The bread is a fluffy, milk bread with a beautiful green and black swirl throughout. When sliced, you can see the intricate design of the two colors woven throughout the bread. It's perfect for toast or sandwiches.

Matcha and Black Sesame Milk Bread

Name: Matcha and Black Sesame Milk Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: active dry yeast, 2 1/4 teaspoons; warm water, 1/4 cup; sugar, 1/4 cup; unsalted butter, 1/4 cup melted; milk, 2/3 cup; salt, 1/4 teaspoon; all-purpose flour, 3 cups; egg, 1; matcha powder, 1 tablespoon; black sesame seeds, 1/4 cup toasted and ground; black sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon for garnish; unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons melted, for brushing

Category Brunch

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 40 minutes

Style Japanese

Technique baking

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily Recipe: March 30, 2023

This recipe for 'Matcha and Black Sesame Milk Bread' has a Japanese-inspired twist, using matcha and black sesame to add both flavor and beautiful green and black swirls to the bread. Baking bread on a clear day in spring is both therapeutic and the perfect way to celebrate the changing of the seasons.

Ingredients (for 4)

Active dry yeast - 2 1/4 teaspoons
Warm water - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup - melted
Milk - 2/3 cup
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
All-purpose flour - 3 cups
Egg - 1
Matcha powder - 1 tablespoon
Black sesame seeds - 1/4 cup - toasted and ground
Black sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon - for garnish
Unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons - melted, for brushing

Preparation

Step 1 - ⚡🍞💭

Combine yeast and warm water, then let sit for 5 minutes until foaming.
Step 2 - 🥣💃🏼🧂

In a stand mixer bowl, mix sugar, melted butter, milk, salt, and 2 cups of flour until fully combined.
Step 3 - 🧬➕🍶

Add the activated yeast mixture to the dough base, and continue mixing.
Step 4 - 🥚🍜👍

Beat an egg lightly and add it to the mixture. Mix well.
Step 5 - 🎂🍵🖤

Divide the dough into 2 parts. Add matcha powder and knead until fully combined to the larger part. Add toasted black sesame powder and knead until fully combined to the smaller part.
Step 6 - 🧘🏽‍♂️💤1️⃣🕰️

Place both balls of dough into separate bowls, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rest until they have doubled in size, for about 1 hour.
Step 7 - 🌯🔀🌰

Roll the matcha dough into a rectangle. Then, place the black sesame dough rectangle on top of the matcha dough and roll the two tightly like a log. Pinch the seam to seal and rock the log back and forth to make it even. Place the dough in the loaf pan and cover with a clean kitchen towel until doubled in size. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining black sesame seeds.
Step 8 - 🔥🍞🍳

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Step 9 - 🏂❄️🍴

Take the bread out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring the bread to a cooling rack. Once it cools down, slice and enjoy!

Additional

Add some honey butter on top of the bread to get an extra layer of sweetness! The milk bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Try different nut powders like almond or pistachio to experiment with different flavors.