Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread

Name: Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 25 g bread flour (or all-purpose); 120 ml water; 125 ml warm almond milk (or any plant-based milk); 50 g granulated cane sugar; 6 g active dry yeast; 350 g bread flour (or all-purpose); pinch of sea salt; 120 g tangzhong (from above); 60 g avocado oil; + extra water for spraying; 15 g hojicha powder; 8 g matcha powder

Published: Sep 1, 2020 by Michelle · 85 Comments

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Hojicha Co. All images and opinions expressed are solely my own. Thank you for supporting brands that help make Sift & Simmer possible!

One of my favourite flavour combinations is hojicha and matcha. I’ve combined them together in a few my recipes, but this soft and fluffy tea-flavoured Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread is my favourite so far.

FIRST, WHAT IS HOJICHA?

Hojicha is a roasted green tea that is roasted over charcoal at a high temperature. It has a dark, smoky and robust flavour and is low in caffeine.

I’ve become a fan of hojicha’s deep and complex taste and have created many recipes using the powdered tea.

WHAT IS MATCHA?

Matcha is a fine-powdered green tea that is specially grown in Japan.

I’ve dedicated a large section of recipes to this healthy and delicious tea on this website.

HOW TO MAKE MY HOJICHA MATCHA SWIRL BREAD

This vegan bread recipe doesn’t contain any eggs or dairy and still has a soft, cottony texture. That’s due to a particular ingredient that keeps the bread soft.

Tangzhong.

WHAT IS TANGZHONG?

Tangzhong is an Asian technique of cooking a small amount of flour and water to produce a flour paste (roux). The roux is added to the rest of the baking ingredients and produces a soft, tender loaf.

I like using tangzhong in my baked breads, as the cooked roux helps to hold in extra moisture, especially for breads that don’t contain any dairy or eggs.

Some of my recipes that use tangzhong include:

BREAD FLOUR VS. ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

I personally like using bread flour when baking bread, however, if you can’t get your hands on it, you can use all-purpose flour for this recipe.

Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour, which produces more gluten. The higher amount of gluten in bread flour leads to a more elastic dough.

ADDING TEA FLAVOUR TO THE DOUGH

Once we add the tangzhong to the rest of the dough ingredients, we’ll knead it until it’s shiny and smooth.

Then, we’ll divide the dough into 3 equal portions, one for each flavour:

plain
hojicha
matcha

Leave the plain dough alone.

For the hojicha dough, add in the hojicha powder along with a few spritzes of water to moisten the tea powder. Use your hands to knead the hojicha into the dough until it is well incorporated. (You may need to add more spritzes of water to achieve the right consistency, as hojicha powder absorbs moisture).

For the matcha dough, add in the matcha powder along with a few sprays of water to moisten. Repeat as with the hojicha dough, by kneading in the matcha until incorporated.

Place each dough into a separate bowl and cover. Leave to proof in a warm area, until almost doubled in size.

CREATING THE HOJICHA MATCHA SWIRL

I will preface this by saying that bread is like art — no two loaves will turn out exactly the same. That said, each swirl will have its own “character.”

Roll out the plain dough into a 8″ by 8″ square, being careful not to roll it too thin.

Repeat with the hojicha and matcha dough so that you have 3 doughs of the same size.

With the plain dough on the work surface, spray a light misting of water on the top and layer the hojicha dough on it.

Spray the top of the hojicha dough with another light misting of water and place the matcha dough on it.

Start at the bottom and roll all 3 layers together into a log, like a jelly roll.

Seal the end seam by pinching it and place it seam side down into a parchment-lined loaf pan (8″ by 4″).

Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to proof until the dough rises 1″ past the top of the loaf pan.

BAKING THE BREAD

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 38-40 minutes, or until the interior reaches 190F on an instant-read thermometer. If the loaf is browning too quickly, cover with the top with aluminium foil.

Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Tip: it’s important to let the bread cool down completely prior to slicing or it may appear doughy.

HOW TO STORE THE MATCHA HOJICHA SWIRL BREAD

This Matcha Hojicha Swirl Bread is best enjoyed fresh, but can be kept in an air-tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. The tangzhong helps to keep the bread fresh and tender for an extended time.

Microwave the bread for 10-15 seconds if prefer an even softer texture.

It also freezes beautifully. I like to cut slices and place into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Simply take out a slice or two and microwave or pop it into the toaster.

PERFECT FOR BREAKFAST

This Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread is soft, tender and absolutely delicious. It’s perfect for tea lovers, especially if you can’t decide between matcha and hojicha.

Eaten fresh, the bread almost tastes like a cake.

You can also toast it and add some Hojicha Milk Jam or Vegan Green Tea Spread to complete the ultimate tea-lovers breakfast.

MY OTHER HOJICHA RECIPES

Be sure to check out these recipes using hojicha tea powder:

Let me know if you enjoyed this recipe — tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.

HOJICHA GIVEAWAY!

And we’re kicking off the start of September (my birthday month) with a giveaway!

For your chance to win 100g of Hojicha Powder from Hojicha.Co, leave a comment below on what you’d make with it.

Like my corresponding Instagram post, tag a friend and follow @hojicha.co and myself @siftandsimmer for additional entries. Contest ends September 7, 2020 at 11:59pm PST. A winner will be randomly drawn. Open to Canadian and US residents of legal age.

Many thanks to Hojicha Co. for partnering with me on this post!

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