hour of proofing:

When dough has risen again, remove the sheet pan and plastic wrap (carefully), brush the top of the loaf with whole milk and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. When loaf is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out loaf and finish the cooling process on a wire rack for at least one hour before slicing. Enjoy!

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