Chocolate Marble Asian Bread (Roux Method) | Eggless Tanzhong White Bread with Chocolate Patterns

For this month Home bakers challenge Manjula Kanted from Desi Fiesta has suggested four bread varieties
1. Rainbow swirl classic bread
2. Fresh strawberry chocolate stuffed pull apart/ Monkey bread
3. Chocolate marble Asian bread  (roux method)
4. Anadama Bread
I chosed Asian Marble bread becoz kids love chocolate in their breads. Thanks Priya sis and Manju for this wonderful challenge, somehow i got the marble pattern and kids loved it with nutella 🙂

Adapted from here

Ingredients for Water roux
1/3 cup bread/All Purpose flour
1 cup water

Ingredients for Main Dough
Bread flour/All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 2 ½ cups (I used APF)
Sugar – 3 Tbsp
Butter – 2 Tbsp
Milk powder – 3 Tbsp (Refer Note 1)
Unsweetened Cocoa powder – 1 Tbsp
Water – 100 ml (I used only 2/3 of it)
Active Dry Yeast – 1½tsp
Salt – ½tsp

Method for Water roux

• In a small pan, mix water and flour for water roux, place in a low heat and stir constantly until the temperature reach 65°C (150°F)
• If you do not have a thermometer, cook until ripples form (shiny and glossy check the pictures here).
• Set aside to cool by covering with a plastic film.

Main Dough

• In the bread machine vessel or a bowl, add the water roux, and all the other ingredients, except for the butter, water and cocoa powder.
• Knead it until it forms soft dough.
• Add the butter and  knead until the butter incorporates into the dough.
• Divide the dough in approximately 2/3 and 1/3 portions.
• Remove the small portion and set aside by covering with a plastic/cling film.
• Knead the bigger portion until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• If you need sprinkle bit water and the consistency should be elastic and smooth…

• Set aside in a bowl by covering the dough with a plastic/cling film.
• Take back the small portion and knead it again and add cocoa powder and water as needed (Just sprinkle and don’t add too much water)
• Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Cover the chocolate dough and set aside in a bowl by covering with a plastic/cling film.
• Let both dough proof until the dough doubles to its original size (Minimum 1 hour).
• Knock back both dough and let it rest for 5 minutes on the counter, cover both dough.
• Flatten the chocolate dough into a rectangle shape of approximately 6 x 9 inches and the white dough to 12 x 6 inches (Pic 1).
• Layer the chocolate rectangle in between the white rectangle (Pic 1 and 2).
• Flatten the rectangle and cut in 2 equal portions (Pic 3).
• Layer one piece on top of the other and flatten again (Pic 4).
• Repeat this procedure a couple of times.

• Cut the flatten dough into 3 equal pieces (Pic 5).
• Then again cut into 3 equal strips.
• Gently roll the strips and place 3 together (Pic 6) and make a braid (Pic 7).
• Place the braided bread in the tins (Pic 8).
• Cover the tins with plastic film and let them rise in a warm place until the dough has almost tripled its original size, i kept 1 hour (Pic 8).

• Meanwhile, preheat oven at 350°F.
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
• Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Cut in to slices and serve with any spread as you wish…
• Goes well with Nutella, Cream Cheese and Fruit Jam spreads.

Notes

1. You can skip milk powder in that case increase 1 more tbsp of butter.
2. I reduced cocoa to 1 Tbsp as original recipe calls for 1 n 1/2 Tbsp.
3. Also I increased a sugar bit.
4. If you use dark cocoa powder the patterns will be more bright.