Cocoa Bread

2 days ago, I decided to try out the recipe from the baking books I have collected as I always make use of the same basic dough for my different designs of buns/loaf. I hand knead all my bread dough as I don't own a BM.

So, here comes the cocoa bread! I would say this dough is very sticky to handle but it yields a soft bread. Can eat on its own or goes very well with ice cream or spread with jams.

Cocoa Bread
(Recipe adapted from Home baking 星期天的烘焙时光)

Ingredients:

235 gm bread flour

15 gm cocoa powder

5 gm yeast

45 gm sugar

1 egg (50gm)

120 gm milk

30 gm unsalted butter

4 gm salt

Method: 

1) Place the dry ingredients and stir together. (Yeast must not be placed in direct contact with salt as it will 'kill' the yeast and become inactive)

2) Add in the wet ingredients (egg & milk)

3) Mix together and pour out onto tabletop to knead by hand for abt 8 min. Add in butter and knead again for another 10min or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

4) Oil bowl and put in the dough, cover with cling wrap and leave to proof for an hour or till doubled in size.

5) Punch out the air and divide into 3 portions. Each rolled into a ball, cover and let it rest for 15 min.

6) At the same time, grease the loaf pan (20cm*10cm). Here I use pullman tin.

7) Flatten out the dough into rectangular shape, fold in both sides and roll into a load, pinch the edges tightly. Repeat for the other 2 dough. (See last photo below)

8) Place the 3 rolled dough side by side, with the closing ends facing down. 2nd proofing for  an hour or doubled in size.

9) Egg wash and bake at 180C preheated oven for 25-30mins.

Enjoy Baking!