Milky streusel bread 奶酥菠蘿吐司

This bread is commonly seen in Chinese bakeries, but it's nothing Chinese. It has a milky and creamy filling with streusel topping. Again, this is another childhood favorite. I remember this was a "must-buy" every time we were in a bakery. The smell of milk is REALLY strong when it first comes out of the oven, filling our whole house with the wonderful smell. We don't have a big house, but I love it very much. We put in a lot of time and effort to improve many places around and inside the house. It's where we build our dreams and life together.

I found this recipe on the web, but I can't find it anymore, so please excuse me not to cite the source here.

Ingredients (use a Pullman pan, 4" x 4" x 8"):

Soupy flour mix:

• corn starch 4 g
• bread flour 8 g
• water 65 g

Bread dough:

• soupy flour mix (77 g total)
• bread flour 235 g
• sugar 20 g
• salt 2 g
• egg 1 
• water 28 g
• milk 55 g
• instant yeast 5 g
• butter 20 g (1.5 Tbsp)

Filling:

• butter 40 g
• vegetable shortening 30 g
• confectioner's sugar 30 g
• salt 1/8 tsp
• egg 1
• corn starch 1 Tbsp
• dry milk powder 80 g
• raisins 1/3 cups

Streusel topping:

• cake flour 10 g
• confectioner's sugar 5 g
• butter 5 g

Instructions:

1. Make the soupy flour mix the night before. Mix everything in a small sauce pan on low heat until well mixed and soupy (like oatmeal). Cover with plastic wrap and let cool in the refrigerator overnight.


2. Make the dough. Mix everything in a bread machine using the dough function. Cut butter in small cubes and add it after the dough forms. After it comes together, add the instant yeast. Let rise until double in size (45 minutes - 1 hour). (Note: Beat the egg first, and add most of the egg in the dough mix. Leave just a little to make an egg wash for later use.)


3. Make the filling. Cut the softened butter and vegetable shortening into small cubes and mix together. Sift the confectioner's sugar and add in the salt. Whisk in the beaten egg. Finally add the corn starch and dry milk powder. Use a rubber spatula to mix well.

4. Check to see if it completes rising by poking the figure in the dough. If it doesn't bounce back, it's done rising. Divide into 3 equal parts. Let rise for 15 minutes.

5. Roll each piece into a long rectangular shape, and spread the filling and raisins. Stay away about 1 inch from edge. Fold in from the edges at the long side and seal tight. They look like three long pieces with filling in them.

6. Gently stretch them and braid the three long pieces into one loaf.

7. Put the loaf in the Pullman pan, let rise until 85% to 90% full. 

8. Make the streusel topping. Mix the cake flour and confectioner's sugar in a small bowl first. Cut the softened butter into small pieces, and add them to the flour/sugar mix. Mix them together with your fingers into tiny tiny balls or pieces.

9. When the dough is done rising, brush the egg wash on top, and sprinkle the streusel topping on top. Bake it in the oven at 170 C (340 F) for 30 minutes.