Taiwanese Bread

Ingredients

• 500 gm bread flour
• 2½ gm ascorbic acid (optional)
• 175 gm iced water
• 7½ gm dry instant yeast
• 5 gm salt
• 100 gm sugar
• 50 gm butter
• 50 gm shortening
• 30 gm fresh milk
• 100 gm egg yolks

Directions

1. Using part of the water from the recipe, combine it with the yeast and 50 grams of the sugar. Set aside.
2. Using the dough hook attachment of your machine mix together the bread flour and remaining sugar.
3. Pour in the yeast mixture, continue mixing at slow speed.
4. Add water and milk in a thin stream until mixture looks completely wet. Add more water as necessary.
5. Increase the speed and add in the butter and shortening in pieces until mixture looks completely lubricated.
6. Add egg yolks then the salt.
7. Continue mixing at high speed until dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Continue mixing until gluten is developed. Test the dough by getting a small piece and stretching it, it should not break easily and should feel elastic. The dough will be very sticky.
8. Rest the dough in a large greased bowl (turning dough once to grease top). Cover with plastic. Do not disturb for about 30 minutes.
9. At this point you can shape the dough into anything you want.

Filipino ensaimada

1. Divide the dough into two.
2. Divide each half into 50 gram pcs.
3. Roll up each dough tightly into a bun.
4. Place in a greased tray, cover with greased plastic and set aside for 10 minutes.
5. Roll each dough into a rectangle and slather generously with butter.
6. Cover the entire surface with grated cheese (edam works excellently) and roll up on the long side into a thin baton.
7. Coil this baton into a tight cinnamon bun shape and place in round, greased fluted molds or in large muffin tins.
8. Butter the tops and set aside to let it rise until double. This might take between 1 to 2 hours (depending on the temperature of your kitchen - for faster rising, place inside an empty cabinet).
9. Just before baking brush tops gently with egg beaten with a few tablespoons of water.
10. Bake in a preheated 400 °F oven for approximately 18 to 25 minutes. Tops should be just golden. Because the dough is so rich the bread will turn brown easily.
11. Remove immediately to cooling racks. Brush with more butter and sprinkle with a little sugar and more grated cheese.