As I've mentioned before I would like to move to Japan in the future. For the time being however, I don't have the funds or time to visit. Because of this I have to make due with a small part of Los Angeles called Little Tokyo. To be quite frank, little is a bit of an exaggeration. It spans an area of about four blocks...unless you'd rather not count the many lonely, abandoned storefronts and if you aren't interested in going there for the dime-a-dozen sushi bars and restaurants...If you make those deletions then it's more like two blocks. There is a "shopping mall," if you can call it that. A few comic stores, tourist shops, Asian knick-knack stands, but my favorite thing?...the bakery of course. In the out-door "shopping-center" (complete with the triangular roofs many associate with Asian culture) there is a small bakery by the name of Ginza Ya Bakery! Talk about yummy! As of recent I've only tried some of the delectable-looking desserts. Their cream puffs are top-notch, pastry-wrapped hot dogs scrumptious, green teas cookies unusual but interesting, but the best thing are their melon pan! (available in both large and a bag of four mini ones) SO SO SO GOOD! Think of a slightly sweet roll topped with a sugar cookie crust with a hint of melon extract. It may sound a little strange to you but don't judge till you try them. Every time I've been to the bakery my purchases have been fresh and to my surprise you can even freeze the bread! (In fact, it tasted quite good frozen) In some bakeries these breads may appear to have interesting patterns but it'll all taste the same. I have yet to try it myself but I even found a recipe for these!! I hope to try sometime soon...
Ingredients:
(makes about 12 buns)
Bread Dough:
300g bread flour
6g instant yeast
36g caster sugar
5g salt
6g skim milk powder
200g warm water (just make sure water is not cold)
30g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)
Pastry layer
80g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)
90g caster sugar
80g egg, lightly beaten (oh, I hate weighing eggs!)
200g cake flour
2g baking powder
some melon extract (I'd leave this out as I don't have this)
some caster sugar for dusting/coating
How to make them:
-Sift bread flour, caster sugar, salt, milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add in instant yeast and mix the powdered mixture a little.
-Add in warm water. DO NOT add in all the water at one go, leave a little bit so as to adjust the texture of the dough.
-Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough. Add the remaining water if it is too dry.
-Transfer dough to work surface. Knead until the dough longer sticks to the work surface. This should take about less than 5 mins.
-Flatten the dough and add in the butter. Continue to knead. Initially, the dough will be very oily, after a few kneads, the butter will be absorbed by the dough.
-Continue to knead until the dough no longer feel sticky to your hand and will not stick to the work surface. This should take about 15 to 20 mins.
-Place dough in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof for about one hour, or until double in bulk.
-While the dough is proofing, prepare the pastry layer. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until mixture turns pale.
-Add in a few drops of melon extract if desired.
-Add in lightly beaten eggs in 3 addition. Beat well after each addition.
-Sift over cake flour and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporate. Divide into 12 portions, about 35~40g each. For the chocolate chips version, wrapped some chocolate chips into each pastry dough. Place in a tray and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
-Punch out the gas in the bread dough and divide into 12 portion, about 45g each.
-Roll into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let the dough relax for 10mins.
-Remove chilled pastry dough from the fridge. Roll out each dough in between 2 layers of cling wraps (I used clear plastic bags). Roll the bread dough again into rounds again. Remove the top layer of the cling wrap and place the bread dough onto the pastry dough. With the bottom layer of the cling wrap still intact, wrap the pastry dough around the bread dough. Carefully remove the bottom layer of the cling wrap, at the same time, smoothing the edges of the pastry dough. NOTE: DO NOT cover the Entire bread dough with the pastry dough. Leave the bottom 2 ~ 3 cm uncovered.
-The dough needs the space to expand, otherwise the pastry dough will burst and the resulting appearance will not be very pleasing.
-Coat the exterior with caster sugar, stamp patterns on the surface with cookie cutters or decorate as desired. Leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 40 ~ 50mins.
-Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC (that's about 350 degrees for Americans) for 10 ~ 12 mins. Note: You could use granulated sugar rather than caster and even though it tastes scrumptious with melon extract, it'll still be good without it.
Recipe source: 酥皮麵包大集合by 佐藤律子
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