Sourdough Hokkaido Milk Bread.

Ingredients:

100g Sourdough starter, fed 12 hours previously at a ratio of 1 part starter: 1 part flour: 1 part water.

400g Strong white bread flour

180ml water

30g White sugar

8g Dried milk

8g Salt

100ml Whole milk plus a little extra for glazing

1 egg plus one yolk for glazing

50g Butter, softened

A little melted butter for brushing after cooking

Method:

Start by putting 50g of the flour and the water in a saucepan. Mix together then cook on a low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes a thick paste, continue to cook for 2-3 minutes continuing to stir then remove from the heat. Place the paste in a bowl and cover with clingfilm with the clingfilm touching the paste to stop a skin forming. Allow to cool at room temperature.

In separate bowl add the rest of the flour, sugar, milk powder, whole egg, salt, milk and sourdough starter as well as the cooled flour and water paste.
Mix everything together until a smooth dough is formed, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
If you are using a stand mixer, mix the dough using the dough hook on a medium speed for a minimum of 10 minutes until a strong smooth elastic dough is formed that comes away from the side of the bowl. Add the softened butter and mix for a further 2 minutes. If you are mixing by hand (not recommended), kneed on a lightly floured surface for approximately 30 minutes until a strong, smooth, elastic dough is formed. Add the butter and kneed until evenly mixed into the dough.
Lightly oil a bowl that is at least twice the size of the dough, place the dough inside and cover. Leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
After 12 hours remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 7 even pieces.
Flatten each piece and fold a quarter of one side of each piece into the centre and then the opposite side.

Rotate the dough piece 90 degrees and repeat the folding process so the folds cross over the previous ones.

Take the dough piece in your hand and fold the edges in on itself to form a ball with a smooth surface.

Repeat the process with each piece of dough.
Grease a circular baking dish or cake tin with oil and line with baking parchment.
Place the dough balls into the dish, one in the centre and the other around the edge.
Leave at room temperature to proove for a further 5 hours. The dough should agai double in volume.
Pre-heat an oven to 180 degrees C ( 350 degrees F) gas mark 4.
Mix the egg yolk with a little milk and brush over the top of the dough.