Matcha gives Spanish Bread (a favorite Filipino Bread Snack) a little flavor twist. The sweetness of the bread is now as little more earthy with the addition of Matcha.
This post is sponsored by Aiya Matcha, however all recipes and opinions are my own.
Origins of Spanish Bread
Despite it's name - which no one seems to know how it came about, it's a bread that was created in the Philippines by Filipinos. The dough is similar to brioche where it is enriched with eggs and butter. So it's super soft and fluffy. It's then filled with a breadcrumb and sugar mixture that bakes into a paste that you can't describe, yet delish.
It was one of the breads I discovered when I moved back to the Bay Area. This bread was a staple in our afternoon merienda when I was growing up in the Philippines. It's so so good when it's just out of the oven with the filling still oosing out when you bite into it.
The dough is similar to the Ube Halaya Babka, that I thought it would be a great idea to repurpose the dough and make a Matcha Version of Spanish Bread.
Matcha Spanish Bread
To make the Matcha version the base ingredients remain the same. We are just going to add a tablespoon of Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha to the recipe.
Mix all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl
Add in the butter a cube at a time until the dough comes together. Roll the dough in to a tight ball and let it rise for up to two hours in a greased bowl. You can also keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to form the Matcha Spanish Bread.
Make the Filling and Coating
If you let the dough rise in the fridge take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest on the countertop for a hour to get it to room temperature. Doing this makes it easier to handle and won't spring back so much. While the dough is resting make the filling.
As I mentioned above the original filling is made with breadcrumbs. I made it a little healthier by replacing the breadcrumbs with flax meal. I mixed the flax meal in with some melted vegan butter and more matcha.
In a separate plate combine 2 Tablespoons of more flax meal and mix it with 1 teaspoon of Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha. Set it aside until you have shaped the bread.
Shaping the Spanish Bread
Divide the dough into 6 or 12 equal balls depending on how big you want them. Using a small rolling pin flatten the dough until it is about a centimeter thick.
Slather on the flax meal filling and then roll the dough from the short side.
Slightly pinch the dough to seal it and then roll it in the dry matcha flax mixture.
Place on a baking tray seam side down and repeat for the other dough.
Baking the Spanish Bread
Let the bread proof for an hour covered with some plastic wrap. Once ready to bake place in the oven for 20 minutes.
I like having it warm with a nice glass of Iced Matcha on the side.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 280 g Bread Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Dry Active Yeast Red Star Yeast is the best I have used
- 100 g Ripple Pea Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha
- 1 Egg at Room Temperture
- 90 g Miyoko Vegan Butter at Room Temperature Cut into Cubes
For the Filling
- ¼ Cup Melted Vegan Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Flax Meal
- 1 Teapsoon Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha
For the Topping
- ¼ Cup Flax Meal
- 1 Teaspoon Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add in the yeast, milk, sugar and egg. Mix well. Add in the bread flour and Matcha and lightly mix with a wooden spoon until it starts forming little dough balls around the flour.
- Add in all the butter one piece at a time and use the dough hook and mix the dough on low until the dough combines.
- Increase the speed and mix for about 4-5 minutes until the bowl is clean and the dough starts to form a nice soft ball around the hook. When you hear a slight slapping sound the dough is done.
- Grease a new bowl with coconut oil and let the dough rest for an hour. It should double in size.
Make the Filling
- Mix the matcha, flax meal and butter in a small bowl until combined.
Make the Topping
- Mix the flax meal and matcha on a plate until combined.
Form the Matcha Spanish Bread
- Equally divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll them out into balls and then with a small rolling pin, roll the dough out about 4 inches long and 1 cm thick. Spread the filling from end to end.
- Roll the dough from the short edge and then pinch lightly to seal. Roll in the matcha topping and set on a baking sheet seam side down.
- Repeat for the rest of the dough. Then cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest and rise for an hour or two until they double in size.
Bake The Spanish Bread
- Pre Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes and leave to cool. Dust with more matcha powder if you desire.
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