Sweet bread with delicious mung bean paste filling – so perfect with your cup of coffee
Sooooo… I’ve been baking few kinds of bread lately – it is so fun! Thanks to my lovely friend who passed on her stand mixer to me coz she got a new one and so I don’t have to knead with the hands. (It is not fun to knead when you have RA)
It was crazy the first few times with the mixer, but I am glad we got along. I was told that the dough can be kept in the fridge to rise overnight so it will be easier to handle it the next day, especially when you are making a braided bread. I was hesitant at first (I don’t trust myself enough), but I finally tried.
Of course, it had to be one of my favorites – Monggo Bread or Monggo Braided Bread in this case. Along with keeping the dough in the fridge overnight, I also tried braiding. (This does look like a braided bread, yes??)
If asked what is my favorite bread, I can’t tell you one specific answer, but any bread with monggo or mung bean paste filling is definitely my favorite. Remember these Pan de Monggo? Ohhh! I just love them so much! The mung bean paste filling is everything. This, on the other hand, doesn’t contain much filling (coz they will burst out from your dough!). Of course, it is delicious, especially with that margarine and sugar topping. Ahhhhh! I know, I know – margarine is not good. You can use butter. I just prefer margarine for this one.
I also made mung bean paste filling:
The bread is super delicious when it’s warm, but please be patient and wait for it to cool further before cutting or you’ll get slightly wet, somewhat like uncooked dough. Yuck! I know coz you know I can’t wait. So please do yourself a favor and wait!
The bread stays soft until the next day, but the sugar topping will melt. The margarine and sugar topping is completely optional, but I love the bread more when it is topped with margarine and sugar. Any leftover can be reheated in a microwave or in a preheated oven.
I am taking this at Fiesta Friday #202 with our lovely ladies – Angie, Aunt Juju & Laurena – thanks for hosting! Happy Fiesta Friday!!!
Monggo Braided Bread
Ingredients:
Red bean paste filling:
The filling can be prepared ahead of time. I prepared mine one night before making the buns.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup red mung beans/adzuki beans
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup condensed milk (optional)
- Water to soak and/or boil the beans
Instructions:
- In a bowl, add washed beans and place water just 2 inches above the beans. Leave overnight. The next day, drain water and place the beans in a deep pot. Add water and boil until soft. (You can also skip the soaking, just boil the beans for more minutes.) You may also need to add more water.
- When the beans are soft, add sugar. Turn off the heat and let the beans cool down a bit. Transfer the beans to a blender to puree them. Alternatively, you can also use a stick blender. (I tried using a food processor, but I did not like the result.)
- When the beans are pureed, return back to the pot. Add condensed milk, if desired. You can do a taste test. You may want to add more sugar or condensed milk as the sweetness will lessen when eaten with bread.
- Stir constantly until the consistency becomes a thick paste. Let cool down a bit before filling the dough. Since I made mine a night before, I kept the filling in the fridge.
For the bread:
- 3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided (you may need additional for your work surface)
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup milk, warm
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- additional melted butter, for the topping
To serve (optional):
- Margarine or butter
- White sugar
- Additional mung bean paste
Instructions:
- In a bowl of your stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast. Mix until well combined.
- While the motor is running at medium speed, add melted butter and warm milk. If the dough is not ready after 7 minutes of kneading, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour (you may not use all of them or you may need to add more). Let the machine knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. (This may take another 3-8 minutes, depending on the speed of your mixer.)
- Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a greased bowl and keep in the fridge overnight. (I strongly suggest to keep the dough in the fridge overnight to let it rise there so the dough will be easier to handle when you roll and shape). Alternatively, you can keep it in a warm place until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hour).
When the dough is ready,
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough to remove the air.
- Flatten the dough and form a rectangle about 20 inches long, 12 inches wide.
- Spread the mung bean paste filling over the flattened dough leaving 1/2 inch on each side. From the long side, roll the dough tightly but carefully.
- Cut the dough lengthwise. Bring one dough over the other to make a large X. Now, twist twist twist over each other again until you reach both ends. Bring both ends together to make a ring and carefully seal. Cover loosely with kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size again (around 45 minutes).
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F.
- When ready, carefully brush the top of the dough with melted butter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. (Time will vary, depending on your oven.)
- Let the bread rest for about 15-30 minutes before adding margarine and sugar on top and cutting. You can also spread additional mung bean paste before eating.
Also sharing at
