Meat Floss Toast That Never Gets Greasy
As a meat lover, meat floss has always been one of my favorite foods. The savory meat floss combined with the smooth salad dressing pairs wonderfully with both cakes and bread, leaving you with a lingering taste. Toast, being a versatile bread, instantly upgrades to an elite version when combined with green onions and meat floss. Ultimately, this is a toast recipe. To make it well, you must understand the basics of making toast first. If you can’t even make plain white toast well, tackling this slightly more complex shaped meat floss toast might be more challenging. I previously wrote an easy-to-understand basic toast tutorial at https://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/103766671/, which is very much worth learning. This tutorial uses the direct method, though you can also opt for the indirect method by incorporating a sponge dough to enhance the fermentation flavor and anti-aging ability of the toast. High-gluten flour with a high protein content is necessary for making toast. With increased water absorption, you can add more liquid, making it easier to develop gluten. For this recipe, I used Nisshin Camellia high-gluten flour. Though it only has around 12% protein content, it still has good water absorption and results in toasts with clean break lines. You can choose the flour brand according to your preference and adjust the liquid amount flexibly based on the flour's water absorption. The liquid in the recipe uses a combination of pure milk and whole egg liquid. You can substitute milk with milk powder mixed with water at a 1:9 ratio. This reduces costs while maintaining the milk aroma. Other ingredients such as yeast, salt, sugar, and butter are similar to those in typical sweet bread dough. You can slightly increase the salt to make the toast bread more savory. For the filling, choose high-quality fluffy meat floss with a high pork content. If you're up for a challenge, you can even make it yourself. Any common brand of salad dressing from the market will suffice; I prefer options with fat content below 30%. However, anyone making this toast probably won’t mind a bit of fat content. The amount of meat floss can be increased moderately, but not too much, as dough has limited wrapping ability, and excessive meat floss can cause the dough to scatter during shaping. Knead the dough to 100% gluten development—this is crucial. Acquiring the ability to determine gluten development can only be achieved through substantial practice. For beginners, user-friendly flours like Golden Statue, Baiyan, or Queen Japanese styles can make the learning curve gentler. Additionally, a reliable stand mixer can make the process significantly easier. If you prefer hand-kneading, it's also feasible—using the water roux method with a smaller dough quantity is manageable. Understanding fermentation states is another essential skill for making toast. I wrote this tutorial during winter, with room temperature around 20°C (68°F). Under these conditions, whether primary fermentation, resting steps, or secondary fermentation, you'll need a warm environment; otherwise, the fermentation and resting times will need to be extended. Having a proofing box is ideal, but if unavailable, an oven or other methods can create a warm and humid environment. Additionally, you need to judge the fermentation state through volume, surface elasticity, and rebound tests—not just by time. The shaping methods for stuffed toasts vary widely. Currently, the most common is the sandwich technique, where fillings are added between dough layers, followed by cutting into long strips and braiding. This gives the toast a visually appealing top pattern. Shaping methods are a matter of preference; I find the three-strand braid method simpler. Poor shaping or over-proofing can lead to wild, unpredictable post-bake shapes that might be unrecognizable even to their creator. Due to multiple dough cuts and the addition of various fillings, this dough has lower gas retention than plain white toast, meaning it won't rise as high. Therefore, don’t overly pursue the finished product's height, or there’s a risk of collapsing. This tutorial uses a black low-sugar toast pan, baked at 170°C (338°F) for about 30 minutes. As the toast contains soft meat floss and salad dressing, thorough baking is essential to enhance its structural integrity and prevent it from sinking after cooling.
Ingredients
Steps
[Environment] Room temperature: 21°C, Humidity: 86% [Time] Approximately 4 hours [Mold] 450g black low-sugar toast pan [Portion] One 450g toast, serves 3-5 people [Baking] Bottom level of oven, Top and bottom heat at 170°C, Baking Time: 30 minutes [Storage] 2 days at room temperature in a sealed container; 1 month frozen in a sealed container
Mix milk and whole egg liquid thoroughly. If the room temperature is high, refrigerate until ice crystals form before using to effectively lower the dough temperature.
Add flour, yeast, salt, and sugar to a mixing bowl and roughly mix using an egg whisk.
