I like adding taro to bread recipes as it gives the bread a milky white shade. I add quite a bit of butter (20-40g depending) to my bread doughs, so the end bake usually ends up with a slight tinge of yellow. But not bread with taro added. The texture will also appear more cottony soft because of its white crumbs. The bread is definitely soft, of course, like all other bread baked with root vegetables added. I had to cool the bread on its side which has the largest surface area, as the bread was collapsing under its own weight. By the time it completely cools down, I realised that rack marks have been made on its side!
To buy a whole taro for my small family will be too much. Only a 100g is needed for this recipe, so I usually ask the grocer to sell me a third or half of a big taro, that’s why I love buying my supplies from the wet markets, everything is negotiable! I will then steam the whole thing, use 100g of it to bake bread, chop the remaining into large chunks so that they fit into my airtight container and keep in the fridge, to be used up within a week.
I adapted from this taro bun recipe that is baked in an 8-inch round pan. My Pullman tin is smaller, so I used 200g of bread flour instead of 230g.
Soft Taro White Loaf
200g bread flour 1/2 tablespoon instant dry yeast 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons raw sugar 100g steamed taro, mashed 1 large egg ** 30g water 30g cold butter, cubed
** I use a large egg weighing 70g.
In mixer bowl, combine bread flour, yeast, salt, and sugar well with a hand whisk. After the dry ingredients are mixed, add cooled mashed taro, beaten egg and half of the water. Start the mixer and knead on its lowest speed (KA 1) . If the ingredients do not come together into a ball, slowly add more water, spoon by spoon, once a ball dough starts to form, stop. Let the dough sit for 15 minutes. If your kitchen is windy, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel.
After 15 minutes, start the mixer again and knead for 1 minute before adding cubed butter, one by one. Knead this until the dough reaches window pane stage; when the dough becomes very smooth and elastic. Remove bowl from mixer and bulk rise this for 1 hour. It will rise to double its original volume.
Punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean work top. Flatten dough with a rolling pin to push out gas inside the dough. Shape the loaf and place in greased bread tin, seams side facing downwards. Let it rise in a draft-free place for 50-60 mins.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170C for 30 minutes. Once done, invert pan carefully and remove bread from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack.
Store in an airtight container.
MONO and CO 