Panda Bread

Feel like making something creative and delicious ? Something that looks plain on the outside but suprises people when sliced open?
This bread is easy to share and is recommended for open buffets or banquets where lots of people can see and share the slices.
I found this great recipe from tablespoon where the author 'girlversusdough' inspired me to recreate this awesome loaf of bread!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup milk w/ 1 egg yolk (both should total 1 cup together)
• 3/4 tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 tsp cocoa powder mixed w/ 1 1/2 tsp hot water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 
  

Flavour:

1 tbsp green tea (matcha) powder mised w/2 tsp hot water or green food colouring

Method:

1. 1. In a small bowl, microwave milk and egg yolk for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
2. 
   2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar and yeast.
3. 
   3. Add in butter, salt and milk mixture, stirring on low speed with the dough hook attachment.
4. 
   4. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough comes together and pulls away from the sides, about 5-10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a tbsp-ful of flour at a time until it is smooth and elastic.
5. 
   5. Divide dough into three pieces, two about equal and one about 1/3 the size of the other two.
6. 
   6. Place one of the large pieces in the stand mixer bowl and mix with green tea/water mixture OR green tea food coloring until desired color is reached.
7. 
   7. Remove dough from bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.
8. 
   8. Clean stand mixer bowl, then place smallest piece of dough in stand mixer and combine with cocoa powder/water mixture until color is blended through. Remove dough from bowl and place in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.
9. 
   9. Place plain piece of dough in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled. All pieces should double in about an hour.
10. 
    10. Once dough is risen, on a floured surface, divide plain dough in thirds, with one piece being half the size of the other two (as you did before). Use one of the larger pieces to form the face. Divide the cocoa dough in quarters and use two quarters to form the eyes.
11. 
    11. Quickly place the smallest piece of plain dough between the eyes to keep them in place. Stretch remaining piece of plain dough over the whole bread to lock everything in place.
12. 
    12. Take last two quarters of cocoa dough and form the ears.
13. 
    13. Divide green dough in two pieces, one twice the size of the other. Take the small piece to fill in the space between the ears. Take the larger piece of green dough and stretch over the whole bread to lock everything in place.
14. 
    14. Place dough in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
15. 
    15. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
16. 
    16. Once dough is risen, bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside (the inside should register 190 degrees F). Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing or serving.
17. 
    

Tips :

If your bread didn't turn out, try these things: 

• Make sure that your liquids are not hotter than 100-110 F, or you will kill your yeast (and then your bread will not rise).
• If the water feels hot to you, it is too warm. However, if it's too cold, the yeast won't activate. 
• If it is still not working out, try using a kitchen scale. 
• Here's the measurements from a different recipe: 230 g bread flour, 70 g all-purpose flour, 30 g sugar, 210 g egg yolk plus warm milk, 4.5 g salt, 18 g unsalted butter (it has to be unsalted), 4 g dry yeast, 8 g green tea powder/maccha powder mixed with 10 g water, 8 g cocoa powder mixed with 8 g water. 
• Kitchen scales are cheap, and when you're making bread, it usually turns out better and the results are the same time after time when you weigh because the measurements are more accurate, and more consistent.