Spinach Bacon Bun

Do these green buns carry the same hue as the agitated Incredible Hulk? Haha :)

Just a small amount of spinach was able to give these buns an amazing green colour. In view of baking a more well balance breakfast bread, spinach leaves, bacon bits and cheese have been incorporated into the bread :)

Yield: 9 buns

Raw dough weight: 421g

 

Baked Bacon

Ingredients

100g bacon bits

Directions 

1. Toast bacon bits in a heat resist bowl in an oven toaster for 10 minutes at 100 degree Celsius. 

2. Drain away the excess juice collected at the base of the bowl.

3. Return the bacon bits to the oven toaster and toast at 180 degree Celsius for about 5 minutes.

Stir the bacon bits and return to the oven toaster and repeat step 3, till the bacon bits turn crispy. 

4. Remove the excess oil by spreading the bacon bits on a few layers of paper kitchen towel. Set aside.

Bread dough

Ingredients

70g raw baby spinach leaves

100g whole milk 全脂牛奶

15g condensed milk 炼乳

30g unsalted butter 无盐奶油

25g raw sugar 黄砂糖

1/4 tsp salt 盐

20g beaten egg 蛋液

185g bread flour 高筋面粉

10g top flour 低筋面粉

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast 即发酵母粉

Some beaten egg as egg wash

15g mozzarella cheese, shredded 

15g white cheddar cheese, shredded 

Direction

1. Rinse baby spinach leaves and blanch in hot salt water for about 10 minutes.

2. Drain away the water and squeeze dry the leaves.

3. Collect about 35g of the baby spinach leaves and blend with 100g fresh milk using a powerful food processor.

 

4. Add condensed milk and butter to spinach milk mixture in (3). 

Keep warm the mixture in a rice cooker for about 10 minutes, or till the butter melted.

This step is optional.

5. Pour spinach milk mixture into the bread pan.

6. Add in beaten egg.

7. Add in sugar and salt.

8. Pour in bread flour and cake flour.

9. Dig a hole and pour in the instant dry yeast.

10. Place the bread pan into the bread machine.

11. Select "8" Dough Kneading function; and press "Start".

12. The dough is ready.

13. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Flatten it with your palm to release the trapped air.

14. Divide the dough into 9 equal portions, about 47g each.

15. Roll up the small dough, pull down the sides several times to stretch out the dough surface, and seal at the bottom. Lightly coat with some flour and place in a plate, cover with a lid, to rest for 15 minutes.

16. After the rest, take a dough and flatten it. Roll it out into a flat dough.

Flip the dough over so that the smoother side will be facing out when wrapped.

17. Dispense some bacon bits in 2 colomns.

Wrap in towards the centre.

Fold the dough into half and seal the joining edge by pinching.

Let the sealed end facing down and place on a non-stick baking pan.

18. Spray some water and keep the dough in a closed oven for about 40 minutes.

19. Cut a slit along the centre of the long dough.

20. Apply egg wash over the surface except the groove.

21. Stuff shredded mozarella cheese and white cheddar cheese into the grooves.

22. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degree Celsius for about 18 to 20 minutes, at middle rack, or till the cheese turns golden.

23. Allow the buns to cool down slightly before serving warm :)