Bacon Scallion Milk Bread

BACON SCALLION MILK BREAD

Like the bacon scallion buns you’ll find at Chinese bakeries, this bacon scallion milk bread has a savory flavor and a sweet, buttery texture. Because it’s a pulled-apart bread style, it’s perfect for sharing and a lot of fun to cook with the family.

Our simple all-in-one milk bread recipe has served as the foundation for many of our Chinese Bakery dishes. Because all the dough components (even yeast!) are added at the same time, it is referred to as an “all-in-one” recipe.

Soft, pillowy bread is the result of a basic, enriched dough. We tweaked the recipe a bit to accommodate for the saltiness of the bacon, for example.

Rather than sweet, this bacon scallion variant is savory and ideal for breakfast.

It’s possible to create this bread in advance by completing Step 8 of this recipe and refrigerating it overnight. Take it out of the fridge, bring it back to room temperature, and allow it to be proof for an hour before baking the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces of bacon
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/3 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• 1/2 large egg
• 1/4 cup of cake flour
• 1 3/4 cups of bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of chopped scallions
• egg wash
• quick simple syrup (2 teaspoons sugar, dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Allow the heavy cream, milk, and egg to warm to room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes.
2. You’ll need the following ingredients: heavy cream, milk, 12 beaten eggs, sugar, cake flour and bread flour, yeast, and salt to go into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
3. A dough should form when the mixer (or a wooden spoon) is turned on to the lowest setting, and the ingredients are mixed. The dough should be kneaded on the lowest setting for 15 minutes, with intermittent pauses for the dough to be pushed together. However, the dough should remain firmly affixed to the bottom of the mixing basin. When kneading by hand, allow an additional 5-10 minutes of kneading time.
4. Add a tbsp of flour until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, if it’s sticking due to humidity in your location. Too much more flour will result in dense and densely crumbing bread.
5. If you want the dish to double in size in 60 to 90 minutes, cover it in a wet cloth and put it somewhere warm.
6. Bacon should be browned on both sides and remain flexible while the dough rises. Slice the cooled meat into 12-inch chunks. Wash and dry the scallions before slicing them into small pieces. Using butter or oil, thoroughly coat an 8-inch or 9-inch circular pan.
7. For 5 minutes, knead the dough after removing the air. Then, roll it out into a 14-inch thick rectangle or a rough circle, forming a ball and pressing it into the surface. To assemble, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1.5 inches (4 cm), then sprinkle it with the scallions and bacon.
8. As a taco, fold each square in half like a taco with the bacon scallion filling in the center. Nestle the tacos in the pan, one on top of the other. For those who plan to make this recipe in advance, the dough can be covered and refrigerated at this point. Then, remove the dough from the refrigerator the next day and let it come to room temperature before continuing.
9. For an hour, let the dough rise. Bake at 350°F/175°C for 15 minutes after the dough has finished rising.
10. Top the risen dough with an egg wash. To bake, place the bread in a preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Immediately after taking the heated bread out of the oven, apply a generous coat of the sugar water mixture to it! Cool and enjoy at room temperature or even a little warm.