Add the previously mixed liquid to the mixing bowl. Adjust the water volume based on your flour's absorption rate.
Set the stand mixer to low speed (gear 3) and mix for 1 minute to combine the ingredients into a rough dough. Mixer speed and time are for reference; adjust according to your mixer model.
Switch to medium speed (gear 5) and mix for 8 minutes.
Knead until the dough surface becomes smooth, visibly slapping against the bowl sides.
Stop the machine and check the dough gluten. The dough should lift with the dough hook. A small piece of dough should show a smooth surface.
If you can stretch it into a thin film with slight jagged edges at the break point, the gluten is about 80% developed.
Add softened butter.
Set the stand mixer to low speed (gear 3) and mix for 3 minutes to incorporate the butter evenly into the dough.
Switch to medium speed (gear 5) and mix for 3 minutes until the dough surface is very smooth, visibly slapping more against the bowl sides.
Stop the machine for the final check. Take a small dough piece and examine its smooth surface.
You should be able to stretch it into a uniform thin film where the break is clean without jagged edges. At this stage, the gluten is 100% developed, and kneading is complete.
Measure the dough temperature, aiming for around 26°C. The ideal dough temperature is 26-28°C, so controlling it properly is crucial as it affects fermentation speed.
Round the dough and place it in a greased bowl.
Place the dough in a proofing box for the first fermentation.
Set the temperature to 28°C and humidity to 75%. If your room temperature is above 25°C, you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature.
When the dough doubles in size and an indentation made with your finger stays, it’s ready. If it rebounds, it’s under proofed; if it collapses, it's over-proofed. In current conditions, it took me about 90 minutes. Fermentation time varies based on many factors, so observe the dough state.
On a lightly floured surface, remove the dough and place it smooth side down. Use your palm to press out any gas bubbles.
Fold the dough inward from the top, bottom, left, and right, then flip it back over so the smooth side is up.
Round the dough with your hands.
Rest for 25 minutes, covering with a proofing bowl to prevent surface drying.
Roll out and flatten the dough once.
Flip it so the smooth side faces down, then roll it into a 25cm square. Press out any bubbles near the edges. Sprinkle a little dry flour during operation for easier dough shaping.
Press and slightly widen the bottom edge of the dough for neater rolling.
Spread salad dressing evenly over the dough, leaving 1cm at the bottom edge uncoated for easier sealing.
Sprinkle chopped scallions and meat floss over the dough, again leaving the bottom edge uncoated.
From the top edge, roll the dough tightly with your hands. Once rolled, place it seam side down.
Use your palm to gently press the dough.
Using a dough scraper, cut the dough into 3 equal strips for braiding, leaving the top connected.
For a 3-strand braid: Number the strips from left to right as 1, 2, and 3. Always keep this order constant. First, cross strip 3 over strip 2, then strip 1 over strip 2, followed by strip 3 over strip 2 again. Repeat until braided.
Seal the braid's ends securely.
Fold both braided ends under.
Place the braid in the center of the toast pan.
Place it in the proofing box for secondary fermentation.
Set proofing box at 38°C, 85% humidity. If no proofing box is available, use the oven and create a sealed environment with a bowl of hot water for temperature and humidity. Ensure the temperature doesn't exceed 40°C to avoid yeast inactivity.
Preheat the oven to 190°C as the secondary fermentation nears completion.
When the dough ferments to match the toast pan's height (10/10 full) and rebounds slowly when pressed, it is ready. For current conditions, this took about 70 minutes.
Place the pan on the oven's bottom level.
Bake at 170°C top and bottom heat for 30 minutes. For silver-colored toast molds, set 180°C for about 40 minutes. Adjust based on your oven's temperature variance.
During baking, the toast will expand in the oven.
Around 12 minutes in, if the toast top browns significantly, cover it with foil to prevent burning.
Once baking is complete, remove from oven.
Tap the pan on the countertop to release steam.
Place toast upright on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour until fully cooled.
Once cooled, slice the toast to see its soft, delicate texture with the meat floss filling, making it incredibly appetizing.
Lastly, I invested considerable time and dedication to write this detailed tutorial. I kindly ask for your support by following me, saving, and giving feedback on my recipes. Grateful for your encouragement, I’ll keep creating better tutorials as a way to give back.