Taiwanese Scallion Bread

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Fluffy, savory, and full of that irresistible scallion fragrance, this traditional Taiwanese scallion bread is a nostalgic favorite that’s perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Prep Time1

Cook Time18

Proofing Time2 30

Total Time3 48

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: breads

Calories: 209kcal

Author: Edwina

Equipment

Stand mixer
Scale

Ingredients

Tangzhong (Yudane)

30 g boiling water 2 tablespoons
25 g bread flour 2½ tbsp

Bread Dough

250 g bread flour A bit less than 2 cups
30 g cake flour ¼ cup
10 g dry milk powder 1 tablespoon
30 g sugar 2 tablespoons
15 g honey a little bit less than 1 tablespoon
25 g large egg, beaten ½ large egg, ⅛ cup, store the rest in the fridge for brushing and making scallion mixture.
80 g cold whole milk ⅓ cup
60 g cold water ¼ cup
tangzhong (Yudane) paste (see above)
1 teaspoon instant yeast preferably saf instant yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
30 g unsalted butter cut into 6 - 8 pieces

Scallion Mixture

100 g scallions about 6-8 stalks
1 tablespoon lard or any kind of vegetable oil
remainder of beaten egg (from above)
½ teaspoon sea salt
pinch of sugar
black pepper to taste optional
toasted sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Make Tangzhong (Yudane) the Night Before

Measure 25 grams of bread flour in a bowl. Set the kitchen scale to zero with the flour and bowl on it and pour in 30 grams of boiling water. Stir until combined to form a sticky dough.
Let it cool down before storing in the fridge overnight or for 12 hours. Use it within 48 hours (or at least 2 hours if you can't wait).

Bread Dough

In a stand mixer, mix all the dough ingredients except yeast, sea salt and unsalted butter until a rough dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Cover and and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After resting, add yeast and knead for 1-2 minutes on medium speed before adding salt. Knead for another 2-3 minutes before adding unsalted butter, one piece at a time.
Knead until the dough is smooth and able to pass the windowpane test (see FAQ for more details) -- about 8-10 minutes. Make sure the dough stays cool during the entire kneading process. If the temperature of your dough becomes higher than 82°F (28°C) when it's done kneading, place it on a tray and chill it in the freezer for 1-2 minutes before proofing.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and proof in a warm place (82°F / 28°C) for an hour or until the dough just about doubles in size.

Prepare the Scallions While the Dough is Proofing.

Wash, pat dry and slice scallions. Let the sliced scallion dry on the chopping board until ready to use.

Shape the Bread and Final Proof

Place the dough on a working surface and divide the dough into 8 equal portions with a dough cutter or knife (don't tear it!)
Flatten the dough with your palm before folding the edges to the center, pinch them together to form a ball and flip it over so the seam side is down. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
To form the bread, roll the dough ball into an oval shape about the size of your hand. Then, using a knife or dough cutter, slice the oval lengthwise into three long strips, leaving the top portion intact so the strips remain connected (see the picture in the post).
Gently braid the three strips together as you would with hair, crossing the right strand over the middle, then the left over the new strand in the middle, and so on. Pinch the end together to secure the braid.
Place the braided dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a damp tea towel and let it proof in a warm place (82°F / 28°C) for 50 minutes. (See the Tips and Tricks section for more information)

Assemble and Bake

Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.
Brush each braided dough with the remainder of the beaten egg.
In a bowl, mix the remaining beaten egg with melted lard (or vegetable oil), then stir in the chopped scallions, salt and pepper, Spoon an equal amount of the scallion mixture on top of each braided dough. Optionally, sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds on top.
When the oven is done preheating, bake the bread for 17-18 minutes or until the bottom part becomes golden brown.
Let the bread cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

- Measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale! Especially for flour and liquids, because your one cup can be very different from my one cup.

- Start with cold liquid - I learned this from professional bakers in Taiwan. Since the dough needs a lot of kneading, using cold liquids prevents the final dough from becoming too warm (which worsens the texture of the bun). In summer, I would even place the milk in a freezer until a thin layer of ice forms near the edge before I use it.

- The best proofing temperature is between 80 - 90°F (26.5 - 32°C). If your indoor temperature is too low, you can proof your dough in a sealed oven over a separate tray/pan on the bottom rack that's filled with boiling water.

- If your oven has a proofing function, for the first proof, only turn on the proofing function for the first 20 minutes as using it the whole time would be too hot. For the second proof, you can use the proofing feature the whole time as we need a higher temperature for the second proof.

- If your oven doesn't have a proofing function, you can create a warm, humid environment by placing a small pot of freshly boiled water in the oven alongside the dough while it proofs.

- If the lard solidifies when mixing with egg, put the bowl in hot water and continue to mix until they're well combined.

- The bread might not be golden brown when it's done baking due to the scallion topping. If your oven has a convection bake function, you can turn it on for the last 1-2 minutes to help the buns achieve a golden brown color.
- Read FAQ for more information.

Nutrition