Crispy and Soft Honey Crust Bread
Honey crust bread was once very popular. Even if you've never tasted it, you may have seen its signs on bustling streets. Its flower-like shape and golden-brown color are naturally appetizing. The aroma of baked honey combined with the crispy crusted bread bottom will certainly leave you yearning for more after one bite. This is a sweet bread, so its ingredient ratios are similar to other sweet breads. Typically, high-gluten flour with a protein content of over 11% is used. Naturally, you need to adjust the liquid amount flexibly based on its water absorption rate. The percentage of salt and yeast for baking is around 1%, and milk powder is about 5%. If you want a more pronounced milk flavor, you can add a bit more. The dough contains two types of sugar: honey and granulated sugar. I have previously done a tutorial on honey dinner rolls (http://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/103909036/), where only honey was used, and they turned out just fine. The difference between honey and granulated sugar lies in honey's better moisture retention and coloring ability. However, since honey contains nearly 20% water, this needs to be accounted for when calculating the liquid in the dough and the liquid amount reduced accordingly. This recipe uses half granulated sugar and half honey, not only to prevent excessive browning during baking but also to cut costs, as good honey is not cheap. If you wish to save money and omit honey, that's fine, but then it can no longer be called “honey crust bread.” The liquid components are mainly whole egg liquid and water, with baking percentages of 10% and 50% respectively. By calculating the water content in whole egg liquid (75%) and honey (20%), the total dough hydration is found to be 50% + 7.5% + 2% = 60%. Keeping the hydration level controlled ensures that the dough remains easy to shape and doesn't collapse. To achieve the crispy texture of the bread's bottom, simply using high-temperature baking is not enough. Therefore, we use some additional crusting ingredients, including sesame seeds, granulated sugar, and oil. Sesame seeds, when roasted, turn crispy and aromatic. Granulated sugar melts during baking and recrystallizes as the bread cools, forming a hard, crunchy layer. Brushing vegetable oil onto the baking tray bottom gives the dough a frying-like effect during baking, enhancing its crispiness. Another advantage of oiling is that it prevents sticking, making the bread easier to remove after baking. The dough should be kneaded to about 90% gluten development, which is common for most sweet bread recipes. To achieve good dough quality, you need to manage the liquid additions well and be flexible about the speed of the stand mixer. I was in Hainan during winter, where room temperature was still around 25°C. First proofing could be done at room temperature. If your room is much colder, you might need to use an oven or a proofing box to maintain a temperature of about 28°C, ensuring adequate humidity to prevent the surface of the dough from drying out. Shaping honey bread is straightforward. Roll the dough to length, roll it up, cut it in half, and place it cut side down to easily form a flower-like shape. If the dough contracts while rolling out, sufficient resting time is needed. The lower the temperature, the longer it takes. A square baking tray of 28cm * 28cm is most commonly used for home baking. This recipe makes 16 portions, arranged in a 4x4 grid. Proof to approximately double in size, where gaps between dough pieces should be minimal. Secondary proofing requires a temperature of 38°C and a humidity of 85%, which is best achieved with an oven or proofing box. Honey crust bread needs a higher bottom heat during baking to allow more evaporation from the bottom, enhancing browning. During baking, the top may brown too quickly, so be ready to use aluminum foil for cover. Do not brush honey water on the bread after baking since it can seep to the bottom, affecting the crispy texture. Besides, the existing sweetness of this bread is already sufficient.
Ingredients
Steps
【Environment】Room temperature 25°C, humidity 53% 【Bakeware】28cm*28cm*3cm non-stick baking tray 【Serving Size】16 portions, serves 5-8 people 【Baking】Preheat at 200°C, oven mid-lower rack, bake at 150°C upper heat and 200°C lower heat for 20 minutes 【Storage】3 days at room temperature in a sealed container, 1 month in freezer in a sealed container
Mix the water and whole egg liquid from the dough ingredients until well combined.
