Apple Cinnamon Walnut Hot Cross Milk Bread
At first I thought seven words was a bit excessive for this Apple Cinnamon Walnut Hot Cross Milk Bread. But then I thought about how it tastes. And I came to the conclusion that no, it’s not too many words. Because it really is that delicious. And things that are delicious should have equally long and fabulous names.
So here we are, a week before Easter, still living in strange times in a strange world with a strange illness. What better time to make something as delicious as this loaf? Like many of you, we won’t be celebrating Easter as we usually do. It will be just our little family of four, sans Easter outfits and church and an egg hunt with extended family. If there’s one thing we can do though, it’s make a delicious breakfast. And this soft, pillowy and gently spiced bread is just the thing.
First things first, why milk bread? It’s been on my baking to-do list to make Hokkaido milk bread for what feels like a century. I finally made a loaf a couple weeks ago and was blown away by how soft, tender and utterly scrumptious it actually was. The cause of this soft, pillowy texture is the addition of tangzhong to the bread dough. It’s a Japanese technique of cooking water and flour together to create a roux-like consistency which is then added to the bread dough to strengthen the crumb and create the cloud-like texture indicative of milk bread. As soon as I had it, I knew it was a bread that could be used in so many versatile ways – really the perfect enriched dough.
Recipe notes for my Apple Cinnamon Walnut Hot Cross Milk Bread:
- My recipe is adapted from the Hokkaido Milk Bread recipe written by Cynthia Chen McTernan of Two Red Bowls. You can find the full recipe here on Food52. The inspiration to turn it into a hot cross loaf came from Aimee Twigger of Twigg Studios in her recipe for Hot Cross Bun Milk Loaf.
- This can be a time-consuming recipe if you choose to do it in a day. I’ve always made mine in one day, but Cynthia recommends making the dough a day prior to baking it for enhanced flavor. This is also helpful if you’re running short on time to complete the bake in a day.
- You can also use instant yeast instead of active dry to speed up the proving if you make it in a day. If you choose to use instant, use 1 1/4 teaspoons and don’t add it to the milk and 1/8 tsp sugar (instant yeast does not need to be proved). Instead, omit the sugar and add the 1/4 cup milk to the tangzhong, cream and egg mixture. Add the instant yeast to the dry ingredients.
- I used Granny Smith apples in the loaf you see photographed here as it’s what I had on hand. If making the loaf again, I would use a sweeter, less tart variety such as honeycrisp, fuji or gala as I think it would compliment the spices that much more.
- When adding the apples and walnuts after the first prove and shaping, don’t worry if the apples and walnuts fall out a bit. Just shape as directed and try to “stuff” a few back in after you roll up your pieces.
- You can use egg wash prior to baking to create that golden color on top, or you can brush on melted apricot jam. Honestly, you can both if you’d like. Whatever suits your fancy.
- Finally, this bread is luscious as french toast. In our house, a loaf doesn’t usually last long enough to make it to the french toast phase. However, it’s a fabulous Easter morning weekend breakfast idea (or any weekend for that matter!)
Apple Cinnamon Walnut Hot Cross Milk Bread
This hot cross loaf combines the comforting flavors of apple cinnamon and the soft, pillowy texture of hokkaido milk bread for a twist on the traditional hot cross bun. It's perfect not only for Easter but any weekend breakfast and also makes delicious french toast.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
For the tangzhong:
- 6 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp bread flour
For the bread:
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/8 tsp sugar
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup apples, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
For the hot cross piping mixture:
- 6 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
For the tangzhong:
- 1) Whisk together the 6 tbsp of water and 2 tbsp of bread flour in a small saucepan until no lumps remain. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it thickens into a gel-like consistency (should only take a few minutes). Once lines begin to appear in the mixture while stirring, remove it from the heat. Let cool to room temperature.
For the bread:
- 1) To begin preparing the bread dough, heat the milk to slightly above room temperature – about 110-115 degrees and just lukewarm to the touch. Sprinkle the yeast and 1/8 tsp sugar over the top. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until milk starts to foam. (This is called proofing your yeast. You can also use instant yeast. See notes above.)
- 2) While the yeast is proofing, whisk togeher the bread flour, spices, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.
- 3) Next, in the saucepan with the cooled tangzhong, whisk in the heavy cream and one egg. Once the yeast mixture has become foamy, add the yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- 4) Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture. Begin stirring with a spoon or spatula until it begins to form a shaggy dough. Then continue kneading with your hands for about 4-5 minutes. The dough should form a relatively smooth ball as you continue to knead. If the dough is too sticky, you can add up to an additional 1/4 cup of flour, a tablespoon at a time. I have not yet had to add additional flour, but you may need to depending on the type of flour you're using.
- 5) Once the dough has formed a smooth ball, add 1 tbsp of softened butter to the dough. Knead the butter into the dough until well incorporated. Then add the second tablespoon of dough and do the same. The dough will be very messy and slippery while incorporating the butter, but as you continue to knead, it will blend in and create a soft dough. After incorporating the second tablespoon of butter, continue kneading for 5-6 minutes to develop gluten in the dough, making sure it's smooth and elastic.
- 6) Put your dough in a large bowl and lightly cover until doubled in size (about 2 hours). If you're short on time, at this point you can place your dough in the refrigerator to proof overnight. While the dough is proofing, peel and dice your apples and combine them with the walnuts in a separate bowl. Then prepare your loaf pan by spraying with nostick cooking spray and lining with parchment paper for easy lifting once baked.
- 7) Once the dough has doubled, pour it onto a lightly floured surfaced and punch down. Divide it into 3 equal parts. For each piece, begin to shape the dough by rolling into a long oval. At this point, sprinkle a small handful of the apple/walnut mixture down the center of the oval. Fold the oval into thirds widthwise, then roll flat again. You will then roll the dough up lengthwise and place in your loaf plan. Don't worry if some of the apple/walnut mixture falls out as you are doing this. Try to keep as much in tact as possible, but it's perfectly fine if a few pieces fall out. Continue this method for the remaining two pieces. Set the loaf pan aside to let the dough rise until doubled again, approximately another hour.
- 8) Once you detect the second proof is nearly complete, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin preparing your hot cross piping mixture. In a small bowl, add the 2 tbsp of water and beging adding the 6 tbsp of flour until it forms a thick, smooth paste. (You'll notice in my photos that my hot cross paste is a bit lumpy. I added the water to the flour and didn't mix properly as it was my first time making the paste. To avoid the lumps, I would add the flour to the water to make sure you get the right consistency.) Test your dough's readiness by pressing it gently with a finger. When the mark from your fingers comes back slowly but still remains visible, your dough is ready.
- 9) Add the piping mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium piping tip (I've seen Wilton #10 recommended, but I used one slightly larger as this is a loaf versus a bun. It's whatever suits your preference and desired look.) Pipe the mixture onto the loaf, one stripe in the middle of each piece widthwise and one down the middle of the loaf lengthwise.
- 10) Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. To test if your bread is fully baked, gently tap and listen for a hollow sound.
- 11) Warm the apricot jam in the microwave (about 10-15 seconds) or on a stove top until melted. Brush gently on top of the warm loaf. (Alternatively or additionally, you can do an egg wash on the loaf prior to baking.) Enjoy!
