Creamy Braided Bread

I like to eat bread but due to concerning my waistline, I restrict my consumption of bread. I like those sweet bun with filling like coconut shreds, blueberry jam with cream, cream with chocolate rice, mexican bun, sweet bun with cubed hard-boil egg & ham with mayonnaise, sandwich with ham & cheese etc, I especially love the raisins cream cheese bun from barcook, this is my favourite.

After I started to bake, I always wanna bake bread for my family. I tried once but not successful. I didn't give up and wanna try again and shortlisted this creamy braided bread from Kitchen Corner.

Well, I guess I didn't put in enough strength and effort to knead the bread. The dough didn't reach the embryo stage even though I knead for more than an hr, I watched TV while kneading again :P. The dough didn't rise double even after a few hours proofing, it raised only the most 70% after I left it overnight.

Quite dishearten for the failure, I do not know should I give a last try on breading making or just give it up until make up my mind to invest on the bread machine or heavy duty mixer like kitchenaid to do the kneading.

Recipe from Kitchen Corner.

Ingredients :
For the dough :
200g bread flour
30g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
18g egg yolks (I never weigh, just use one egg yolk)
3g yeast
100g cream (I used whipping cream)
40g milk
20g butter

For the crumble toppings :
30g sugar powder
50g plain flour
5g milk powder
40g cold butter

Method :
1. For the dough : Mix all the ingredients except butter and knead until it become a smooth dough.
2. Add in the butter and knead until the butter combine with the dough. Then continue the kneading process until it become a smooth and elastic dough.
3. Place the dough into a lightly grease bowl and cover with cling wrap to proof for 80 minutes.
4. For crumble topping : While waiting for the dough, mix the ingredients with finger tips until it become crumbly texture. Set aside and ready to use.
5. Divide the dough into 6 portions and round them into small balls. Let them rest for 15 minutes.
6. Roll each dough into longish shape about 28cm and form a braiding. Tighten up both side of the dough and proof for 30 minutes.
7. Egg wash the doughs and sprinkle over some crumble on the doughs. Bake at 180'C preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Verdict?
The bread is cripsy, not soft at all since the dough did not raise properly. However it still tasted very flavourable and buttery, I like it especially the crumble topping. This bread is definately a keeper if I can be successed on my kneading of dough.