If room temperature is high, freeze the mixture until ice crystals form. The higher the room temperature, the more ice is needed. This effectively reduces dough temperature. In this environment, I froze the liquid for about 30 minutes.
Add all the dry ingredients except butter to the mixing bowl and mix evenly with a whisk. Avoid direct contact between yeast and salt to maintain yeast activity.
Add honey and liquid sequentially. Beginners can reserve about 5% of the liquid and adjust based on the dough's firmness later.
Start mixing on low speed (1-3 speed) for 2 minutes until the ingredients come together. The speed and time for the stand mixer are for reference; please adjust based on your machine.
Switch the mixer to medium speed (4-6 speed) and knead for 7 minutes until the dough is slightly smooth on the surface and snaps against the mixing bowl’s sides.
Stop the mixer to check the gluten development. Take a small piece and observe its relatively smooth surface.
If you can stretch a thin membrane with slight jagged edges at the break, the dough has reached about 80% gluten development.
Add softened butter.
Mix on low speed for 4 minutes. Pause midway to help mix with a spatula. The dough will initially loosen but will come together again as the butter is incorporated.
Switch to medium speed and knead for 3 minutes until the dough surface becomes very smooth and snaps violently against the mixing bowl walls.
Stop the mixer to check the dough texture. Take a small piece and observe its glossy and smooth surface.
Stretch and rotate it simultaneously.
If you can stretch it into a relatively even thin film with minimal jagged edges at breaks, the dough has reached about 90% gluten development.
Measure the dough temperature, which should be about 28°C. Proper temperature management is key to fermentation success.
Round the dough and place it in an oiled bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow the first fermentation to occur at room temperature. If the room is cooler than 25°C, use an oven or proofing box.
When the dough's volume doubles, and an indentation made with a finger doesn’t rebound or collapse, the fermentation is complete. In this environment, it took about 80 minutes.
Lightly dust the surface with flour and divide the dough evenly into 8 portions, approximately 95g each. Minimize small pieces to maintain dough integrity.
Round each portion individually.
Rest the portions under plastic wrap to prevent drying for 25 minutes.
Mix granulated sugar and sesame seeds from the crust ingredients.
Pour corn oil into the baking tray and spread it evenly on the base and sides with a brush.
Arrange dough portions with the smooth side facing up, flatten with a rolling pin, then flip so the smooth side faces down.
Fold the left and right sides inward by one-third and press the seam tightly with your palm.
Roll the dough into a 25cm-long log.
Press the bottom edge thin.
Roll into about 2.5 turns.
Arrange with the seam facing down.
Once all rolls are prepared, use a sharp knife to cut each log in half.
Dip the cut sides into the sugar-sesame mixture.
Arrange evenly in the baking tray.
Place the tray in a proofing box for the second fermentation.
Set the temperature to 38°C and humidity to 85%. If no proofing box is available, use an oven, adding hot water to maintain temperature and humidity. Ensure the temperature doesn’t exceed 40°C to prevent yeast inactivity.
Preheat the oven to 200°C when the proofing is nearly complete.
Once the dough has doubled in size leaving small gaps in the tray and rebounds slowly when pressed, the proofing is complete. In this environment, it took 60 minutes.
Lightly brush a thin layer of whole egg liquid on the top. Avoid excessive amounts to prevent oil dripping and burning.
Sprinkle white sesame seeds evenly.
Bake on the oven’s mid-bottom rack.
Set the top heat to 150°C and bottom heat to 200°C and bake for 20 minutes. Adjust based on your oven’s temperature variance.
Cover the top with aluminum foil after 6 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Remove from the oven once baked.
Shake the pan lightly to release heat, invert onto a rack to cool, which takes at least 30 minutes.
The bread is soft with a pull-apart texture, and the bottom is golden and crispy. Once you start eating, you can’t stop.
Finally, it took me considerable time and effort to write this detailed tutorial. Please help me by saving, submitting your creations, and following me. Thank you for your support. I will continue to create better tutorials in return.