Marmalade Breakfast Loaf
With the arrival of Seville and blood oranges, January is marmalade season. This breakfast loaf is a great way of enjoying homemade or shop-bought marmalade: the bread is made from super soft, sweetened milk dough – Japanese shokupan – which contrasts with the tangy, eye-catching swirl of the oranges. The dough is partially cooked before baking (by making a roux or yudane), which makes it so soft.
You can also make a plain version, which tastes great with jam or for sandwiches. Roll up the dough in the same way described below, but just omit the marmalade and decrease the cooking time to 25-30 minutes. This quantity will also make 6 medium-sized rolls - just decrease the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
I learnt how to make shokupan via the excellent tutorial at www.chopstickchronicles.com – do check it out. My recipe is based on the one found there, so thank you to Chopstick Chronicles. If you’ve got time, prepare the yudane the night before you make up the rest of the dough.
Ingredients
For the yudane/roux (if possible, make this the day before and leave overnight in the fridge)
For the bread
Equipment
Method
1. To make the yudane, pour the boiling water over the flour and mix together. It should resemble a ball of dough. Let it cool, wrap it in cling film, and put it in the fridge overnight.
With the arrival of Seville and blood oranges, January is marmalade season. This breakfast loaf is a great way of enjoying homemade or shop-bought marmalade: the bread is made from super soft, sweetened milk dough – Japanese shokupan – which contrasts with the tangy, eye-catching swirl of the oranges. The dough is partially cooked before baking (by making a roux or yudane), which makes it so soft.
You can also make a plain version, which tastes great with jam or for sandwiches. Roll up the dough in the same way described below, but just omit the marmalade and decrease the cooking time to 25-30 minutes. This quantity will also make 6 medium-sized rolls - just decrease the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
I learnt how to make shokupan via the excellent tutorial at www.chopstickchronicles.com – do check it out. My recipe is based on the one found there, so thank you to Chopstick Chronicles. If you’ve got time, prepare the yudane the night before you make up the rest of the dough.
Ingredients
For the yudane/roux (if possible, make this the day before and leave overnight in the fridge)
- 50g bread flour
- 40ml just-boiled water
For the bread
- 150ml lukewarm semi-skimmed milk
- 15g caster sugar
- 4g dry instant yeast
- 10g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 200g bread flour (I use Shipton Mill’s Canadian Strong Plain)
- 5g salt
- 2 tbsp. good-quality marmalade
- 15g melted butter for brushing the top of the loaf
Equipment
- 1 x 2lb loaf tin, greased with butter
Method
1. To make the yudane, pour the boiling water over the flour and mix together. It should resemble a ball of dough. Let it cool, wrap it in cling film, and put it in the fridge overnight.
2. Gently heat the milk in a saucepan until it is lukewarm (not hot). Pour the dried yeast over the top and stir (it will look a bit clumpy). This helps the yeast to activate.
3. In a bowl, weigh out the sugar and butter, and pour over the milk-yeast mixture. Chop the yudane into small pieces (it will be a bit sticky) and add to the mixture. Stir well.
4. Add the flour and salt and mix together until it forms a ball.
5. Knead the dough in a food mixer (using the dough hook) for about 20 minutes on medium speed until elastic. Stop it every 5 minutes to cool down the motor and to check the dough.
6. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour). It’s ready when you poke your finger in the centre of the dough and the hole remains, rather than bouncing back. Leave it a little longer if it bounces back.
3. In a bowl, weigh out the sugar and butter, and pour over the milk-yeast mixture. Chop the yudane into small pieces (it will be a bit sticky) and add to the mixture. Stir well.
4. Add the flour and salt and mix together until it forms a ball.
5. Knead the dough in a food mixer (using the dough hook) for about 20 minutes on medium speed until elastic. Stop it every 5 minutes to cool down the motor and to check the dough.
6. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour). It’s ready when you poke your finger in the centre of the dough and the hole remains, rather than bouncing back. Leave it a little longer if it bounces back.
7. Punch back the dough to get rid of all the air. I tend to punch it while it’s sitting in the bowl, then I reshape the dough into a ball, and put it back into the bowl. Then, leave it to rest for 20 minutes, covered with a clean tea-towel.
8. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Stretch the dough into a rectangle (I don’t find that flour is required, but use a small amount if needed). The shorter side should be just shorter than the longest side of your loaf tin, and stretch it as long as you can while maintaining 1cm thickness (approx.). This length will mean you can get a good spiral in the dough. Don’t overstretch or it will break.
9. Spread the marmalade over the dough, leaving 2cm clear around the edges. Then, from the shorter side, roll the dough up gently towards you (try not to trap any air). Seal the edges and the sides to stop the marmalade from seeping out. It should be enough just to tuck the side edges together, but brush a little egg over the sides if it’s not sticking. Transfer the dough into the greased tin and leave to rise for 40-45 minutes, covered with a clean tea towel. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan), 200°C (non fan).
9. Spread the marmalade over the dough, leaving 2cm clear around the edges. Then, from the shorter side, roll the dough up gently towards you (try not to trap any air). Seal the edges and the sides to stop the marmalade from seeping out. It should be enough just to tuck the side edges together, but brush a little egg over the sides if it’s not sticking. Transfer the dough into the greased tin and leave to rise for 40-45 minutes, covered with a clean tea towel. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan), 200°C (non fan).
10. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes until golden brown (keep an eye on it and place some foil over the top if it’s browning too much).
11. Immediately after you remove it from the oven, brush it all over (top and sides) with melted butter, to give the crust softness and shine.
12. Once cool, slice with a sharp bread knife - the bread will be very soft.
11. Immediately after you remove it from the oven, brush it all over (top and sides) with melted butter, to give the crust softness and shine.
12. Once cool, slice with a sharp bread knife - the bread will be very soft.