Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread

This Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread is a soft and fluffy vegan bread, using both hojicha and matcha tea powders to flavour the dough. The tea-flavoured doughs are coiled together and baked into a beautiful loaf.

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! 

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 the 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:

• Coconut Cream Buns
• Matcha Yuzu Hot Cross Buns

Bread flour vs. all-purpose

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 aluminum 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 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. 

Other hojicha recipes

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

Hojicha Espresso Cookies

Matcha Hojicha Coconut Ice Cream Bars

Hojicha Black Sesame Oat Latte

Matcha Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Let me know if you tried out this recipe -- I love seeing your creations! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.

*HOJICHA GIVEAWAY!* NOW CLOSED

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!

Print Recipe

5 from 44 votes

Hojicha Matcha Swirl Bread

A creative and delicious tea-infused bread recipe using 2 types of tea powder: hojicha and matcha in this soft and fluffy swirl bread.

Prep Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Servings: 12

Calories: 178kcal

Author: Michelle

Equipment

• spray bottle with water

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

• 25 g bread flour or all-purpose
• 120 ml water

Dough:

• 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

Hojicha dough:

• 15 g hojicha powder

Matcha dough:

• 8 g matcha powder

US Customary | Metric

Instructions

Make the tangzhong:

• In a small sauce pot, combine bread flour and water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Whisk until the mixture turns into a thick paste, about 2-3 minutes. (It will look like glue).
• Remove from heat, cover, and cool completely.

Make the dough:

• Pour the milk into a small bowl and microwave until lukewarm, but not too hot.
• Add in the sugar and yeast. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes, until bubbly.
• In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, add in the flour, salt, tangzhong, yeast mixture and avocado oil. Knead until the dough is shiny and smooth, about 6-7 minutes.
• Have 3 separate bowls ready, slightly oiled.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions, one for each flavour: plain / hojicha / matcha.
• Take one portion of dough for the "plain" and place it into 1 bowl.
• 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 will 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.
• Cover each bowl of dough and leave to proof in a warm area, until almost doubled in size.
• Prepare an 8" by 4" loaf tin with parchment paper.
• 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 top.
• 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 closed and place it seam side down into the loaf pan (8" by 4").
• Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to proof in a warm location until the dough rises about 1" past the top of the loaf pan.
• Towards the end of the proofing time, preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
• Bake at 350°F/177°C for 38-40 minutes, or until it reaches 190°F/88°C on an instant-read thermometer.
• Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

Did you try this recipe?Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer!