Honey Egg Bread

A soft and fluffy bread with a lovely yellow hue coming from a greater portion of egg and honey. If you expect a very sweet bread, then you may be disappointed. The bread was just mildly sweetened with a thin coat of honey over the soft crust 😋

Serving: 1 loaf

Stand Mixer: KitchenAid Mini

Raw dough weight: 594g

Pan size: 21x13x10cm, 1.5L

Baking temperature: Preheat oven to 190℃, bake at second lowest rack, at 180℃ for 15 minutes, 170℃ for 20 minutes, or till golden.

Ingredients

260g bread flour

25g Prima plain flour plus/plain flour

20g raw sugar

8g milk powder

2g instant dry yeast

50g natural yeast, 100% hydration *

120g milk, cold

40g beaten egg

20g honey mixed with 10g warm water, 

15g water, add according to dough condition/moisture

3g fine salt, to be added after 18 minutes

30g unsalted butter, softened, to be added after 25 minutes

* 50g natural yeast can be replaced by 25g water + 25g bread flour + 1g instant dry yeast

Directions

1. Mix all dried and wet ingredients, except the salt and butter, together. Cover and stand for 15 minutes.

2. Start kneading process of a stand mixer until gluten form, about 3~4 minutes at Speed 2. Gradually add in the salt while the stand mixer is kneading.

3. After about 4~5 minutes when the dough becomes smoother, add in the softened butter.

After about 2~3 minutes of kneading at Speed 1, or till the butter has incorporated to the dough, increase kneading speed to Speed 5, and knead for about 15 minutes, or till window pane stage.

4. Give the dough about 10 to 15 slap-and-folds before shaping it into a ball and place in an oiled mixing bowl to proof. Cover with a lid and proof for about 60 minutes.

End of 60-minute proofing

5. Turn the dough onto a floured work top, deflate, fold in the four sides, invert and let it rest for 15 minutes.

6. Roll the dough into a flat dough, flip over to let the smoother side face down. Roll up the dough.

And place in a bread pan lightly greased with butter. Spray some water, cover with a tea-cloth and let the dough proof for about 50 to  60 minutes.

Beginning of 2nd proofing

End of 2nd proofing

 7. Preheat oven to 190℃ for about 10 minutes. Brush either milk or egg wash over the top.

Bake at second lowest rack, at 180℃ for 15 minutes, 170℃ for 20 minutes, or till golden.

8. Remove the bread from the oven and bread pan quickly.

Brush a thin coat of honey water over the hot crust to give the crust a glossy look and a thin coat of sweetness. This step is optional.

Let the bread cool to room temperature before cutting 🍞

Enjoy 😋