ROUX STARTER (TARO PASTE)

I yam what I yam, and what I yam is a taro.

One thing is for sure.  I won't be able to make bread for a living.  After an afternoon of toiling, I churned out only six buns.  Six!  If my life depended on it I'd be dead by now.

Today I made bread with a taro filling using Showa HI-NEON bread flour and taro paste that I bought from Taipei. 

I began by making a roux starter.  Mashed taro, flour and water were stirred over low heat until the water was reduced and the ingredients came together to form a paste.   It was then placed in the fridge for about 60 minutes before adding to the rest of the ingredients.

For the filling, I mixed a little butter into the taro paste to give it an extra creamy texture and rich flavor.  Since the store-bought taro was quite sweet I didn't add more sugar.  

Roux starter: 20 grams store bought taro paste, 10 grams Showa HI-NEON, 50 grams water

Bread dough: 210 grams Showa HI-NEON, 3 grams instant yeast, 20 grams caster sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 100 grams water, 15 grams butter

Filling: 150 grams taro paste, 15 grams butter

Finish: Egg wash

Crumb topping: 10 grams all-purpose flour, 15 grams almond meal, 10 grams granulated sugar, 10 grams salted butter

MY PIECE OF RAINFOREST

I'm so lucky that my desk is parked right next to this amazing view.

The sun came through the trees into my office window today.  Ignore the traffic below and I could well be in the middle of a rainforest. 

ANPAN BUNS AND RAISIN BUNS

A couple more experiments using Custard Roux Starter.

First I made some Anpan.

Then I made some raisin buns with a super fluffy interior.  The raisins had been plumped with Cointreau.

FIRST OF MAY

When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall,

we used to love while others used to play.

Don't ask me why, but time has passed us by,

someone else moved in from far away.

Now we are tall, and Christmas trees are small,

and you don't ask the time of day.

But you and I, our love will never die,

but guess who'll cry come first of May.

The apple tree that grew for you and me,

I watched the apples falling one by one.

And as I recall the moment of them all,

the day I kissed your cheek and you were gone.

Now we are tall, and Christmas trees are small,

and you don't ask the time of day.

But you and I, our love will never die,

but guess who'll cry come first of May.

When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall,

do do do do do do do do do ...

Don't ask me why, but time has passed us by,

someone else moved in from far away.